Welcome to our TUI Blue Atlantica Nissaki Beach review.
We are just home from a week’s stay in Corfu at the luxury all-inclusive resort at Nissaki Beach. We had a great holiday but I wanted to share some of our experiences. I hope this post will help if you’re considering taking a holiday here, with TUI or independently.
What does Atlantica Nissaki Beach cost?
If you’re reading our Atlantica Nissaki Beach review, you’re probably looking for a great all-inclusive break in Greece. I don’t blame you, 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, and this summer we were definitely on a budget. The Atlantica is 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 TUI Blue 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, and all meals, drinks and activities are included. The Atlantica hotel has nightly entertainment, plus exercise classes such as yoga, along with two swimming pools, restaurants, and bars.
Review of TUI Atlantica Nissaki Beach Hotel
There are a range of room types at the Atlantica Nissaki Beach. You can choose standard rooms or upgrade to double rooms, suites, and a range of swim-up rooms with full sea views.
We upgraded to a one bedroom suite. TUI billed this 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 because 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 only part of the bathroom with a door is the WC. Plus, the suite has mirrors *everywhere*, meaning there is very little privacy. Fine for a couple, but not so great for us.
The suite has a king sized bed, but the hotel happily put another bed in the sitting room, meaning we didn’t need to share.
The rooms are well kitted out with mini fridge, robes, kettle, hairdryer, safe, televisions and fast WiFi.
What is the accommodation like?
The view from TUI’s Nissaki Beach hotel is incredible, but if I’m honest, 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. Buildings get old, and that’s not going to make or break my holiday. Mostly, I care that the beds are clean and comfortable, and my room is clean.
On those scores, the Atlantica Nissaki Beach gets an easy 10/10.
But if you’re looking for 5* luxury, this isn’t that. If you’re looking for swanky, I’d recommend the much smarter Atlantica in Rhodes, where we stayed in 2019. You can read our review of that hotel here.
Tired furnishings aside, look! This was the gorgeous view from our huge balcony:
TUI Blue Nissaki Atlantica Pool and Beach
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.
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, but bring some with you, they’re extortionate at the hotel shop. The water is clear, 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 a small taverna and cocktail bar if you want to get away from the crowds.
Food & Drink at TUI Blue Atlantica Nissaki Beach
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, but it’s fine.
On the downside, in comparison to all-inclusive resorts we’ve visited in Rhodes and Mexico, TUI’s offering was just okay. I’ve had worse, I’ve had better.
On the upside, we had breakfast at the hotel most days, and it was good. We had a couple of lunches on-site and the best was to be had from the fresh grill. Apart from one night, we opted to eat out for dinner. The even better news is that you’re spoiled for choice with places to eat out in Corfu, and local restaurants will collect you from the beach by boat, and whisk you off for dinner.
TUI Blue Nissaki Beach Q&A:
What does the all-inclusive package cover?
As a TUI customer, you will get drinks in the fridge in your room as part of the package. Fridges are refilled daily and includes soft drinks, a couple of beers and a bottle of water. All meals at the hotel are included from the buffet, and snacks are available at the bar between 3pm and 5pm, and 11pm and midnight.
At the bar, you can order beer, wine, soft drinks and local spirits. We found the local spirits tasted strongly of alcohol, but if you’re drinking cocktails, that’s no bad thing! All-inclusive drinks are available from 10am to midnight.
What food is included at Atlantica Nissaki Beach?
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).
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.
Do you need to book meals in advance?
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.
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!
The resort is quite far from the busy resorts of Corfu. 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 shops in Kalami, 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. 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 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.
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
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:
My TUI Atlantica Nissaki Beach review verdict is mixed. The food wasn’t outstanding, and I wasn’t wowed by the all-inclusive package. 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 base to explore from, with loads of beaches, villages and tavernas.
Would I recommend this hotel? Yes, if you can get a good deal. There might be smarter hotels around but this location is pretty hard to fault.
