Most people have heard of Corfu, the largest of Greece’s Ionian Islands, but few are familiar with its smaller neighboring island just an hour-long ferry ride south: Paxos!

At just 8 miles long, Paxos might be small, but it’s filled with so many incredible places to experience and things to do! After spending 10 days on this beautiful island, I can confidently say it’s one of the best hidden gems in the region. Not only is it visually stunning with its towering cliffs, lush pine forests, charming Venetian towns, and quiet pebble beaches with crystalline waters, but the entire island has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere that feels worlds away from tourist hotspots like Mykonos or Santorini.

In this guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about visiting Paxos, including the best time to go, how to get there, where to stay, and all of the best things to do on the island and its tiny sister island, Antipaxos.

How Much Time Do You Need in Paxos?

Paxos is a tiny island, so it’s often mistaken as a day trip destination from Corfu. While this is entirely possible and you’ll find day tours that can be booked through travel companies, a day trip is doing a disservice to Paxos, in my opinion.

I suggest spending at least 2-3 nights in Paxos, which gives you enough time to explore the main towns, go beach-hopping, and take a day trip to the nearby island of Antipaxos, all without feeling rushed. If you have a flexible schedule with more time to spare, you could easily spend 4-5 days, especially if you want to take your time enjoying the island at the slow pace it’s meant to be experienced.

Also Read: How to Spend 3 Days in Paxos

The Best Time to Visit Paxos

I almost always recommend visiting Mediterranean destinations during shoulder season (September & May), and Paxos is no exception. I visited Paxos in mid-September, and it was absolutely perfect! The weather was sunny, temperatures averaged around 80 degrees every day, and the towns and beaches weren’t crowded with tourists. 

We heard from several locals that Paxos can actually get quite busy during the summer months, not because it’s a super famous destination that brings in a ton of visitors from around the world, but because it’s so small that even a moderate number of tourists can make it feel super crowded. 

If you’re set on visiting in peak summer (June through August), just keep in mind that popular beaches and restaurants will be busier, and it’s worth booking accommodations and any car or ATV rentals well in advance.

How to Get to Paxos

Getting to Paxos is a little less straightforward than you might expect, since the island doesn’t have an airport. Honestly though, I think the lack of air traffic is part of what keeps Paxos feeling so untouched and charming!

You have a few options for reaching the island:

We booked our ferry from Corfu in person, since we had already spent a few weeks on the island beforehand, but tickets can also be purchased online ahead of time. There are a couple of ferry companies that run the Corfu to Paxos route, with travel time averaging 1-2 hours, depending on weather conditions and the type of ferry. Tickets start at just €15.00 each way. 

We rode a ferry called the Ilida 2, and the ride was smooth and comfortable, but the journey ended up taking about an extra hour or so since we took the ferry on a particularly windy day. If you are prone to seasickness, I recommend avoiding the hydrofoils and opting for the slower ferry, as we did.

If the weather permits, make sure to spend time on the outside deck to take in the beautiful views of Corfu and the mainland!

Arrival to Paxos

Paxos’ New Port is located in Gaios, which is a conveniently located town that I recommend using as your home base during your time in Paxos! From the port, you can arrange a taxi or hotel shuttle, or simply walk into town, which takes about 15 minutes of easy walking, if you aren’t traveling with heavy luggage.

We chose to walk, but made the mistake of following the road uphill, which made for an intense (and sweaty) workout, since we had backpacks and large suitcases! Avoid making the same mistake as us, and after disembarking, make sure that you just continue straight along the flat waterfront path toward town.

I will say, we were treated to stunning views of the Old Port from the top of the hill, so if you only have a backpack, it might just be worth taking the uphill route for the views alone.

Getting Around Paxos

The best way to explore the rest of the island beyond Gaios is via scooter or ATV. Paxos is so small that you can reach nearly any point on the island in about 30 minutes or less, even on a slower vehicle, which makes it incredibly easy to see most of the island in a single day!

There are only a handful of scooter and ATV rental shops on the island, and vehicles tend to book up quickly, so I strongly recommend reserving one in advance. We rented an ATV from a small, family-owned rental company in Gaios Town called Ionian Rent a Car, and had a great experience! Prices generally range from 20 to 35 euros a day for a scooter and 40 to 60 euros a day for an ATV. If you feel more comfortable driving a car than a scooter or ATV, they also have car rentals available at affordable prices. We found the ATV to be the more convenient option, as car parking is limited in Lakka and Loggos.

