Paxos Island Holidays: Complete Guide to Visiting Greece's Smallest Ionian Island with Transportation Tips, Beach Exploration, Local Cuisine and Day Trip Ideas
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In this article, I’ll tell you about Paxos Island and why it’s worth visiting during your holiday in Corfu. I’ll also describe how to get to Paxos Island from Corfu by ferry and through organized tours.
Additionally, I’ll talk about the available options for active recreation on the island, including beach exploration, visiting the town of Gaios, trips to Antipaxos Island and the Blue Caves, and gastronomic experiences.
Paxos Island: what Poseidon's island is all about and why it's worth visiting during your Corfu holiday
The small island of Paxos is the smallest of the seven Ionian Islands. It’s located eleven kilometers from the southern tip of Corfu. The island is famous for its “Blue Caves,” which attract numerous tourists.
The beauty of this place is simply incredible — huge vertical cliffs of cream color, with intricate inclusions of darker and lighter shades, and the sea below, whose color cannot be conveyed in words. Caves are formed in the rocks, though they look more like large grottoes, and some of them can even accommodate a small excursion boat.
The place is very attractive and fairy-tale-like. On Paxos Island, there are three main settlements: Gaios, Lakka, and Loggos. In Gaios, you can see a monument erected to Georgios Anemogiannis, a hero and fighter for independence, participant in the Greek War of 1821-1832.
The town of Gaios is very small, and it somehow reminded me of Fiskardo in Kefalonia
How to get to Paxos Island from Corfu
You can reach Paxos Island from Corfu from two points: from the new port of Kerkyra (where all ferries arrive) and from the port of Kavos, located in the very south of Corfu.
We lived closer to Kerkyra, from which high-speed passenger vessels of two companies operate to Paxos: Kamelia Lines and Flying Dolphin.
The vessel of Kamelia Lines company, which we took, represents a Thai variant of a high-speed ferry, which I call a “sea bus” — a long enclosed boat with seats in two rows of three, like on an airplane.
At the stern, there’s a small open space with benches for those who like to travel in fresh air or smoke. The cabin is air-conditioned, though we weren’t lucky — the air conditioner was broken, only the fan worked, so we had to sit at the stern. Good thing we came early and got seats.
The boat was packed to capacity. The journey to Paxos takes 1 hour and 15 minutes according to the schedule. In reality, it took an hour and a half.
Ticket price for the boat is 10 euros one way. The company operates two trips per day in each direction, on Mondays – 3 trips. Check the current schedule on the company’s website.
The Flying Dolphin company’s vessel is a hydrofoil boat.
It goes faster, only 50 minutes, but ticket prices are twice as expensive. Also, this company’s schedule is more convenient.
Boats depart from Corfu’s new port from the pier next to the Domestic Terminal. It’s located at a large roundabout intersection.
The offices of both companies, where you can purchase tickets, are located across the road. The boats arrive in the town of Gaios on Paxos at the so-called “new port,” which is about 800 meters or 15 minutes at a leisurely pace from the central waterfront.
From the central waterfront, boats depart to Antipaxos, as well as excursion boats around the Ionian Islands (of which Paxos is also part), with stops at the “Blue Caves.” If you’ve come for one day, you’re unlikely to be able to visit both the beaches and take a tour around the islands (or you can, but in a rush), so we chose the beach for ourselves!
May be useful: If you want to visit both the beaches and take a tour around the islands leisurely and without rushing, I recommend checking available hotels on Paxos via this link.
All boats to Antipaxos arrive at Voutumi Beach and depart as they fill with people (in my estimation, about every 15 minutes). The boat holds approximately 15 passengers. Travel time is about 15 minutes.
Such boats from Paxos Island to the neighboring Antipaxos Island run constantly, so getting to the island won’t be a problem
On the way there, we got a good captain who organized a small tour along the coast of the islands at low speed, stopping for photography, so the journey there took about half an hour.
On the way back, another captain rushed straight ahead at full speed, leaving us breathless, but we arrived in just 10 minutes.
The round-trip fare (with no possibility of bargaining) is 14 euros, children pay a symbolic 1 euro. You can return on any boat.
To Antipaxos, boats run until approximately 2:00 PM, and they start picking people up from the beach from 1:30 PM until 6:30 PM. As I mentioned, all boats arrive at Voutumi Beach, as it’s the only one with a miniature pier.
Thanks to the clouds, we watched an incredibly beautiful sunrise all the way! And it wasn’t hot
What else to do on Paxos Island
Paxos is the smallest island in the Ionian Sea, with an area of only 25 km². However, even on such a small island, there’s plenty to do. We’ve compiled a selection of the most interesting activities available on Paxos.
