I want to show you the three main places in Paxos – in this post it is all about Loggos.
Loggos is a lovely village located on the east coast of Paxos to the north of Gaios. Loggos has a stunning waterfront with lots of bars, restaurants and lovely boutique shops. You can also stay in Loggos in one of the many villas and apartments. And Loggos hosts the spectacular sight of the bus driving along the waterfront road right by the restaurant tables!
Here are the videos of Loggos that I recorded this year.
Loggos video 1 – This is me introducing Loggos to you – how lovely of me!
Loggos video 2 – walking in from the road from Lakka
In this video I have parked the car on the road from Lakka just up from the supermarket. I walk down one of my favourite side streets to the waterfront and along the front all the way to the bakery telling you what I know and the places that we have been to.
Loggos video 3 – the waterfront
I am stood on the wall between the main car park and the beach by the bus stop and give you a short video showing you exactly what the lovely view is. And it is lovely!
Loggos video 4 – walking down from the other side.
Here I start at the foot of the road from Gaios and walk down to the bakery showing you lots of good stuff along the way.
And that is my video guide to Loggos.
How do I get to Loggos?
There is one road that goes into Loggos from the Gaios side, through the village and up to the main central road at the junction with the road to Lakka.
There is a car park that fills up quickly, meaning that most people end up parking on the side of the road, the further away you park the busier it is!
You can walk into Loggos, although I have never done this…
And you can of course get there by boat!
You can get the bus that runs from Lakka to Gaios via Loggos which I heartily recommend, especially the bit where the boat goes along the tight, waterfront road.
What else can you do in Loggos?
You can hire a boat for the day. There are plenty of places to hire boats from, and this year we used Spiros Boat Hire. The year before we used Panos Boat Hire. Both are great and I can personally recommend them.
Paddleboarding in the sheltered waters looks great and something I will be trying next year.
Other than that just mooch about and see what you can find.
Eating in Loggos
There are lots of restaurants in Loggos serving Greek and Italian food, with the odd full English breakfast thrown in for good measure. There are of course restaurants on the front but don’t ignore the side streets where there are some real gems.
Drinking in Loggos
Lots of places to drink too. We love the Roxi Bar with its waterfront seating area, lovely friendly service and a balcony upstairs with great views!
Other bars are of course available.
Shopping in Loggos
There are a few lovely boutique shops selling all sorts of local loveliness – have a nice slow browse and you will find some great souvenirs and trinkets to take home.
That’s all from me.
This post is all about the videos which I hope give you a great insight into exactly what lovely Loggos is like, and lovely it is!
I have just returned from a two week holiday to Parga in Greece. I could see Paxos and Antipaxos from our hotel balcony in Parga! We had to return and a day trip was the answer.
So what is a day trip from Parga to Paxos really like? The day trip from Parga to Antipaxos and Paxos was an excellent day out, giving anyone who has not been to these two Greek Islands a wonderful introduction to them. I will tell you all about the day, and give you some tips that will help enjoy your day even more. Please read on and enjoy my story of our day trip from Parga to Paxos and Antipaxos.
OK – we know where Paxos is – where is Parga?
Parga is on mainland Greece. It is 20 kilometres from Vrika Beach on Antipaxos, and about 20 kilometres from Gaios on Paxos.
Here are the three places marked on a map.
Where are Parga, Paxos and Antipaxos
Who did we book the trip with?
We booked the trip though TUI, who we booked our holiday to Parga
with. We could have wither booked with the rep, but we went to the TUI office
in the centre of Parga – here it is on a map.
TUI office Parga location
And while I am on the subject of where places are, I have also marked exactly where the boat goes from.
Captain Hook 2 departure point Parga
Apparently the boat trip normally sells out, so don’t just
turn up on the morning as you might be disappointed. Book early to avoid
disappointment as the saying goes!
What boat did we go on then?
Captain Hook 2. This is a new boat. It has been designed to
give more circulation space than you would expect on such a boat, and it was
pretty good I have to say.
How much did it cost?
20 euros each, which is excellent value. I am sure you can
book direct and get it cheaper, but to be honest I was more than happy with the
price.
Thinking about it this really is an excellent price
considering where the boat takes you.
What is the route the boat took?
The boat leaves Parga at 10am, and heads straight for Voutoumi
Beach on Antipaxos. After a swim stop next stop is the Blue Caves on Paxos for another
swim stop before mooring at the port in Gaios for a couple of hours before
returning back to Parga.
This is the map on the leaflet from Captain Hook 2. And also a Pdf of the entire leaflet for you to have a browse of.
The boat leaves from the jetty in Parga at 10am and returns
at 6.30pm.
What is there on the boat?
Plenty of seats, toilets and a bar serving hot and cold
drinks and snacks.
And Mythos of course.
3 Euros for a chilled can of Mythos when out on a boat in
the hot sun for a day is just fine with me.
Where are the best seats on the boat?
Top tip here for the best seats! If you go to the front of the boat and up the stairs there are three pairs of deckchairs right at the front of the upper deck. These are the best seats on the boat in my opinion, as you have a great elevated view looking forward and no-one standing in front of you. And your own personal space.
How do you get the best seats?
Get there early. We got on the boat at 9.30am and had a
decent choice of seats. Don’t turn up at 10am and hope to get good seats – the
boat is normally full.
Where did we sit?
Well we were on the benching right behind the seats I
mentioned. The chairs were taken. And then a couple left the middle seats and
Nickie looked at me, and before I could answer her about moving to them they
were gone.
