Agios Georgios Pagon (NW), Corfu - Resort Guide

Thinking of booking a trip to Agios Georgios NW in Corfu, but wondering what it’s like? Here’s what to expect from this scenic beach resort.

Where is it?

Agios Georgios Pagon is in the north west corner of Corfu, in between Arillas and Paleokastritsa (though cut off from both by steep headlands).

You might see it referred to in a couple of different ways – Agios Georgios Pagon (or Pagi), San George, Agios Georgios NW, Agios Georgios North, or sometimes locally just Ag. George. It usually has a suffix though, to distinguish it from the other Agios Georgios in the south of the island.

What’s the vibe like?

Agios Georgios NW is a small and quiet beach resort in a scenic bay with a long sandy beach. The beach itself has both organised and unorganised sections with a variety of sunloungers (including daybeds).

There’s plenty of space on the beach, even in the summer the beach doesn’t feel too crowded.

There are tavernas, restaurants, accommodation, mini-markets, and beach bars spread out along the beach. Only one or two play music – and they’re easy to avoid – so this is a good place to bookmark if you prefer a quieter beach environment.

The tavernas are mostly Greek with the occasional pizza/pasta dish. Cafes serve international fare and salads.

Compared to other resorts in the north west, Agios Georgios has a bit of a European vibe with plenty of Germans, Swedish and Polish patrons as well as Brits. There is some low-key package tourism but most business are run by local families.

During the day, the beach attracts day-trippers including locals who come to play volleyball and enjoy the watersports on offer (and the fantastic sunsets), but come evening the beach empties out and Agios Georgios feel distinctly rural.

Agios Georgios NW tends to attract older visitors (including many returnees) who enjoy the evening peace and quiet. Dinner here is early and by 10pm most restaurants are empty, although there are one or two bars further back in the village which are open later. The stunning setting, combined with the limited number of places to eat, means that you often need to book a table at the tavernas along the beach for dinner.

Thanks to its geography, it can feel quite isolated, particularly if you don’t have a car. It’s difficult to visit other resorts by public transport.

What’s the beach like?

The beach is west-facing with a golden sand – the sunsets are fantastic.

The sand consists of large soft granules which are a striking golden colour. There are a few parts with bigger round pebbles and seagrass. The northern end is more pebbly.

Depending on sea conditions, the water can be a bit cloudy but is a lovely shade of blue. I’ve visited a lot of beaches around Corfu and this bay is one of the most beautiful and relaxing. If you can make it up to Afionas for the view, I highly recommend it.

The beach can be divided into roughly 3 sections and you will find cafes, sunloungers, and watersports in each part. There are a few small bridges where streams run down from the mountains to meet the sea. The central section is the busiest with the most sunloungers, cafes, watersports, and a volleyball net.

There are also large chunks of unorganised beach. The clothing-optional crowd can sometimes be found at the southern end of the beach, beyond the main road. The far ends of the beach are more sheltered from both waves and sun.

Activities and Amenities

There’s plenty to do for such a small place – notably the many watersports and boat rentals on offer. Agios Georgios NW has the best selection of watersports of all the resorts in the north-west.

There are several boat trips on offer to beaches in the wider area, including the popular Porto Timoni. This is the only way to see Porto Timoni without the hike. Both private and group boat trips are available.

Read more: How to Get to Porto Timoni

Jetskis, dinghies, kayaks, pedaloes, and paddleboards are also available.

One of the key attractions in the area is the pretty hilltop village of Afionos on the northern headland. To reach Afionas, you can walk up the hill (a steep 30 minutes) along the road or drive. There are no buses from Agios Georgios Pagon (unless you travel back towards Corfu Town). From Afionas, you can take the scenic hike down to Porto Timoni.

The coastal section of the Corfu Trail begins at Agios Georgios Pagon. The first section is the path along the southern headland towards the Fisherman’s Cabin Taverna, an easy and pleasant walk.

There are also lots of nice walks around the village of Pagi which is up in the hills overlooking the beach. The old village is known for its views and 007 connection (it made a brief appearance in For Your Eyes Only) and the bus stops here before Agios Georgios. For a longer walk, you can continue up a donkey trail as far as Angelokastro. I took the Ciccerone book Walking & Trekking Corfu and found it useful for details of day walks including bits of the Corfu Trail.

There are several travel agencies offering excursions around the island and beyond by bus or by boat.

There’s even a Bowling Bar, ideal for days when the weather isn’t so great.

Agios Georgios has a handful of well-stocked mini-markets with a good selection of food, actually some of the best on the island. There are no large supermarkets in the area though.

For me, the main downside is that the number of tavernas is small. There are enough to eat somewhere different every night for a week, but not for a fortnight. Same for cafes and bars. It can feel a bit restrictive if you like to have variety in where you eat. If you plan to do lots of exploring by car then it’s not such an issue.

The restaurants are mostly Greek and the crowds overwhelmingly flock to the ones that have a good reputation (such as Delfini which is known for seafood). At busy times, you might find the good tavernas booked up in advance, or certainly the tables with a view.

There are several ATM machines but none attached to a bank. There is no pharmacy or doctor.

Prices

Prices in Agios Georgios Pagon are reasonable, particularly at the start and end of the season when it’s quiet. It has less package tourism than neighbouring resorts Paleokastritsa, Arillas, and San Stefanos.

You will pay a premium for beachfront accommodation, but prices for food, drinks, and sun-loungers are on the cheaper end for Corfu (although not as cheap as the north coast resorts).

Transport and accessibility

From the airport:

Agios Georgios is a 40-minute drive from Corfu Airport and just over 1 hour on the bus from Corfu Town. The roads around Agios Georgios are narrow and hilly.

A private transfer from the airport is around €50-60. Hoppa is available for shared transfers.

Public transport:

Agios Georgios NW is served by Corfu’s Green Bus system. There are daily buses from the KTEL bus station just outside Corfu Town. Buses are less frequent on Saturdays and don’t always run on Sundays.

Sometimes, during peak summer season, there are extra bus routes available linking popular resorts but check before you go as these aren’t always operating.

For more information read: How to Get Around Corfu By Bus

Accessibility:

Agios Georgios isn’t a big enough place to have a ‘centre’, development sprawls intermittently along the length of the main road into it, and then along the beach. The road doesn’t run the whole way along the beach though, only a few small sections. Parking is available along the road but there is no dedicated car park.

The walk along the beachfront consists of a variety of surfaces including wooden boardwalks on sand, concrete roads, soft dirt paths that wind up around the back of restaurants, and a narrow wooden bridge. Some surfaces are uneven and there are a few big steps. It feels somewhat ramshackle and if you require an even surface you may find it a challenge.

There is no Seatrac on the beach here.

Where to stay

The beach at Agios Georgios is relatively long for such a small place, it takes over 20 minutes to walk which is something to bear in mind when booking your accommodation. Most of the attractive beachfront places are at the northern end, whereas at the southern end development follows the main road back uphill. You may find that your favourite taverna or cafe ends up being a bit of a trek from your accommodation.

Where the road heads inland, there are two clusters of accommodation where it may be a 5-10 minute walk to the beach.

Accommodation is mostly in family-run guesthouses, apartments, and a few medium-sized hotels with pools. A few of these are available through the main tour operators. Unfortunately, many of the larger hotels like Porto Demo are lacklustre, and instead look at individual rentals along the beach like Armikes Beachfront Suites, Limosa Beach, Vistonia, and House Eleni.

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