For the perfect beach retreat, you need a quiet but accessible corner of picturesque coast, spacious rooms with stylish interiors, an enormous pool among verdant lawns, and a dazzling beach with good restaurants. Few places have perfected this winning holiday formula quite as well as the Bella Mare Hotel.
Situated in Corfu’s northeastern tip, at one end of a long, crescent-shaped beach, it gazes over shimmering sapphire-blue sea towards Albania. The 31 rooms are slick and tasteful, scattered across a rugged slope that rises from the beach. And the higher up you go, the more secluded it gets; rooms at the top even get their own private pool and bar. Adults will love the tranquillity and easy beach appeal; children will love the activities on offer at the kids' club. Lap up the sunshine during the day, paddleboard along the coast or charter a boat to discover northern Corfu’s hidden beaches, then return for a sundowner cocktail and totter over to a beachfront taverna for fresh seafood. Summer holiday sorted.
Highs
- Tasteful and very stylish rooms, each with a private terrace and many with sea views
- The setting: in one of Corfu’s most sought after locations and at the back of a long beach with tavernas and a watersports centre
- Brilliant for families, with family suites, a kids' club during school summer holidays and a children’s pool
- The friendly and warm staff – there’s a concierge service run by English-speaking locals who go out of their way to ensure you get the most out of your trip
- The food at the beach tavernas is delicious and their location couldn’t be more convenient for Bella Mare guests
Lows
- Breakfast takes places in the lobby and most tables are indoors, which seems a real shame when there’s so much outside space
- The beach isn't sandy
- You’ll probably need a car to explore, though Kassiopi, the nearest town, is walkable (35 minutes)
Best time to go
Corfu's holiday season runs from March to November; Bella Mare closes mid-October for the winter reopening after Easter. Spring sees fewer crowds and is lovely for walking and wildflowers. Summer is good for families as the hotel's kids' clubs are in full swing and the towns are buzzy - though it can get very crowded in July and August. Autumn is lovely thanks to fewer tourists and warm seas.
Our top tips
Take to the water! Corfu is best explored by sea, and boats can be rented from the beach right in front of the hotel. Day trips to Paxos and Antipaxos are also a great way to explore the islands, and they include lots of swimming stops along the way.
Our guests' ratings...
Based on 9 independent reviews from i-escape guests
Great, well-run, family-friendly operation on one of north Corfu’s finest (albeit pebbly) beaches. Hotel almost exclusively English clientele. Fine and popular Cavo Barbaro restaurant just down Avlaki beach good lunch/dinner option.
We really loved the Bella Mare hotel. It matched up to the i-escape description. The location is fantastic, right on the beach and a great pool. Most importantly the staff are superb; very friendly, knowledgeable, and welcoming. We would happily return to the Bella Mare.
Breakfast was particularly delicious. However, It would have been nice to have a slightly more interesting lunch menu perhaps with a little more of a Mediterranean and less British club feel. The food however was very good.
The service was really good. Staff exceptionally friendly. We were not advised that cool boxes were available for our use but discovered it on the last day, similarly we didn’t discover that the pool bar was open late in the evening for drinks until our penultimate day. Our interconnecting room worked really well with our teenage children. It would be clever if the balconies could also connect - maybe a padlocked bolt between the two? Our flight was delayed and finding the hotel in the dark was not easy but Ruth was extremely helpful in facilitating our late arrival. She was also very helpful in helping us decide on a fun good restaurant for our son’s 16th birthday and even delivered a cake and sparkler to the restaurant in advance to ensure a suitable fuss was made of him! A huge thank you to Ruth! Lovely local restaurants and hiring a boat was a really good plan. the water skiing instructors in nearby Kalami were excellent for first timers. Overall highly recommend.
What a wonderful haven. Beautiful views, pool, poolside bar and a team of staff who are so friendly and helpful. They just want you to have as lovely a holiday as you do! Highly recommended
The location is fabulous, secluded beach and cove with easy access to 2 excellent tavernas and boat hire on the beach right beside the hotel.
The room and balcony was a very good size. It could be helpful to have a dresser of some kind for clothes storage as the wardrobe was a bit small for 2 people. Useful having small kitchenette in a cupboard. During our stay the A/C didn’t work - which we mentioned to reception - although it didn’t matter to us as we prefer to leave windows open at night for breeze.
Wifi in room was quite poor - again not too much of an issue for us. Breakfast food was good, excellent freshly cooked omelettes, fresh fruit available. Staff were all excellent - very helpful and friendly. Room/hotel cleaning and general grounds maintenance was good. Although a couple of things to be looked at by management, overall an excellent hotel.
Lovely relaxed retreat slightly off the beaten track - gorgeous outlook of sun beds to the sea and great pool and nearby bar. Expert advice available for booking boats and restaurants. Trip to Kassioppi recommended.
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