Corfu Town, or Kerkyra, is the handsome capital of Corfu and the island's strongest argument for leaving the beach. Four centuries of Venetian rule shaped the old town more deeply than almost anywhere else in Greece: tall ochre houses, laundry-strung lanes, arched passageways, little squares, and fortifications built to keep the Ottomans out of the Adriatic.
The old town sits between the Old Fortress on its eastern promontory and the New Fortress above the port. Between them is the Campiello, a compact maze that feels closer to Venice than to the Cyclades. The Liston and Esplanade add a French and British layer: arcaded cafes, a cricket ground, and the kind of public square that makes no sense until you remember how many powers ruled here.
Corfu Town is not just pretty. The Church of Saint Spyridon is the island's devotional heart, and the Museum of Asian Art is one of the more unexpected museums in Greece, housed in a British neoclassical palace on the Esplanade. South of the centre, Mon Repos gives a quieter walk through royal, British, and ancient Corcyra.
It is easy to see Corfu Town in a long day, especially if you are staying elsewhere on the island. Stay overnight if you can: the cruise crowds thin, the lanes cool down, and the town becomes a place to wander rather than a checklist.