Canal d'Amour
Best for. Couples who want the most photographed romance on the island and are willing to come at dawn or dusk to actually feel it.
Best spot. The narrow channel between the cliffs at sunrise or the last hour of light, then a slow swim in the small coves on either side.
Know this. By the middle of a summer day this is a packed photo stop, so the legend only works when you have the stone and the water to yourselves.
The Canal d'Amour is one of those places that has been photographed so often you arrive half expecting to be let down, and then the light catches the stone and you are not. Centuries of sea have carved the soft sandstone into cliffs, fingers and a narrow channel, and the water that runs between them is clear and deeper than the shallow sand of the main Sidari beach. The name means the channel of love, and the legend says that two people who swim it together stay together. As legends go it is a generous one, and the setting makes you want to believe it.
The honest part is that the legend needs an empty channel to work, and for most of a summer day this is the busiest photo spot on the north coast. From mid morning the little coves fill, phones go up on every ledge, and the romance gets elbowed aside by the queue for the best angle. Nothing about the place has changed, only the company, and the company at noon in August is considerable. This is the single thing to plan around, and it is easy to plan around because the cure is simply an hour.
Come at sunrise, when the stone is cool and pink and the coves are yours, or stay for the last hour before the sun drops, when everything turns gold and the day trippers have drifted back to dinner. Swim the channel slowly, float in the cove on the far side, and the postcard becomes a private thing. When you have had your fill, the resort of Sidari is a few minutes away for a meal, and the wilder couples water of Porto Timoni and Agios Georgios Pagon is a short drive south. The Canal d'Amour earns its fame. It just hands it out at the quiet hours.
Clubs on this beach
The Canal d'Amour is a run of natural coves rather than a club beach. A seasonal cafe and sunbeds sit above the rocks, with the bars and tavernas of Sidari a short walk away. Minimum spends move with the season, so ask the venue when you enquire.
Seasonal cafe above the rocks
A seasonal cafe and bar with sunbeds sits on the cliff top above the coves, the easy place for a drink and a shaded break between swims with the channel below. Operator, hours and prices to be confirmed.
Sidari beach bars
The main beach at Sidari, a short walk east, is lined with seasonal beach bars and tavernas for sunbeds, food and an easy evening once you have had the rocks at the quiet hours. Names and prices to be confirmed.
North coast, Corfu
The Canal d'Amour lies at the western end of Sidari on the north coast, around forty five minutes from Corfu Town by car. Park near the top and follow the paths and steps down to the coves between the cliffs. From the resort it is an easy walk along the shore.
Buses serve Sidari from Corfu Town in season, though a car lets you arrive for sunrise and reach the quieter bays to the south afterwards. For a couple, an early or late visit is the whole secret to the place.
Photo: גולן משעלי, עורך דין ונוטריון via GoogleBook a beach club
Tell us your dates and party size and we will help arrange a daybed or table at a venue near the Canal d'Amour and Sidari. We reply by email.
We are an independent editorial resource. Booking requests are passed to clubs and operators, and some may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices, availability and opening status are set by the venue and are to be confirmed at the time of booking.
Common questions about the Canal d'Amour
Why is it called the Canal d'Amour?
The name means the channel of love. Local legend says that couples who swim through the narrow channel between the sandstone cliffs together will stay in love, and some versions say a single person who swims it will meet their match. It is a charming story and the setting lives up to it at the quiet hours.
Is the Canal d'Amour good for couples?
At sunrise or in the last hour of light, yes, beautifully so. The honey coloured sandstone, the small coves and the clear channels are made for two when the crowds have gone. In the middle of a summer day it becomes a busy photo spot, so the romance is entirely about timing.
Can you swim at the Canal d'Amour?
Yes, you can swim in the little coves and through the main channel itself on a calm day, and the water is clear and deeper than the shallow main beach at Sidari. The rocks are soft sandstone that can be sharp underfoot and the channel narrows, so read the sea, take care entering and treat the water as unsupervised.
How do you get to the Canal d'Amour?
It sits just west of the main beach at Sidari on the north coast of Corfu, a short walk from the resort or a few minutes by car with parking nearby. Steps and paths lead down to the coves between the sandstone cliffs.
When is the best time to visit the Canal d'Amour?
Early morning and the final hour before sunset, when the light turns the stone gold and rose and the coves empty out. June and September give you warm water without the deepest July and August crush. Avoid the middle of the day in high summer if you want it to yourselves.
