Ágios Geórgios (St George's South)

Some 35 kilometres south from Corfu Town, Ágios Geórgios is popular with both Corfiotes and tourists, with regular coach loads of the former arriving from Corfu Town at the weekends and during public holidays. There are two main ways to get to the resort -- the bus from Corfu Town to Ágios Geórgios costs EUR 2.90 (September 2011), while a taxi will be in the region of EUR 60 and approximately EUR 55 from the airport (August 2011).   There are only two buses each way each day - for 2011 these leave Corfu Town at 09:00 and 15:30 Monday - Saturday (returning from Ágios Geórgios at 10:00 and 16:30) and 09:00 / 16:30 (10:00 / 17:45) on Sundays - the times do get changed so check the timetable at the bus stops (they were changed 3 times in the first 2 months of 2011 Summer operation!).  It is also worth noting that the bus coming down from Corfu Town is often late arriving at the resort and also that it can take at least 15 minutes to get round the resort before heading back to town.  The timetable shows the same time at all bus stops in the resort, but it can be, for example, after 10:30 before the bus reaches the latter stops in the resort (so make sure you wait in a shady area if you are planning to travel up to Corfu Town - you could be waiting for a long time!).  

There is also a good amount of parking in the resort.  Be aware when travelling from Corfu Town or the Airport, there are several towns of the same or similar names - make sure when getting directions or a taxi, that you ask for the right one (mention of Argirades and St George's South normally helps)!.

Sun, sea and an abundance of fine, golden sand are the lingering ingredients of this resort. Several miles of golden sand in each bay affords excellent scope for exploration - safe beaches for families with toddlers as they dip very gently in to the sea (although there are a couple of areas if you move away from the central areas that can be dangerous when the sea is rough). In 2010 the beach was again awarded the coveted European Blue Flag - one of nearly twenty awarded on the island. 

The resort has grown rapidly over the last few years, although it is still relatively small. It has, however, suffered from the usual Mediterranean blight - lack of planning!.  It spans two bays with golden sandy beaches in each, with a rocky outcrop and the harbour in between.  The northern end is where bars / restaurants / shops sit side by side, a main sandy beach (Issos Beach), a couple of smaller (rocky) beaches and the harbour can be found. Moving south some 400-600 metres, things are much more spread out, with areas of open land between shops and restaurants - it is this area that contains the second beach (Golden Beach).

To the north, the beach offers many of the usual "sports", including Jet Ski's and pedalos.  Access is very easy, with no steps / slope to the beach, but with very limited car parking.  From this beach it also possible to walk (only) to the sand dunes and, behind them, Lake Korission - a large salt water lagoon which is home to dozens of different types of birds.    

The main area of sandy beach in the "southern" end starts near the XL Sports Bar, carries on past Malibu and on to the next village further along the bay. At the start the beach can be quite narrow and is regularly affected by the prevailing weather conditions - a storm overnight can reduce the beach width to such an extent that the sun beds can be surrounded by shallow water as the waves roll in - it brings a whole new meaning to "drifting away listening to the gentle movement of the transparent Ionian waves"!. One hundred metres further on and the beach becomes wider - it is at this point that the beach becomes much used, with the usual Jet Ski's (quite well controlled!) and pedalos, and multiple rows of sun beds for hire.  Volleyball and Boules can also be tried here. A bit further along again (under Malibu), the sun beds have more space between them and only have two rows at most.  There are a couple of very good tavernas / bars within easy walking distance of the southern beach - Malibu, Kafe Sas and Barbayiannis.   Showers are now available on most areas of the beaches, as are changing "rooms".   Access to the beach along this stretch is by slope / steps - the further south you go (viz. towards / beyond Malibu) the longer the slope.  Beyond Malibu there is plenty of "free" sand - viz. no sunbed's or umbrellas.

Car and Bike hire are available from several places in the resort, both specialist hire shops and the travel agents shops - from experience, the rates are pretty similar.  As far as cash is concerned, there is now (November 2011) only one ATM (cash point) in the resort - adjacent to Anna's Supermarket (about two hundred metres from the T junction when coming in to Ágios Geórgios - ATE Bank) - all major cards are catered for (e.g. MasterCard, Link, Visa, etc).  Beyond that, the nearest we have found are in Moraitika (on the road to Corfu Town) and Lefkimi (on the south bound road) - it is worth knowing where a "backup" is as, in 2011, the ATM frequently ran out of money!.  There are also plenty of ATMs in Corfu Town itself, although given the difficulty parking in town, it is often better to drive down to Lefkimi where several banks have offices and there are plenty of ATM's.  Travellers Cheques can be cashed in a number of places within the resort - again, the travel agents shops can help here, as can the hotels and some bars.  Some places will also exchange Sterling notes (often at better rates than in the UK).  The exchange rates used in the official exchange places in the resort appear to be government controlled and are often very poor when compared with that offered by the banks in Corfu Town.

There is a local doctors surgery in the resort - hours of opening are noted outside.   Most of the supermarkets in the resort sell basic pharmaceutical goods and there is a pharmacy in Argirades - unlike in the UK, you can often buy antibiotics over the counter in the pharmacy  (NB.For the benefit of those who have visited the resort before, the Pharmacy on the main road just opposite the point where you turn off for AG has now closed).

