Messonghi, Corfu
This Summer we went back to our favourite holiday spot – Corfu.
We’ve been to the island six times now and this was our third stay at the Sentido Apollo Palace hotel in the beautiful area of Messonghi on the southeast coast. We always feel super safe in Corfu and this particular hotel is such a gem for families with young kids. Messonghi is only a 45-minute drive from the airport, which is great when you’ve got kids (and adults) who aren’t fans of long transfers!
If you like the sound of this holiday, please use the links on this page to book your own as that’s how I will earn a commission to support the running of this blog. Thanks for reading!
The hotel has a village-style layout, with apartment blocks nestled among beautiful gardens and ancient olive trees. The rooms are modern and spacious, featuring walk-in showers and either a balcony or terrace with lovely garden views.
The weather at the end of August was a consistent 30°C every day, which was hot but perfect for swimming and lounging by the pool or beach. The sea felt warm but still refreshing. From our experience, it’s best to visit Corfu later in the Summer. We’ve been in April and May before and been unlucky with the weather, but if you visit from June onwards, you are pretty much guaranteed hot sun! I would avoid going in July/early August as temperatures can get too high.
A short walk from the hotel is the beautiful Messonghi beach (more on that later), supermarkets, souvenir shops, a pharmacy, bars, tavernas and a hire car place so everything you need is really close by.
The hotel was busy, as you’d expect at this time of year, but it didn’t feel overwhelming. There’s a kids’ club for ages 4 to 12 offering loads of activities, although our two only decided they wanted to try it on the last day (when it was time to leave) - typical!
A couple of small playgrounds with swings, seesaws, and a roundabout helped to keep them entertained and after dinner there’s a mini disco followed by live music entertainment.
There are three large swimming pools (two family pools and one for adults-only). The pool we hung around the most was great for younger children with the splash park, water slides and separate shallow pool. There’s also a gym and spa on site (if you have time), as well as a mini golf course and activity areas for other ball sports.
The main restaurant serves buffet style breakfast, lunch and dinner with different culinary themes each evening. We chose a half board package this time because we like to eat lunch at the taverna on the beach. There are also two à la carte restaurants (one adults-only and one Italian) but the food in the main restaurant is of an excellent standard so we were happy to eat here every evening without being restricted to a reservation.
Messonghi beach has become one of our favourite places in the world because it’s so picturesque with views of the hills and olive groves and the water is beautifully clear and shallow, making it perfect for the kids to play in safely. There aren’t any big hotels dominating the scenery – just lovely little tavernas, apartments, and cocktail bars. Even at its busiest, it never felt overcrowded, thanks to the beach being quite narrow. Just across the river, there's Moraitika beach, which is much bigger and sits in front of a large hotel. We've never been there, but I imagine it’s a popular choice for many families but Messonghi has a much more relaxed vibe.
There are also water sports/activities available on Messonghi beach. Our kids are still little and were quite happy to spend an hour on a pedalo with a slide which didn’t cost much,
We spent our afternoons having lunch at our favourite taverna on the seafront and playing with the kids on the beach/in the sea. Both kids were in their element trying to catch fish with a net, collecting shells and making piles of pebbles. They were so content that we could actually sit back and relax (a little)!
If your kids are early birds like ours,you can wander down to the jetty on the bay and watch the sunrise. It’s absolutely stunning, and the perfect time to snap some gorgeous photos before the day gets going. Plus, it’s super peaceful, so you get a bit of calm before the excitement of the day starts.
We’ve hired a car to explore Corfu before and it’s definitely something I’d recommend you do if it’s your first time to the island because Corfu old town is a must see and there are so many other beautiful areas of Corfu to explore. This time we just wanted a chilled-out holiday where the kids could have fun and we could put our feet up.
One of the highlights of the holiday was a half-day boat trip with Captain Homer, and I can’t recommend it enough if you stay at this hotel. This boat trip is small and family-friendly, so no loud music or overcrowding – a maximum of 20 people, which makes all the difference.
You hop on the boat from the river right next to the hotel after breakfast and set off for a beautiful journey along the southeast coast and stopping at lovely little spots where you can swim and snorkel in the crystal-clear shallow water. Captain Homer and his wife are so friendly, pointing out places of interest along the way, offering drinks and delicious open sandwiches with salad for lunch. At one stop, you get off to explore a hillside cafe, grab ice creams and stretch your legs. Honestly, this boat trip made the holiday and is perfect for families and, we even spotted a pod of dolphins jumping in the waves!
If you’re looking for a holiday that’s relaxing for you and fun for young kids, Sentido Apollo Palace in Messonghi is great for families with young children – amazing food and a stunning location. Check out my reel of this holiday here.
We booked this holiday through LoveHolidays.
If you have any questions about this holiday, reach out to me on Instagram and I’ll be happy to help.