Holidays to Corfu under £500

Seven days out are worth building into any week, and most can be done by taxi, bus or hire car. Spread them across the week so that beach days and sightseeing days balance each other, and leave a spare half day for whatever catches your eye along the way.

• Wander the Old Town: Allow a full morning for the lanes, the Liston arcade and Spianada Square, then add the Old and New Fortresses or the Museum of Asian Art if you still have energy and time.

• Achilleion Palace: Built in 1890 for Empress Elisabeth of Austria, this neoclassical palace in Gastouri has terraced gardens and later belonged to Kaiser Wilhelm II, and the statues in the grounds reward a slow wander.

• Paleokastritsa boat trip: Small boats leave the harbour area to explore sea caves and coves, with swimming and snorkelling stops in clear water, and the trip works well in the morning before the heat builds.

• Angelokastro climb: This 13th-century Byzantine castle sits on a steep clifftop near Paleokastritsa, and the views over the coast repay the climb, particularly on a clear afternoon.

• Canal d'Amour: At Sidari, sandstone cliffs and narrow channels carved by the sea make a popular spot for swimming and sunbathing, and a late afternoon visit is quieter than midday.

• Southern islands excursion: Excursions run in summer to Paxos, about 20 km south of Corfu, and to Antipaxos, which is known for its beaches, so pack a swimming kit and a hat for the crossing.

• Mon Repos estate: The birthplace of Prince Philip is a neoclassical villa in a park near Corfu Town, and the villa now houses a museum of the island's history, with shaded paths running through the grounds.