Erikousa
3.2/5The greenest Diapontia island — sandy Porto beach and an Astoria diaspora
3.2on its own→4.0with the Diapontia islandsPorto harbour beach, the village, and pine-backed Bragini bay.
Part of the Diapontia islands
One boat out of Corfu, three islands, almost no other visitors — the access penalty that drags each island down on its own disappears once you treat them as a single trip.
Base4.2Corfu4 daysWhy 3.2: good value, some of the best sailing water in Greece and nothing you need a car for — but the sights are thin and there is no nightlife at all.
Erikousa is the most populated and easiest to reach of the Diapontia islands off northwest Corfu — a small, green, low island whose harbour opens onto a broad sandy beach. It has an unusually tight bond with Astoria, New York, where much of the island emigrated; in August the population multiplies as families return. Outside that peak it is deeply quiet: a few tavernas and guesthouses, cypress and olive slopes, and two good sandy beaches. It makes the gentlest introduction to the Diapontia trio.
Good for
- Families with small children — the ferry lands beside Porto's wide shallow sand, with tavernas just behind
- First-timers in the Diapontia — it is the closest of the three to Corfu and needs no car
- Anyone after an empty sandy bay — pine-backed Bragini is a short walk from the harbour and usually yours
Maybe skip if
- If you want sights or nightlife — Erikousa is two beaches, a village and not much else
- If you're coming in August, when the Astoria diaspora returns and the population multiplies
Getting there
No airport. It is the closest Diapontia island to Corfu — passenger ferries from Agios Stefanos in the northwest run several times a week in summer, around 2.5 hours. Some Sidari day-cruises also call.
Tip: The easiest Diapontia island to reach — a good first step, or a base for the other two.
Best time to visit Erikousa
Rooms and tavernas open roughly May to September. August is the one busy month, when the diaspora returns; June, July and September give warm sea and calm, near-empty beaches. Little runs in winter.
Top beaches of Erikousa
Bragini
The best beach of the Diapontia — a quiet sandy bay backed by pines a short walk northeast of the harbour, with shade at the treeline and clear shallow water. Outside August you'll often have it entirely to yourself.
- Type
- Fine sand
- Length
- 150 m
- Depth
- Shallow — clear
- Wind
- Avoid visiting when the wind blows from the northeast to southeast at over 4 Bft. East-facing — sheltered from the Ionian's afternoon maïstros (NW breeze); typically calm all day
- Facilities
- None — natural shade from the pines.
Porto (harbour beach)
Erikousa's main beach, right where the ferry lands — wide golden sand, warm shallow water and tavernas at the back. The easiest good beach in the Diapontia.
- Type
- Fine sand
- Length
- 350 m
- Depth
- Shallow — family-friendly
- Wind
- Avoid visiting when the wind blows from the southeast to southwest at over 5 Bft. South-facing — sheltered from the prevailing NW winds; calm in summer, exposed only to rare southerlies
- Facilities
- Tavernas & rooms behind; some sunbeds.
1-day itinerary for Erikousa
Read the day-by-day plan on its own page →
Day 1: Harbour Sand & the Pine Bay
- 11:00 · Porto (harbour & beach)
The ferry lands right beside a wide, shallow sandy beach — the centre of island life, with tavernas, rooms and the church just behind. Warm, calm water ideal for families.
- 🍴 Stop for lunch · Porto — see Eat & Drink below
- 13:00 · Bragini beach
A quieter sandy bay backed by pines a short walk northeast of the harbour, with shade at the treeline and clear shallow water. Often you'll have it to yourself.
- 16:00 · Erikousa village & church
The small main village just inland, gathered around its church — the social heart in August, sleepy the rest of the season. A short loop takes in the cypress slopes and sea views.
All three Diapontia islands in one trip · One of the 20 quietest Greek islands