Paxos
ONE OF THE TOP TWENTY GREATEST ESCAPES IN THE WORLD
Paxos can be found 14 kilometres south of Corfu, 20 kilometres to the east is Parga on the mainland of Greece. Paxos covers an area of some 19 square kilometres and is one of a cluster of picturesquesmall islands set in the Ionian Sea. Paxos has no airport, can only be reached by ferry boat and therefore, has been able to protect itself from the strain of modern tourism. Paxos is an island of endless olive groves and Anti Paxos one large vineyard. The eastern coastline of the islands are gentle compared to the west coast which are bold and abrupt, with caves, arches and shear cliffs. The capital of Paxos is Gaios a picturesque village built around a port which is protected by two small islands Agios Nikolas and Panagia. On the Northern side is the village of Lakka and on the east side is the very charming village of Loggos. You will find the pace is still unhurried, very relaxing with genuine friendly Greek hospitality at its best. Paxos has a permanent population of approximately 2,300 inhabitants.
How To Get to Paxos
Between the months of May until late October you can fly direct to Corfu from most European air ports but between November to April it's necessary to fly to Athens and then onto Corfu. If you fly Olympic Airways from the UK they will arrange for your luggage to be transferred direct to the onward journey.On arriving at Corfu airport you take a taxi to the New Port. There are usually several taxis available, just ask the driver to take you to the New Port for the boat to Paxos, they all know where to take you. It's helpful to give them the name of your particular ferry boat or sea taxi. The journey to the New Port will take about 10 minutes and cost between 10 and 15 Euros.
Travelling over land from Northern Greece is now very much easier and quicker with the new Egnatia motorway taking you straight to the Port of Igoumenitsa.
,+a+natural+rocky+arch+at+Paxos+island..jpg "Trypitos (also known as Kamara), a natural rocky arch at Paxos island.")
Gaios is 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.
+and+the+beautiful+canal+between+them.jpg "Gaios, the capital of Paxos island, the island of Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas) and the beautiful canal between them!")
Lakka is 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 is a 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.
Anti Paxos
There are two main beaches at the north end of Anti Paxos Vrika and Voutoumi. The shore line of the first beach Vrika is sandy, Voutoumis shore line is pebble but under foot in the water there is white sand. Here you have some of the finest clear blue seas in the world for swimming and snorkelling, its safe for all ages to enjoy. South of these two beaches are many smaller more private coves that can be reached without too much difficulty.
Only 2 kilometers or so south of Paxos is Anti Paxos even smaller and almost uninhabited, instead of the olive groves there are many small vineyards looked after by the Paxos families, some of them also have houses on Anti Paxos. Anti Paxos wine can be bought in the local shops in Paxos or can be sampled in the tavernas on Anti Paxos and Paxos, it is well worth tasting.Excursion boats from Paxos to Anti Paxos run frequently in the summer, the trip takes about 15 minutes and you can spend the whole day there if you like.
text by: www.paxos-greece.com/