Where to Stay in Paxos

I recommend basing yourself in Gaios during your time in Paxos, since it’s the island’s main town and puts you within easy reach of the best beaches, restaurants, and the ferry port. Below are top-rated accommodation options in Gaios and nearby  for every budget:

The Best Things to Do in Paxos

Explore Paxos’s 3 Main Towns

Gaios 

The first thing I suggest doing after arriving in Paxos is exploring Gaios! Gaios is the capital of Paxos, with Venetian-style architecture, similar to Corfu’s old town. Here you’ll find pastel-colored houses lining quaint cobblestone streets, cozy cafes, and lots of shops and restaurants. 

If you’re a cat lover like me, get excited, because Gaios is absolutely full of cats wandering the streets! I lost count of how many times I stopped just to admire a cat or kitten sunbathing on a doorstep or begging for food at a restaurant entrance.

Lakka

Lakka is the second largest town in Paxos and is arguably more built up for tourism, thanks to its location along a large sheltered bay area. Here you’ll find plenty of bar and restaurant options, plus large beaches with sunbed rentals and calm waters. This is the closest to a resort town you’ll find in Paxos, and it’s an ideal place for those who just want to shut their brains off and enjoy some drinks by the beach.

There’s plenty of free parking available in Lakka for smaller vehicles like scooters and ATVs, but just be careful to move your vehicle to a proper parking area before nightfall, if you park in one of the free spots, since barriers will block vehicles in after sunset (this happened to us, and it took us a while to track someone down that could let our ATV out).

Loggos

Loggos is a quaint and colorful fishing village situated about a 15-minute drive north of Gaios. It’s small and doesn’t take long to explore, but it has charming, lovely cafes, fresh seafood restaurants, and small beaches that offer beautiful views of the village. Loggos is definitely the most peaceful of the three main towns in Paxos and offers a nice glimpse into a more slow-paced local life. Make sure to stop by Martha’s Bakery-Cafe for delicious Greek pastries! 

Go Beach Hopping Around the Island

Paxos is renowned for its beautiful, untouched beaches with crystal-clear waters. Like Corfu, most of Paxos’ beaches are pebbled, not sandy, so I recommend packing some water shoes to avoid any discomfort (you can also find shops selling them around Gaios town).

The Best Beaches in Gaios

If you walk along the coastline south of the Old Port, you’ll stumble upon several beautiful, quiet coves and beaches. There are 3 beaches near Gaios that my partner and I absolutely loved, with the farthest of them only located about a 30-minute walk from town:

• Beach Gianas is the closest of the three and is accessible from some short seaside cliffs. It offers plenty of space to swim and explore, including a platform accessible via a short swim that you can jump off of!

• Plakes Beach is a little farther and is very sunny, with flat rocks perfect for sunbathing and a small sandy patch ideal for swimming.

• PaGi Beach is the furthest of the three and is a small, tucked-away pebbly beach that can be a bit tricky to find from the main road. The water here was the clearest out of all of the beaches we visited near Gaios, and since it’s so lightly trafficked, it often felt like we had a private beach all to ourselves!

The Best Beaches in Lakka

• Paralia Lakka: The main beach in Lakka and definitely one of the more family-friendly beaches in Paxos, since the waters are incredibly calm and the beaches are easily accessible. Paralia Lakka is also one of the few beaches on the island with sunbed rentals available, if you’d like to spend a day lounging.
• Meattie Buir’s Beach: A small, secluded rocky beach with stunning waters. It was a little bit of an adventure to get there, but we were fine navigating to it with our ATV. We had it completely to ourselves, and the surrounding rock formations made for some really cool photos!

The Best Beaches in Loggos

• Paralia Loggos: Loggos’ main beach, which offers beautiful views of the village. It’s small, but worth stopping by for a dip while you’re in Loggos.
• Marmari Beach: Marmari beach is about a 15-minute walk south from Loggos, with beautiful turquoise waters surrounded by cypress trees.
• Kipiadi Beach: This is the longest beach in Paxos and is a bit more out of the way, at about a 30 minute walk or 5 minute drive from Loggos. While it’s a long stretch of beach, it isn’t teeming with tourists; the beach is quiet and has a pretty secluded feel, perfect for relaxing.

🏆 The Best Beach in Paxos: Erimitis Beach

This beach was my personal highlight on Paxos. In 2007, an earthquake caused the collapse of surrounding cliffs, forming Erimitis Beach. It’s definitely the most strikingly beautiful beach in Paxos, with vivid blue waters and a stretch of sand surrounded by towering limestone cliffs. Floating on your back and looking up at the steep cliffs is an amazing, almost otherworldly, experience. Plus, sunsets are absolutely stunning here!

Pro Tip: Paxos involves plenty of boat rides, cliff jumping, and uneven coastal paths, so it’s worth allocating some of your trip budget toward travel insurance. I personally use and love SafetyWing Nomad Insurance because it’s budget-friendly and works on a subscription model, so you only pay for the days you’re actually traveling. It’s the kind of thing you hope you never need, but it gives me real peace of mind while island hopping in a spot with fairly limited medical infrastructure.

