Arillas

Arillas is a beach resort on the northwest coast of Corfu. It has a big, sandy beach and a great view over the Diapontia islands, off the coast of Corfu. It is a tourist resort but there are no big hotels and development is low-key. Almost all hotels, restaurants, bars and shops are run by their local owners and this makes it feel like a village. After a few days in Arillas, people will recognize you and maybe even call you by your name!

Understand

A beach resort that still feels like a village, Arillas has a long and wide sandy beach. Beautiful nature, clear waters and a beach offering much privacy. Many naturists have been coming to Arillas for decades because of this, so if you wander off to the left or right side of the beach, be prepared to encounter naked people!

Arillas is also developing fast as one of the biggest spiritual spots of the world. There are three spiritual centres offering different courses on meditation, chanting, dancing, creative arts and also many people practicing all kinds of massage. Ideal to relax body, mind and spirit.

The village is also famous for its festivals. The first is held on Ascension day (40 days after Easter), another is held in the first weekend of August and the Wine festival is held on the first weekend of September. Many hundreds of people come to Arillas from all Northern Corfu to enjoy traditional dancing, great souvlakia, local wine, and the famous, fresh Corfu Beer which is produced in the village.

Get in

Arillas is 37 kilometers to the north-west of Corfu Town. Corfu has a port and an international airport so for info on getting to Corfu, check the article on Corfu.

Once you have landed or disembarked on Corfu, you can get to Arillas by taxi, bus or car. A taxi ride costs around €55. If you are on your own you may be able to ride along on a shuttle bus doing transfers from the airport to Arillas for €20. There is also a regional bus (they are called green buses on Corfu) to Arillas which goes very early in the morning or at 13.00. The ticket is roughly €4.40 (2018). Another solution is to rent a car.

Get around

Arillas is a small place so the best means of transportation are your own two legs! Of course, you can also rent a bicycle, scooter or car (all available in the village) if you want to see more of the area.

See

There are no real impressive sights to see, except the natural ones. Peaceful olive groves and beautiful landscapes with countless wild flowers, especially in the spring and autumn. There are also many many islands off the north-western coast of Corfu that are worth a visit. You can either sail along with a day trip boat or rent a canoe, pedalboat or motorboat to visit the islands on your own.

Do

• 1 Agios Stefanos beach. A long beautiful beach on the north west of the island, very good for sunbathing as there is loads of sunbeds. (updated Mar 2016)

Walk

There are many footpaths around the area that take you along the coast over rugged cliffs and peninsulas or inland under shady olive groves. Arillas is a perfect base for a walking holiday. In 2012 a footpath was cleared and marked by the local people that takes you up some impressive cliffs to Magoulades and back down again over a totally different route through orchards and fields full of flowers. The footpath is 8 km long and more footpaths are in the planning. Apart from the explicitly marked footpaths there are many more that are unmarked but easy to follow. In fact, there is a network of footpaths covering the whole island of Corfu.

Meditate

Arillas has been hosting people interested in meditation and spirituality for more than 30 years. Nowadays there are three big meditation centres in the area. The Corfu Buddha Hall in Magoulades and Alexis Zorbas and Ouranos Club between Arillas and Agios Stefanos. Those three centers all organize different meditation, yoga and other creative courses. Next to those three centres, there are also many people who are living permanently or semi-permanently in Arillas who offer different kinds of sessions, ranging from deep tissue massage to craniosacral and psychic massage and from Reiki to Tantra. If you are looking for a way to come in contact with your inner self, you are almost sure to find it here.

Buy

There are several tourist shops where you can buy clothes, souvenirs and local products. Locally produced olive oil and hand-carved objects made of olive wood are of high quality.

Eat

There are more than ten good restaurants in Arillas, with a wide choice of food. Several traditional, family-run tavernas offer authentic Greek and Corfiot dishes such as Pastitsadas und Sofrito. There are fish restaurants with fresh fish, restaurants with more exclusive Mediterranean cuisine and even a pizzeria offering crispy, Italian-style pizza baked in a wood oven. Arillas is well-known among Corfiots for its good food and many of them spend their weekends here.

• To Fagopotion, Agios Stefanos. Worth visiting but praise in the Guardian newspaper in 2008 (ostentatiously displayed at the entrance) may have gone to chef Christos Vlachos' head. Don't let him bully you. Some of the cooking is good, some is ordinary, and some has the feel of leftovers from the night before. 

Drink

There are 3-4 bars and beach bars in Arillas, offering all kinds of drinks and cocktails. Especially popular are Ammos on Arillas beach and Akrotiri, on the hill between Arillas and Agios Stefanos.

Sleep

There are no big hotels in Arillas, just about 6 or 7 family-run hotels in Arillas, and many self-catering apartments, as well as some villas. Prices range from €25 to €100 per double room or apartment, depending on the place and time of year. A friendly and helpful travel agency who can help you with accommodation and other things is Green Corfu.

• 1 Zambeta Apartments (Zambeta Apartments Arillas), Arillas, Corfu 49081 (Located in Arillas, 300 meters from the beach), ☏ +30 6932648788, info@zambeta.com. Zambeta Apartments is a small, family-run pension in Arillas. 300 m from the beach, near the cent of Arillas but still quiet, with a beautiful garden. Clean, light and spacious apartments for couples or singles. Two meditation centres within 1 km, a third one at 3 km. From €30. 

Go next

From Arillas it's just 3 kilometers to the harbour of Agios Stefanos. From there you can take a boat to visit the Diapontia islands of Mathraki, Othoni and Erikussa.