Atlantica Nissaki Beach Review: An All Inclusive Week in Corfu

Staci S. Wright

TUI Blue Atlantica Nissaki Beach all inclusive review

Welcome to our review of the Atlantica Nissaki Beach all inclusive with TUI Blue.

We just got back from a week’s stay in Corfu at the Atlantica Nissaki Beach. We had a great time, and I wanted to share some of our experience if you’re considering staying at this all-inclusive resort.

 

What does Atlantica Nissaki Beach cost?

If you’re reading my Atlantica Nissaki Beach review, you might be like us, looking for a high quality all-inclusive in Corfu. Because who doesn’t love the Greek islands in summer?

We booked this particular hotel because it was a fraction of the price of booking a villa in this part of Corfu and this summer we were definitely on a budget. The Atlantica looked ideal – rated as 4* on the TUI website, and offering a range of room options with all-inclusive packages.

We paid a little over £2,000 for two of us to stay for seven nights at the Atlantica Nissaki Beach in August. This included return flights from Manchester, and free bus transfer between the airport and resort.

For this price you get an upgraded room – we booked a suite. The price also includes all your meals and drinks, and activities. The hotel has nightly entertainment, and various exercise classes including yoga. There are two swimming pools, two restaurants, and two bars.

Atlantica Nissaki Beach pool bar

Accommodation at TUI Atlantica Nissaki Beach

There are a range of room types to book at the Atlantica in Corfu. The cheapest are standard double rooms, but you can upgrade. The upgraded rooms include larger doubles, suites for families, and swim-up rooms and suites.  Most of the rooms face the sea and have a full or partial sea view.

We upgraded to a one bedroom suite. This is billed as a bedroom with adjoining sitting room, and a bathroom with walk-in shower. I hoped it would give a bit more space and privacy as I’d be sharing a room with my 17 year old daughter.

We were given a corner suite on the top floor, with an amazing balcony offering incredible views up and down the coast. Unfortunately, the shower and bath are effectively in the bedroom. The suite has mirrors *everywhere*, so there is zero privacy.  We were given a king sized bed but the hotel put another bed in the sitting room so we didn’t need to share.

The rooms are well kitted out with mini fridge, robes, kettle, hairdryer, safe, televisions and fast WiFi.

nissaki beach hotel review

What is the accommodation like?

The view is incredible but this building is a bit tired. Torn sofas, stains on chairs, marks on the walls, chips in some of the furniture. These aren’t things that worry me particularly. I care that the beds are clean and comfortable, and my room is clean. On those scores, the Atlantica Nissaki Beach scores 10/10. But if you’re looking for 5* luxury, this isn’t that. Looking for swanky? I’d recommend the much smarter Atlantica in Rhodes, where we stayed in 2019.

Tired furnishings aside, look! This was the gorgeous view from our balcony:

view from our room

Pool and Beach Review

There are two swimming pools at the Atlantica Nissaki Beach. The first is by the beach, and is a pleasant salt water pool with sun loungers and a bar adjacent.

There are waiters who will take drink orders throughout the day, and we liked the outdoor showers here for cleaning off after swimming in the sea. If the pool is crowded, there’s a second pool on top of the bungalow buildings, which also has sun loungers.

atlantica nissaki beach pool and hotel

We didn’t spend a lot of time here because (imo) who sits next to a pool when you’re five steps away from the sea?

The beach is a delight. You’ll need beach shoes (bring some with you, they’re extortionate at the hotel shop) but the water is clear and warm and great for swimming and snorkeling. A short walk down the beach you can rent boats and kayaks and there are the usual inflatable rides. There’s also a small taverna and cocktail bar if you want to get away from the hotel crowds.

beach views at avlaki corfu

 

TUI Nissaki Food and Drink Review

If you’re paying for an all-inclusive resort, the food and drink is a HUGE part of any review. I’m going to be completely honest here – the food and drink at Atlantica Nissaki Beach isn’t amazing, and certainly not what I’d expect from a hotel that’s billing itself as a 5* experience.

It wasn’t TERRIBLE, but in comparison to all-inclusive resorts we’ve visited in Rhodes and Mexico, this was just okay. I’ve had worse, I’ve had better.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • Your all-inclusive includes drinks in the fridge in your room. This is refilled daily and includes soft drinks, a couple of beers and a bottle of water.
  • All inclusive drinks include beer, wine, soft drinks and local spirits. We found the local spirits to taste very strongly of alcohol, which might be your thing! All-inclusive drinks available from 10am until midnight.
  • There is a main restaurant that serves breakfast and the dinner buffet. This is open from 7-10am for breakfast and 7-9.30pm for dinner. The food is as you’d expect, service is efficient but not overly friendly. (Top marks to the chef who was cooking pancakes at 10.02am and when I asked if I could have one said, “No, you’re too late,” and ate the pancakes himself). We both were ill after eating at the dinner buffet.
  • Lunch is much better, served at the hotel’s second restaurant, which is by the pool from 12.30 to 2.30pm. Freshly cooked gyros and kebabs were delicious and there was also some tasty grilled fish.
  • Between meals, all-inclusive customers can get pastries at the bar between 3 and 5pm, and snacks between 11pm and midnight.
  • The lunch restaurant doubles as an ‘a la carte’ restaurant which you can visit once per visit – you need to book a few days ahead via the TUI app.

