Can You See Paxos in a Day From Corfu: Save Time for Antipaxos
The boat rounds the southern tip of Corfu, and for a while there is nothing ahead but open water. Then a low green island rises out of the haze, its hills furred with olive trees. As you come closer, the color of the sea changes under the hull, from deep navy to a blue so bright it looks lit from below. By the time you reach the white cliffs on the far side, half the deck is standing at the rail with phones in hand.
Paxos is the smallest of the seven main Ionian Islands, about 6 miles long and barely 2 miles wide, with a year-round population of around 2,500. Its tiny neighbor Antipaxos sits just to the south, a short hop by boat. Together they make one of the most popular day trips from Corfu, and the question comes up every summer: is one day really enough to see them?
The honest answer is yes, as long as you know what a single day can hold. In one long day you can sail past the sea caves on the west coast, swim off a white sand beach on Antipaxos and wander a harbor village on Paxos before heading back. Just save a good part of the day for Antipaxos, the smaller island, whose beaches are the highlight of the trip for many.
How to Get From Corfu to Paxos
Paxos lies about 9 miles south of Corfu's southern tip, and the main port is Gaios, the island's capital. There are two ways to make the trip in a day, and each suits a different kind of traveler.
The simplest is an organized boat trip from Corfu Town. These full-day cruises usually run about 10 hours, leave in the morning and loop past the sea caves, Antipaxos and one of the villages on Paxos before sailing back in the evening. Everything is timed for you, and some include a coach transfer from your hotel.
The other option is to travel independently. A fast ferry from Corfu Town reaches Gaios in about 55 minutes, while a conventional ferry takes around an hour and 20 minutes. Once in Gaios you can hop on a local boat to Antipaxos, hire a small motorboat for the day, or join one of the cave cruises that leave from the harbor. This route gives you more freedom, though it takes some planning to make sure the last boat back to Corfu fits your plans.
Keep in mind that a day trip to Paxos is a warm-season plan. From May to October there are several crossings a day, peaking in June and July. In winter, sailings drop sharply, often to a single afternoon crossing a few days a week, so a same-day return is rarely possible.
What Fits Into One Day
Traveling on your own, a morning fast ferry puts you in Gaios by mid-morning. From there, a cave cruise along the west coast takes a couple of hours, and a water taxi to Antipaxos leaves plenty of time for a long swim and lunch at one of the beach tavernas. Back in Gaios by late afternoon, you can stroll the waterfront and climb the lanes behind the harbor before the evening boat to Corfu. On an organized cruise the order may change, but the ingredients are the same: caves, a swim stop on Antipaxos and an hour or two in a village.
What you will not have time for is the interior of the island, with its footpaths through the olive groves, old stone hamlets and quiet chapels. Those reward a longer stay, and they are a good reason to come back.
The Blue Caves of the West Coast
The east coast of Paxos slopes gently down to the sea through olive groves. On the west coast, sheer white limestone cliffs drop straight into the sea, and the water has carved them into caves, arches and lone pillars of rock. The area is protected under the European Natura 2000 network, and the only real way to see it is from the water.
The largest cave is Ipapanti, which reaches deep into the cliff. Local legend says Poseidon created Paxos by striking the southern tip of Corfu with his trident, so that he and Amphitrite could have an island of their own, and that their palace stood inside this cave. The trident later became the emblem of the island. The caves are also a habitat for the rare Mediterranean monk seal, so keep an eye on the water near the entrances.
Farther along the coast you pass Ortholithos, a tall finger of rock standing upright at the mouth of a cave, and the Tripitos arch, a natural stone bridge rising over turquoise water. The towering cliffs at Erimitis are also known for their sunsets, though on a day trip you will see them in full sunlight. Inside the caves, light bounces off the pale rock and the seabed, turning the water an almost electric blue. Boats can slip into the larger ones when the sea is calm.