Explore beaches and bays: description of the best places for relaxation
The beaches on Paxos Island are famous for their picturesque bays and crystal-clear water. The most popular is Monodendri — a pebble beach surrounded by blooming greenery. A small café and equipment rental point operate on the coastal area.
Beach lovers seeking solitude will enjoy Loggos Beach, located in the cozy village of the same name.
Actually, the beach is a strip of sand from the water’s edge about three meters wide, then large pebbles, I’d even say boulders, then grass, and finally a tavern in the background
Mongonissi is a magnificent sandy beach surrounded by olive groves. Here you can spend a wonderful day by the sea or rent a catamaran or boat and go for a short sail.
Harami Beach, covered with white pebbles, attracts tourists with its numerous cafés and restaurants located on the coast.
The water on the island is very clean and transparent, boats seem to float through air
The most optimal time to visit the beaches is from 10 AM to 1 PM, as from noon onwards they become quite crowded. Visiting the islands on weekends is also not recommended, as local residents from Corfu, Igoumenitsa, Sivota, and Parga flock here in droves, some by public transport (ferries), others by private vessels (boats), resulting in a “soup” of people on the beach and a “soup” of boats of all sizes in the sea, from inflatable to three-masted schooners.
Take a walk through the island's capital - the town of Gaios
The capital of the island is the small town of Gaios, with a population of only about 1,000 people. Despite its capital status, life in this town is calm and measured. The town has preserved many buildings constructed in the 19th century that are worth attention.
Walking through the town, you can see many interesting buildings and ancient churches, particularly Agia Apostoli, which houses the rarest frescoes. Additionally, you can learn more about Paxos culture by visiting the Folklore Museum, which features a large collection of furniture, ceramics, dishes, and clothing.
Take a cruise to Antipaxos and visit the Blue Caves
The Blue Caves of Paxos Island are a place of unique beauty on the western coast of the island. They differ in length, size of entrance arch, and depth, but all are amazingly beautiful and extremely “photogenic.”
Paxos Island is located not far from the southern tip of Corfu. Just about ten kilometers on a fast boat — and before you, in all their splendor, vertical cliffs appear, composed of multi-ton layered blocks.
But Greece wouldn’t be Greece if a legend about the origin of Paxos hadn’t been invented here. It says that God Poseidon struck the edge of Corfu with his trident, broke off a piece from it, and dragged it into the sea. There, on the new island, he built a marble palace for his beloved Amphitrite.
The Blue Cave looks very majestic, sailing past it, it attracted the eye by itself
Approaching the Blue Caves, you gradually begin to believe the legend. The sea at their entrance shimmers with all known shades of blue and turquoise, sparkles, reflecting on the vaults of the grottoes, splashes invitingly, inviting you to plunge into its coolness.
One of the caves can be entered directly by vessel — it’s so large, while others look more like deep niches — you can swim in them yourself. The largest cave is called Ypapanti. It’s believed that this is where Poseidon built that very marble palace. And although you won’t see a fairy-tale palace, of course, the impressions from visiting the Blue Caves will remain for a long time.
May be useful: All tours to the Blue Cave on Antipaxos Island are available via this link.
When we were inside, the cave offered a very beautiful view of the sea itself and the local landscape
Gastronomic experience
As on any Greek island, Paxos has its own culinary preferences and traditional dishes.
A special place on the table is occupied by Bourdeto — fish prepared according to the signature Ionian recipe. It’s stewed in a large pot with paprika, garlic, and tomato paste. The result is a simple but tasty and spicy dish.
You can try Savoro: fish is rolled in flour and fried. Then vinegar, black raisins, and rosemary are added to the oil in which the fish was fried. The resulting thick sauce is served with fish in traditional clay dishes.
The pride of Paxos cooks is the signature liver pie, pre-stewed in white and red wine. The filling also includes rice, graviera cheese, parsley, and eggs.
Local events and festivals
To better understand the character of Paxos, you need to attend at least one festival. Every year in June, island guests can attend a festival with an emphasis on contemporary music.
And in September, a festival with a classical repertoire and foreign participants takes over. As for religious holidays, the largest is held in honor of St. Gaios. It falls at the end of June and is accompanied by street celebrations. On this day, additional ferries to Corfu are launched.
In mid-summer, you can attend the Neroladya festival — guests are offered to listen to music and taste olives and wine for free.
Souvenirs: what to bring from Paxos Island
Paxos doesn’t consider tourism as its main source of income. Huge olive groves grow on the island, and excellent oil is still produced. This famous product can be bought in charming traditional village shops, where various wines, cheeses, and souvenirs are also available.