Things to do at Paxos
GALOS
The south of the island and is the largest town but it's still very much a working fishing port with caiques tied up in the harbour. When you approach Gaios from the north you enter a very beautiful inlet passing the islands of Panayia and St Nicholas.
LAKKA
The second largest and is situated at the north end of the island. The bay is spectacular and it is very popular for boat owners who wish to stay a day or so.
LOGGOS
The very charming village with a harbour fronted by Tavernas and small bars. It's a great place to peacefully while away the time and is a great favourite with many visitors.
VRIKA BEACH, ANTIPAXOS
The vine-covered island of Antipaxos is only ten minutes by water taxi from the harbour at Gaios.
A crossing will cost around €14, and the main goal is this Caribbean-style white sandy beach.
Vrika Beach is also a family favourite as it enters the sea on a smooth gradient and has lots of safe, shallow water.
This has the kind of shimmering turquoise tones you’d expect from a tropical paradise. Remember to take photos and try to convince your friends that you haven’t used Photoshop! There are two tavernas on the beach, renting out sun loungers for free if you stay on the terrace under the pergola, or for €4 each if you’d prefer to be on the beach itself.
VOUTOUMI BEACH, ANTIPAXOS
In any other place the twinkling waters at Voutoumi would be full of sun-seekers, but as this beach is eclipsed by nearby Vrika you’ll never have to fight for space.
You can get there direct by water taxi from Gaios, or walk the trail from Vrika in 20 minutes. The advantage of Voutoumi is that there’s only a single beach bar, and instead of rows of beds in expectation of crowds, the sun loungers are only set up one by one as people arrive. Voutoumi is a horseshoe cove with white pebbles, contrasting with the deep green of the vegetation behind. Up the trail a short way from the beach is a taverna with a lovely view of the beach and Paxos behind
TRIPITOS ARCH
Less than three kilometres south of Gaios is one of the island’s great natural landmarks.
The journey is tricky but brief, as you have to drive on an unpaved road through olive groves before parking up and descending a short, steep track. The arch is the remnants of a collapsed sea cave, and at its highest point is 20 metres above the water. On foot the bridge is broader than it might seem and you can cross it to a stack topped with bits of scrub. The Tripitos Arch can also be viewed from the water on one of the tours to the Blue Caves, which we’ll cover next.
BLUE CAVES
The massive west coast of Paxos has limestone cliffs that in places have been hollowed out by the sea.
The Blue Caves can only be seen by boat, and are large enough that many vessels can pass right through.
Tour boats will stop to let you dive into the transparent waters, swim through the caves and climb on a few of the smaller outcrops.
You can make the trip on a large boat with lots of other visitors, or keep it private by taking a skippered vessel or just hiring your own motorboat for the afternoon.
Make sure to set a course for Ortholithos, a monolithic outcrop near the entrance to the Pappanikoli Cave.