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Visit Tripitos Arch

Tripitos Arch is a beautiful natural rock arch on the western side of the island and is one of the most photographed places in Paxos. It’s just a short drive from Erimitis Beach and requires a short nature walk from the parking area. There, you’ll find a beautiful natural rock arch standing over the western shore of the island. We ended up just sitting for a while as we took the scenery in. Since it’s on the western side of the island, it’s absolutely gorgeous at sunset!

Take a Day Trip to Antipaxos

Antipaxos is a tiny uninhabited island just south of Paxos and is a must-visit. Known for its stunning Caribbean-like beaches, complete with bright blue water and soft, white sand, Antipaxos truly has some of the best beaches in all of Greece, if not Europe. Its beaches are definitely top of mind when I think about the most beautiful beaches I’ve experienced in the Mediterranean. 

Antipaxos is easily accessible by water taxis, which depart from Gaios at 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 2:00 PM, and cost €25 per person, round trip. I strongly recommend catching the earliest boat to maximize your time on the island. You can also opt for a private boat cruise instead, which gives you much more flexibility, though it will cost significantly more (450 euros or more for the day).

The water taxi ride takes about 10 to 15 minutes, and the captain will typically give you the choice of 2 beaches to be dropped off at, either Paralia Vrika or Paralia Voutoumi. Both are beautiful and great for swimming or lounging, but I’d lean toward getting off at Paralia Vrika, since it tends to be less busy in the early mornings and offers sunbeds if you’re looking to relax.

You can walk between the two beaches in about 20 minutes, though I’d recommend wearing proper shoes for the uneven and, at times, steep path. There’s also a third beach, Mesovrika Beach, which is worth a quick stop if you’re walking between the two main beaches.

Food options on Antipaxos are limited due to its small size, but there is a beach bar on Paralia Vrika serving mixed drinks, snacks, and full meals throughout the day.

Paralia Voutoumi doesn’t have a beachside snack bar, but a staircase leads up to a restaurant called Bella Vista, which offers fantastic panoramic views of the beach and sea below (the views make the climb worth it, trust me). We grabbed a coffee here and took in the views alongside a friendly cat that joined us!

If you’re feeling adventurous, I also highly recommend walking across the island to Kaloiri Cove. This spot has beautiful views, cliffs you can jump off of into the water below, and plenty of small coves to explore. We spent a couple of hours here swimming, cliff jumping, and snorkeling before we headed to the main beaches.

The final water taxi departs Antipaxos at 4:00 PM, so make sure you’re back at Paralia Vrika or Paralia Voutoumi in time to catch your ride back to Gaios.

Where to Eat & Drink in Paxos

Paxos may be small, but it has lots of fantastic dining options! Below are my top recommendations:

• Celestino (Gaios): I know you might not have Italian food on your mind when visiting a Greek island, but Celestino is truly one of the best restaurants on the island, loved by tourists and locals alike. Make sure to get their tiramisu – they are renowned for it, and it was the best tiramisu I’ve ever had (and I’ve been to Italy 5 times)!
• BONA TERRA (Gaios): The best waterside restaurant in Gaios, serving a mix of fresh seafood, traditional Greek dishes, and Mediterranean fusion dishes. The perfect spot to enjoy your first meal in Paxos, since it has both delicious food and gorgeous views!
• Cafe Kalimera (Gaios): This was my go-to cafe in Gaios! They had delicious coffee drinks, friendly service, and tasty breakfast/brunch options. 
• Paxoimadi (Lakka): A cozy tavern tucked in Lakka town, serving fresh seafood and traditional Greek dishes by the water.
• 4 Seasons Restaurant (Loggos): A fantastic spot in Loggos town that makes for the perfect end to a day of beach hopping around Paxos. They only serve dinner, so try to get reservations ahead of time, as it’s quite popular amongst locals.

Final Thoughts on Visiting Paxos

While it may not have the name recognition of Santorini or Mykonos, Paxos has such a nice, relaxed, peaceful, and authentic atmosphere that’s becoming harder and harder to find in Greece.

There’s something incredibly special about Paxos: it’s truly unlike anything I’ve experienced on other Greek islands. Once you’re there, you’ll never want to leave! From the sleepy, cat-filled streets of Gaios, the dramatic cliffs of Erimitis Beach, and the Caribbean-like waters of Antipaxos, this tiny Ionian island is an incredible hidden gem that only receives a fraction of the number of visitors that Greece’s tourist hotspots see. If you’re looking for a Greek island that feels like a well-kept secret, I can’t recommend Paxos enough!

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