Here is a fact that still surprises most visitors: while every other Greek island eventually fell to the Ottoman Empire during its 400-year expansion, Corfu never did. Not in 1537. Not in 1571 or 1573. Not in the great siege of 1716. Four Venetian fortresses — two in Corfu Town, one on the wild northwestern coast, one in the island's south — held the line, siege after siege, for four centuries. They are the reason Corfu looks and feels the way it does today, and why the Old Town holds UNESCO World Heritage status.
This is a guide to all four, with opening hours, fees, history and the order to visit them in.
Why Venice Cared About Corfu
Corfu sat at the mouth of the Adriatic, halfway along the sea route between Venice and its eastern Mediterranean trade — an island Venice needed to hold if it wanted to keep doing business with the Levant. When the Venetians took Corfu in 1386, they immediately began fortifying it. Over the next four centuries they built, expanded, rebuilt and modernised defences until Corfu was the most heavily fortified island in the eastern Mediterranean. The investment paid off: the great sieges of 1537, 1571, 1573 and 1716 all failed.
The Four Fortresses
The Old Fortress (Palaio Frourio)
The icon. Two rocky peaks rising straight out of the sea at the eastern tip of Corfu Town, separated from the mainland by a seawater moat that Venetian engineers cut through the bedrock. This is the oldest of Corfu's fortresses — Byzantine origins in the 6th century, massively expanded by the Venetians in the 15th and 16th centuries. Inside: the Church of St George (1840, British era), the Clock Tower, and a summit lighthouse with the best view of Corfu Town.
Hours: 8 AM – 8 PM summer, 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM winter. Fee: €6. Allow: 2 hours.
The New Fortress (Neo Frourio)
"New" is relative: construction began in 1572 after the siege of 1571 exposed weaknesses in the Old Fortress's landward defences. It took the Venetians nearly a century to finish, and the result is one of the largest Renaissance-era bastioned fortresses in the Mediterranean. Stone tunnels riddle the interior; the upper ramparts offer a different angle on the city than the Old Fortress. Less visited, more atmospheric.
Hours: 8 AM – 8 PM summer, similar winter. Fee: €4. Allow: 1-1.5 hours.
Angelokastro — The Castle of Angels
On a 305-metre cliff above Paleokastritsa on the northwest coast, visible from most of western Corfu and half of the sea around it. Byzantine foundation, Venetian expansion — Angelokastro was the military nerve centre of northern Corfu during the critical 16th-century sieges. Getting there is a 30-minute uphill walk from the nearest car park. The view from the summit is, bluntly, one of the great views in Greece.
Hours: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM. Fee: €4. Allow: 2 hours including walk up.
Gardiki Castle — The Southern Sentinel
The odd one out — Gardiki predates Venice. Built by the Byzantine Despots of Epirus in the 13th century to guard Corfu's south, it's an octagonal stone castle with eight towers, set in flat farmland 45 minutes from Corfu Town. Much of the outer wall survives; the interior is ruined but atmospheric. Free to enter, rarely crowded, and worth combining with the southern beaches.
Hours: Daylight, generally open-access. Fee: Free. Allow: 30-45 min.
Local Tip
Early morning or late afternoon for the town fortresses — they become ovens by midday in July and August. Sunset at the Old Fortress is genuinely spectacular; time your visit so you're on the upper ramparts around 45 minutes before sunset. Bring water: neither fortress has a drinking fountain at the top.
A Visiting Order
A sensible fortress itinerary spreads over two days:
Day 1 (in Corfu Town): Morning at the New Fortress before the heat. Lunch in the Old Town. Late afternoon at the Old Fortress, arriving by 5 PM to catch the light changing on the bastions.
Day 2 (on the road): Morning drive to Angelokastro via Paleokastritsa — hike up before the midday heat, then swim at Paleokastritsa for the rest of the day. Alternatively, Gardiki on a southern-beach day — pair with Glyfada or Agios Gordios.
Practical Notes
What to wear: sturdy shoes for all of them. The Old Fortress has polished stone that is slippery when wet; Angelokastro is a steep uphill walk; Gardiki is flat but uneven. Covered shoulders only required inside the Old Fortress church.
Photography: The Old Fortress looks best from across the bay at Faliraki or from the Spianada side at sunset. Angelokastro looks best from the coast road between Paleokastritsa and Liapades.
Accessibility: The town fortresses have partial wheelchair access (the lower areas of the Old Fortress, the entrance plaza of the New Fortress). Angelokastro and the upper ramparts of both town fortresses are not accessible.
Getting There
The two town fortresses are walkable from anywhere in Corfu Town. For Angelokastro and Gardiki, a hire car is effectively necessary — bus services don't cover the last-mile approach to either. Angelokastro is a 1-hour drive from Corfu Town; Gardiki about 45 minutes.
★ Rent a Car with Herbie
Free delivery to your hotel or the airport. The smaller roads to Angelokastro are narrow but paved — a compact car handles them fine. For Gardiki and the southern beaches, any vehicle will do.
Heading to Corfu Town? See the Corfu Town area guide for free-delivery details and drive distances.
Book a car →Dropping Bags Before the Fortresses
If you're on a day trip from a cruise or early arrival, Lock and Walk near the Old Port stores luggage cheaply — makes the Old and New Fortress walks much easier without a suitcase.
Where to Stay for Fortress Tourism
A central Corfu Town base puts you within walking distance of both town fortresses. A rural or coastal base gives you easier car access to Angelokastro and Gardiki.
★ Ef Zin Villa (Skripero)
Well-placed for the western fortresses. 30 minutes to Corfu Town, 25 minutes to Angelokastro, 50 minutes to Gardiki. Perfect base for a fortress-focused trip.
View villa →Further Reading
For the wider historical context, see our guide to Corfu's Venetian and British periods. For the Old Town itself — which is essentially one enormous Venetian urban plan — our walking guide.