Getting from Chios to Paxos

If you are heading to Paxos from Chios you are making your way from one of the most overlooked islands in the northeastern Aegean to a small island in the Ionian Sea, on the opposite side of Greece. It has ancient olive groves, turquoise coves and a Venetian harbour at Gaios that is one of the most charming in Greece.

Take the ferry

There are no scheduled ferries from Chios to Paxos. No Aegean island is connected by sea to any Ionian island. Getting there by sea means taking the overnight Chios to Piraeus ferry, which runs around 3 times a week and takes around 9 hours, and then traveling northwest to Igoumenitsa by road for the ferry to Paxos, which takes around 1 hour 30 minutes. The total journey takes the better part of two days. Flying via Corfu is considerably more practical for most travelers.

Getting there by air

Paxos has no airport. The nearest airport is Corfu. Chios has its own airport with daily connections from Athens. Flying from Chios to Athens and then Athens to Corfu, followed by the ferry from Corfu to Paxos taking around 1 hour 30 minutes, gives a total journey time of around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Fly from Chios to Athens and then fly to Corfu and take the ferry across to Paxos. It is the most practical approach. If you are traveling with a car, take the overnight ferry from Chios to Piraeus and drive northwest to Igoumenitsa for the daily car ferry to Paxos from there, as the Corfu to Paxos ferry does not carry vehicles.