Cruises in Corfu (island)

Boat trips from Corfu work differently than on the Aegean islands: they do not circle your own shore, they head for the neighbours. To the south lie Paxos and Antipaxos, two small islands a couple of hours away. The west side of Paxos drops sheer into the sea, and the Blue Caves are washed out of those cliffs — small boats go inside, where the water is lit from below and looks luminescent. Antipaxos is further and smaller, and that is where you stop to swim: a white limestone bottom produces the colour that makes photographs look faked.

The second direction is the mainland, closer to Corfu than many Greek islands are. The Blue Lagoon at Sivota is a shallow channel between islets where the water warms up and lies almost still. The route is usually combined with Parga: a town rising in tiers from the water, a Venetian fortress above it, and an hour or so ashore for a walk and lunch.

The formats differ by the size of the boat and the pace. Scheduled sailings use large launches with a timetable and hotel pickup — the simplest way to see everything at once. Full-day trips to the lagoon run slower and with more swimming stops. The sunset party stands apart: music, a short run along the coast, and a return in the dark, when the lights of Corfu Town are visible from the water.