My honest review is that this is one of the less generous all-inclusive packages I’ve seen. Other resorts we’ve visited would have a snack bar open all day, so you could grab a portion of fries, a quick salad, or an ice cream – but that’s not an option here.

tui nissaki beach

Exploring Corfu from TUI Atlantica Nissaki Beach

The Atlantica Nissaki Beach is situated right on the beach and it’s entirely possible you won’t want to leave all week!

However, we are more of the exploring sort of tourist. If that’s you, please know this resort is quite remote. Although the village of Kalami is only 3km from the hotel, it’s over an hour’s walk up a very big hill in possibly very hot weather. There are no local taxi firms, no nearby shops and just one taverna on the beach.

If you want to explore, you’re going to need a boat or a car. We did both, hiring a car for the first few days of our trip, and then a boat.

A car is essential if someone gets ill, because the nearest pharmacy is a 20-minute drive away, and it’s also handy to visit the local shops to stock up on snacks and drinks.

A boat is the perfect way to explore the coastline, visiting various beaches and tavernas without dealing with those mountain roads. If you need a car, I recommend Katerina’s Cars (at 50 euros a day, it was far cheaper than the firm that TUI recommended, and they brought our car to the hotel, and collected it afterwards). We hired our boat from Nissaki Rent a Boat, and paid 85 euros a day, plus fuel.

If you really don’t want to hire, then don’t panic. Many local restaurants up and down this coast run boat taxis, and will come to the beach to collect you, whisk you off for dinner, then bring you home at the end of the night. Dimitri’s, near Kalami, will also send a car to pick you up from your villa or hotel. The boat taxis normally cost around 6 euros per person.

Best Places to Visit around Nissaki

The wonderful thing about this part of Corfu is that there’s nothing REALLY to do. No big water parks or tourist destinations. Instead, it’s about exploring small villages, hidden beaches, coves and caves – some of which you’ll only be able to reach by boat. Our favourites include:

Agni

A tiny beach with three tavernas. Stop here for lunch and the restaurant staff will help you park your boat, AND offer free sun loungers. Nikolas‘ is great for traditional greek food, Toula’s does high-end seafood and Taverna Agni is a beloved local institution that makes amazing food – you’ll need to book ahead for Taverna Agni, as it’s usually booked well ahead.

Kalami

Kalami is what passes for bustling in this part of Corfu. There are three tavernas. Two serve Greek food and the third – The White House – used to be home to the Durrell family and now does fine dining. At Kalami there are two mini markets and a decent bakery, along with a tiny cocktail bar that does occasional karaoke nights. If you’re on a boat, just outside Kalami Bay there’s an old church and caves that you can snorkel through. You can hire boats, paddleboards and kayaks on the beach here.

kalami corfu

Strogylo Beach

This beach is just past Kerasia (so about 2 bays past Kalami) and is a wide beach that’s only accessible by boat. This means it’s usually pretty quiet. There are no facilities or umbrellas, but there are huge trees backing the beach that provide lots of shade, and fallen logs to act as seats. This is a spectacular spot to go snorkelling, 10/10 recommended.

Avlaki Beach

If you happen to miss breakfast, head to Avlaki Beach and Cavo Barbero. This taverna does a fantastic Greek brunch (English versions also available) and the seating in the garden is shaded by the most enormous, ancient olive trees. When you’ve eaten, the beach is just a few steps away, and there’s plenty of good parking. We found fig trees along the beach here, and it was a lovely spot to spend a morning.

San Stefanos

San Stefanos is a relatively bustling little harbour village and a good place to stop for lunch if you’re exploring the coast. Try Barolo for a special lunch, or visit the bakery on the harbour square for fresh cheese and spinach pastries and bread to make your own beach picnic.

kassiopi corfu

Kassiopi

This is the closest this part of Corfu has to a town, but Kassiopi is really a village. Drive down the hill into town and there’s a harbour fringed with restaurants, and a street of shops selling local crafts and souvenirs. From the harbour, it’s a 10-minute walk over the hill to the beach, which can get a bit hectic. Also worth noting: there’s a supermarket on the way out of town that lets you pre-order barbecued meats that are to die for.

 

TUI BLUE ATLANTICA NISSAKI BEACH REVIEW: OVERALL IMPRESSION

My TUI Atlantica Nissaki Beach review verdict is mixed. The food wasn’t amazing and I wasn’t wowed by the all-inclusive food, or the activities on offer. The staff at the hotel generally are efficient, but I wouldn’t say they’re especially friendly.

But there ARE things I loved about the Atlantica Nissaki Beach.

Plus points:

  • This hotel is in one of my favourite parts of Corfu. It’s gorgeous. Utterly gorgeous.
  • The rooms are clean and spacious, the views were amazing and it’s ideal if you want to be close to a beach.
  • If you want a holiday where you stay put, and sit by a pool with a drink, I think you’ll really enjoy the Atlantica Nissaki Beach.
  • The newer, swim-up rooms look smarter than the rooms in the main building.
  • If you hire a car or a boat, this is an amazing place to explore with loads of beaches, villages and tavernas.

Would I recommend this hotel? It depends what you like. There might be smarter hotels around but this location is pretty hard to fault.

atlantica nissaki beach tui review

 

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