There is a good choice of restaurants in the resort. Our favourites include Oceano, Panorama, Rouvelas, Malibu, Makis, The Balcony, Gramaphono, Mirsinie and Anna's, and Il Mare (an Italian meal can make a nice change in the middle of a holiday) - some of these have live Greek music, particularly at the weekends.  Whichever style of restaurant you choose (and everybody will have different favourites), it is rare to have a bad meal, although be aware that service is not always as fast as you may normally see in the main cities around Europe.   Portions can be quite large, and we normally find that 2 - 3 starters between four of us leaves enough room to enjoy the main courses - most of the restaurants also offer a (limited) range of children's meals.  Some of the Greek dishes have quite rich sauces, so again it's worth taking it easy with the (often lovely) starters - it can also be worth asking in advance for a break between courses.  It should also be noted that some Greek dishes are not, traditionally, served hot, although most of the restaurants in the resort ignore this and serve the meals hot as they are aware tourists do not normally want warm meals.  The house wine in most restaurants is (normally!) quite drinkable, and is usually available in half and one litre carafes - most restaurants also offer a small selection of bottled wine. An increasing number of the restaurants take credit cards, but you should check beforehand if proposing to pay by this means as there are still some that do not (cash is still "king" in Corfu).

There are plenty of Supermarkets - these normally have a good range of foodstuffs, fruit / vegetables, water and alcohol as well as local goods (towels, shoes, gifts, etc. - the beach towels are quite cheap and often worth purchasing when you arrive rather than using some of your ever decreasing luggage allowance!).  Most supermarkets keep long hours, often not closing until around 23:00.

Obviously, there are plenty of bars - if you want one with a difference, try Mad Mikes - not as wild as it used to be, but still worth a visit (try playing snooker on a table with a slope and the wind blowing the cue ball up the slope!). Other bars include Barbayiannis, Cosy, Europa, Easy-Busy and Retreats - the latter often has "entertainment" (viz. Karaoke).   Most bars also have satellite TV and will often show big sports occasions from the UK (e.g. Wimbledon and Premiership Rugby / Football).  One "nightclub" Orange could also be found at the northern end of the resort in 2011 - it was normally packed out at the weekends, although it kept a fairly short season (viz. July - August). 

In common with most of the island, the music has to be turned down at midnight, although the owners play a regular "cat and mouse" game with the patrolling police - each year a couple of places get closed by the police for a few weeks because of complaints about the late noise. 

Ágios Geórgios has the right recipe for a successful holiday and there is something for everyone. As St George's geographical position lies in the south west part of Corfu, some of the most spectacular sunsets are to be captured from many positions - over a long cool drink from the terrace of a cafe or restaurant, enjoying a pleasant stroll along the road, or just relaxing right on the beach watching the sun on the red horizon slowly dipping in to the waters, making way for the stars to creep out in the tranquil night sky (if you are a star gazer, there are plenty to watch).

When staying in the resort, it is well worth considering the odd trip away.  With a car, it is possible to reach the northern-most parts of the island, although this can be a tiring (and hot) two hour drive - some of the roads and signs are not that good.  We would not normally recommend driving in to Corfu Town - parking is not easy!.  As indicated above there are a limited number of buses both ways.  Having got there, it is often worth getting the local No 6 bus back to Benitses if staying late in Corfu Town, and getting a taxi to Ágios Geórgios from there - this allows you to enjoy an evening in the town.

A walk up to Argirades village is also to be recommended, but allow plenty of time and wear some sensible shoes.  There are two main routes up to the village.  The first is by taking the main road out of Ágios Geórgios (signed Argirades 4Km) up to the junction with the main road. Turn right (south, away from Corfu Town) - the village is a few miles along the road (but up a very steep main road, with no footpath).  An alternative that is particularly good if you are going on foot, is to take the road at the southern end of the resort by the Kafe Sasse fish restaurant (signed Argirades 3km) -- follow the road up past some of the quieter apartments / small hotels and then through the olive groves.  There are also many footpaths at this end of the resort that can be used (see more details here). This is a lovely walk but beware the heat of midday / early afternoon as it is quite steep (and open) in the latter stages and offers little protection from the sun other than the olive trees.  In Argirades you will find a quaint, traditional village - several churches, with amazing architecture and, unfortunately, some poverty - many of the houses look as if they have not changed in the last 100 years (and could easily topple over at the slightest wind). The main road through the village is where most of the shops can be found (including a few tavernas and a Pizza restaurant - some of these only open in the winter). There are reputed to be over 100 British people living in this village.  See the link from this page for some of the footpaths.  Be aware that if you drive to Argirades from the south end of the resort (up past Kafe Sasse) there is only a small amount of parking space when you reach the village and, although the road carries on in to the village, it is very strongly recommended that you do not attempt to negotiate this - it is very narrow and really suitable only for bikes (although some locals do drive through).

If you fancy a trip to the mainland, there are regular ferries from Lefkimi (the port is a 20 minute drive from the resort) to Igonomitsa - from here there is a very good new road taking you east from the port (e.g. Ioannina is approximately a 50 minute drive), or you could just have a meal / drink on the front before returning on a later ferry.  As at May 2011, one-way cost for an Adult was EUR 6 and EUR 27.90 for a car, with a journey time of just under an hour.  Given how small the port is at Lefkimi, and the proximity of the port to the town in Igonomitsa, leaving your car at Lefkimi and going over as foot passengers is quite a viable option.   There are also regular ferries to Igonomitsa from Corfu Town although be aware that there can be quite a significant difference in journey time  depending on which operator you take (in February 2012, the one way ferry cost from Corfu Town was EUR 8 per person and EUR 38 for a car).

More photos from Ágios Geórgios can be found here.

Further information about Ágios Geórgios can be found at the St George's South Forum (and its related website) which has a variety of very good information - the forum includes many lovers of the island / resort, as well as regular updates from local residents.  The website at http://justcorfu.co.uk/index.htm can also be quite helpful, while Barbayannis is one of several places offering accommodation in the resort.

Last revised: 28 February, 2012