Antipaxos and Its White Sand Beaches
Antipaxos is tiny, with a handful of houses, vineyards climbing the hills and almost no roads to speak of. What draws people here are the beaches on its eastern shore. Voutoumi and Vrika have fine white sand and water so clear that boats seem to float above their own shadows, and Mesovrika nearby is often quieter.
From Gaios, small water taxis cross to Vrika and Voutoumi in about 15 minutes during spring and summer, and you can walk between the two beaches on a steep path over the headland. On an organized cruise, the stop at Antipaxos is usually the longest swim of the day. Bring a mask if you have one, since the rocks at either end of the beaches are a good place to snorkel.
If you have a little longer on Antipaxos, follow the track up from the beaches into the hills. Vineyards and low stone walls cover much of the island, and from the higher ground you can look back across the channel to Paxos.
A boat trip from Corfu also shows you the Ionian from a different angle. You leave past the Old Fortress of Corfu Town, follow the green coast south, and get the caves, Antipaxos and a village stop on Paxos in one long sweep, with snacks and a bar on board and no ferry timetable to watch.
For a day with nothing to plan beyond your swimsuit and towel, book a seat on the Full-Day Paxos, Antipaxos & Blue Caves Boat Tour from Corfu.
Gaios, Lakka or Loggos
Whichever way you travel, you will have time to explore at least one village on Paxos. Gaios is the capital and the busiest of the three, a harbor town of pastel houses and waterfront cafes. Two small islets shelter its harbor. On Agios Nikolaos stand the walls of a Venetian fortress begun in 1423, and legend says its rebuilding in 1510 followed plans by Leonardo da Vinci. On the islet of Panagia, a monastery from the 16th century hosts one of the biggest festivals in the Ionian every August 15.
Lakka, at the northern tip of the island, wraps around a sheltered, almost circular bay with shallow water that is ideal for a quick swim before lunch. Loggos, on the east coast between the two, is the smallest and quietest, a little fishing harbor where tavernas set their tables right at the water's edge. A plate of grilled octopus at one of them, with a glass of local wine, is a fine way to spend your free time ashore.
Look up from the harbors and you will see olive trees covering almost every hill. The Venetians, who ruled Paxos for about four centuries from 1386, encouraged olive growing across the island, and many of the oldest trees date from that period. A bottle of local olive oil makes a good souvenir to carry back to Corfu.
Where to Stay on Paxos If One Day Is Not Enough
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A night or two on Paxos lets you watch the sunset from the cliffs at Erimitis and reach Antipaxos before the cruise boats arrive. Right on the waterfront near Gaios, Agali Hotel Paxos is a four-star hotel with a saltwater pool, a garden and rooms with balconies looking out to sea. A few steps from Plakes Beach, Margina Residence Hotel has sea-view rooms, a pool, a hot tub and a fitness room.
Just outside Gaios, Paxos Club Resort & SPA is set in lush gardens with a large pool, a restaurant and free transfers to the port. Anassa Mare Villas & Residences is a beachfront option about half a mile from the port, with kitchenettes for longer stays. Up north in Lakka, the family-run Amfitriti Hotel & Studios sits steps from Harami Beach with a small pool and balconies over the sea or the garden.
Tips for Your Paxos Day Trip
Bring your own towel, swimwear and snorkel gear, since cruises usually do not provide them.
Plan to buy lunch, as most cruises include only snacks.
Wear sunscreen and a hat, because there is little shade on deck or on the beaches of Antipaxos.
If you travel independently, check the time of the last ferry back to Corfu before you leave.
Go in May, June or September if you want quieter beaches than in the peak weeks of July and August.
When the boat turns north for the ride home, with salt drying on your skin and Corfu growing larger on the horizon, it is easy to start planning a longer stay on Paxos and Antipaxos. One day shows you the caves, the beaches and a harbor or two. The next visit is for everything the cruise boats sail past.
Photo: Effrosyni Moschoudi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
