Getting from Astypalaia to Antipaxos

If you are heading to Antipaxos from Astypalaia you are making your way from a butterfly-shaped island between the Cyclades and the Dodecanese to a tiny island just south of Paxos in the Ionian Sea, on the opposite side of Greece. It has beaches of a quality that would be famous if they were anywhere more accessible.

Take the ferry

There are no scheduled ferries from Astypalaia to Antipaxos. Antipaxos is accessible only by sea taxi or small boat from Gaios on Paxos, with the trip taking around 15 to 20 minutes. Getting there means taking the ferry from Astypalaia to Piraeus, which runs around 5 times a week and takes around 8 to 12 hours, and then flying to Corfu and taking the ferry from Corfu to Paxos, which takes around 1 hour 30 minutes, and then the sea taxi to Antipaxos. Alternatively fly from Astypalaia to Athens and then fly to Corfu.

Getting there by air

Antipaxos has no airport. The nearest airport is Corfu. Astypalaia has its own small airport with connections from Athens. Flying from Astypalaia to Athens and then Athens to Corfu, followed by the ferry from Corfu to Paxos and then the sea taxi to Antipaxos, gives a total journey time of around 7 to 8 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Fly from Astypalaia to Athens and then fly to Corfu and take the ferry across to Paxos, then the sea taxi to Antipaxos. It is the most practical approach. Antipaxos is most rewarding as a day trip or overnight from Paxos rather than a standalone destination as facilities on the island are almost nonexistent. If you are traveling with a car, take the ferry from Astypalaia to Piraeus and drive northwest to Igoumenitsa for the daily car ferry to Paxos from there.