Delfino Blu Wellness Boutique Hotel

Delfino Blu is a small wellness hotel on the northern edge of Agios Stefanos Avliotes, in Corfu’s far north-west, where a long sandy beach faces straight into the sunset and the islets of Mathraki and Othoni sit on the horizon. There are just 14 studios, apartments and suites, a pool with an outdoor whirlpool, a spa with sauna and hammam, and the Kohili restaurant. In 2022 the Boutique Hotel Awards named it Europe’s Best Beach or Coastal Hotel. It is a lovely, low-key place to watch the sun go down.

The experience

Life here runs between the beach, the pool and the spa. The organised beach with its beach bar is directly in front of the hotel, long, sandy and quiet even in high season, and it shelves gently, which makes it easy for children. Back at the hotel there is a pool bar, an outdoor whirlpool on a sun deck, a fitness centre, sauna and hammam, plus massages and facials. The hotel also runs its own yacht, Volvere, for cruises along the coast. Practical notes: mosquitoes can bite at night, the beach can be windy in August and some local roads are rough.

The rooms

The 14 units range from studios for couples to suites, including a Honeymoon Suite, and one and two-bedroom apartments, some sleeping four with a kitchen corner. Some rooms look out to the sea, the sunset and the islets, so ask for a sea view when you book. Families are well catered for: toddlers under two stay free and children up to ten get special rates. All rooms have air conditioning and free Wi-Fi. Couples after the full sunset experience should go for the Honeymoon Suite.

Food and drink

The Kohili restaurant cooks local and Mediterranean dishes, with an à la carte menu at dinner and a wine list and service that reviewers single out. Breakfast is a generous buffet with fresh local produce, fruit, pastries and cooked options, plus a spread of jams that children seem to love. The pool bar keeps things casual during the day, and there are tavernas in the village a short stroll away.

The neighbourhood

Agios Stefanos Avliotes is a quiet village on Corfu’s north-west tip, with a long sandy beach that faces the sunset across to Mathraki and Othoni. Arillas beach is about 1.5 kilometres along the coast. Corfu Town and the harbour are around 40 kilometres away and the airport about 35, so a hire car is the way to go. The bus stop and a mini market are about a hundred metres from the hotel.