7 Things To Do In Roda, Corfu

This year, our summer holiday took us to Corfu. We were staying in Roda on the north coast of the island and had a wonderful time. It's a beautiful Greek fishing village and has the most chilled and welcoming atmosphere I've ever experienced.  I'd love to share my recommended seven things to do if you visit Roda.

Sunset over Roda harbour

Swimming With The Fishes

The coastline at Roda is completely flat so you can walk out quite a distance and still only be in shallow water.  The beach in the village is very sandy but becomes rocky as you move out of town towards some of the beach front hotels (twenty paces out to sea, it becomes sandy again). The water is generally very calm, beautifully warm and clear enough to see the occasional fish swimming by.  

Chill out at the Boathouse

As we walked down from our hotel, The Boathouse was one of the first bars we stopped at before continuing into Roda. It is perfectly placed between the rural coastal road that leads to Acharavi and the main village of Roda. As you sit overlooking the mountains of Albania and listen to the lapping of the sea, you just feel all your muscles start to relax (and that's not just the alcohol...).

Sampling The Local Food

Every single restaurant in Roda deserves your custom. The quality of food is unbelievable and the hospitality is second to none.  All food and drink is reasonably priced and you are given very generous portions. It's not unusual to eat late and eat slowly so sit back and enjoy the view whilst you sample local delicacies.  Our two most favourite restaurants were Roxannes (you can find this on the beach road in town) and Thalasea (on the main road in Roda).

Evening Entertainment

A few restaurants and bars offer entertainment from around 9pm onwards. Nikos Family Restaurant (on the small side street leading from the beach road to the main road) invites you to a traditional Greek night with plate smashing and dancing. You can also find similar at Alexandros Traditional Greek Taverna on the beach front.  A few bars offer more gentle entertainment such as free quiz nights but we found amazing "look-alike and sound-alike" singing acts at both the Drunken Sailor and Oscars (on the main road in Roda). There's definitely something for everyone if you fancy a change from your hotel or apartment.

Cocktails at the Harbour Bar

Almost all bars in Roda serve great food and gorgeous drinks but the Harbour Bar has an extensive cocktail menu (cleverly detailed in alphabetical order) for you to work your way through. If you get past "B" at 3.90€ a glass (with fruit, umbrellas and sparklers) then you're a better person that me!

Getting Out And About

Car, quad bike and motorbike hire are reasonably priced and a great way to get out and see a bit more of the island.  We explored Acharavi, Sidari, Kassiopi and Palaiokastritsa this way and also drove to Corfu Town.  We did find that car parking in main beauty spots and in Corfu Town was quite difficult in high season so recommend using the regular bus sevice, daily coaches or organised day trips to visit these local attractions. If you're on any other Greek island, you'll find the similar and you could check out Rental Center Crete, for example if you're holidaying in Crete

The bay at Kassiopi

Relax and Unwind

The main season for Roda is May to October.  We visited in early July and it didn't feel over crowded. Almost every bar and restaurant was open and we were welcomed everywhere with open arms. We stayed at a hotel on the dusty coast road between Roda and Acharavi which was around 1km from the centre of Roda and we walked into the main town every day. The scenery and the sunsets are stunningly beautiful and this has become our Number One holiday destination - we will definitely be returning next year.

Have you been to Roda? What would you add to my list?

If you'd like to see more of my photographs from Roda you can view them in my album 

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Sams Boats, Roda