Getting good seats on this boat is a serious business!
Snooze and you lose!
What do you need to take with you?
Now these things might sound obvious, but these are the
things that you should take with you.
Breakfast
Towels to sit on
Sun cream
Swimming goggles/ mask
Cash
Water – replenish in Gaios
The enthusiasm to swim with a large number of strangers!
OK – that is a bit of info about the trip and the boat –
this is the story of the day
Getting to the boat
We walked down to Parga from our hotel, getting breakfast on
the way from the Raptis Bakery in the centre of Parga, just down from the taxi
rank.
Breakfast to take onto the boat consisted of a plain
croissant, a chocolate croissant and a fresh orange which was interesting as it
was made using all the orange apart from the skin, giving it a creamy texture!
I get a coffee to take onto the boat as well.
And it is fine taking food on the boat so don’t worry about
that.
We walked down to the jetty, only a couple of minutes from
the bakers. I showed you where the boat leaves on the map above.
Getting on the boat
At the jetty there is a queue to get on the boat (nothing
like for the ferry to Corfu though!). We get onto the boat at 9.30 am and find
some good seats upstairs as I mentioned before. We know that we have booked a
trip on the larger boat, but have not really thought this through – a large boat
= a large number of people on a boat!
Once again being English we are in the significant minority,
not hearing another single English voice on the boat all day which I still find
strange.
Time to go to Antipaxos
The fully loaded boat leaves Parga bang on 10am. This is the view of Antipaxos to the left and Paxos to the right from the boat in a short video on my Paxos Travel Guide You Tube Channel.
Our first stop is Voutoumi Beach on Antipaxos for a one hour swim stop. It took just over an hour and a quarter to get there.
Voutoumi Beach on Antipaxos viewed from the Captain Hook 2
I was going to go for a swim, but the carnage of everyone trying
to get off the boat at once put me off. The sea is full of bodies. I mean full
of bodies.
Check out this photo.
Swimmers in the sea, Antipaxos Greece
I spot a clear patch of water and go for it, taking my iPhone
in my waterproof case for a bit of underwater videography. I have never been
brave enough to try this before – lets see what the results look like.
After the one hour swim stop it is time to move on. I am
already back on the boat before the ships horn calls in all the people still in
the water.
Judging the carnage of people jumping into the water all
over the place the crew have no way of knowing if everyone is back on the boat
so if you are not then that Is that!!
There were quite a few other boats in the bay of the beach
so it was quite busy but still as stunning as last time we visited.
The Blue Caves
Next stop is the Blue Caves on Paxos, located on the far
(west) coast from Parga.
This is what they look like.
The Blue Caves of Paxos
I have driven the boat here myself, so am suitably impressed when the captain skillfully nudges the boat right into the cave – check out all the people on the boat!
Captain Hook 2 in the Blue Caves of Paxos
Another swim stop which I quite frankly can’t be bothered with, we just sit there in the sunshine enjoying the dramatic coastline of Paxos.
Swim stop at the Blue Caves Paxos
We sail back past the Tripitos Arch which no one else notices, and then head down and around the bottom of the island, past the entrance to Mongonissi and on towards Gaios.
Oh yes there was also the rather curious site of an Italian
couple dancing on the top deck, treading on flip flopped toes all over the
place.
Arriving in Gaios
Here is a video of us approaching and arriving in Gaios. We moor just after the port where the ferries pick up and drop off most visitors to the island on the ferries from Corfu, Igoumenitsa and other places. But mainly Corfu.
Once off the boat, taking note of the return time of 5.15 (5
minutes before then to get back on the boat) we walk along the waterfront past
all the lovely boats into the entire of Gaios.
It is so good to be back!
Lunch in Gaios
We know where to go in Gaios to get one of our favourite Greek lunches. Here is the name of the restaurant, which you can find right behind the lovely Church Analipsi.
Gyros in Gaios
I am not sure what its name is. But the chicken Gyros is great – I know that! And 3.50 euros is great value if the restaurant is a maniacal whirlwind of people going in an out.
All washed down with a lovely cold beer, all good and now it is time to enjoy Gaios for a couple of hours.
This is what it looks like!
Gyros in Gaios
Shopping in Gaios
First stop is our favourite jewellers – we dont know his name but he is located below Paxos Properties next to the gyros place. We bought some Babylonian jewellery there last year and needed some adjustments. One of my bracelets had broken so the very nice chap swapped it for a different one. Nickie bought a new anklet which was lovely.
We left him to do his magic for 20 minutes and went of to
the t-shirt shop where we bought three lovely t-shirts and a lovely aquamarine
dress for Nickie that was the colour of the sea at Voutoumi Beach.
Back to the jewellers to collect our stuff and then we split
up for our individual wanders.
I also shoot a video walking from the bus stop to the
waterfront which I will link to from a post about Gaios.
Final drinks on Paxos
Nearly time to leave Paxos. Boo hiss.
We have a drink at Manesko on the waterfront in the shade, I have a large Mythos and Nickie has a very nice Mojito. And then another Mojito. I stick to one beer or I will need the loo and we have to get going for our boat! Drinks cost 22 euros.
Getting back to the boat
We get back to the boat in good time, and return to our
seats where we left our towels. It’s ok everyone did that.
Well everyone apart those that didn’t. I witnessed a few
arguments where the space that people had on the way out was much less on the
way back.
Returning to Parga
We get back to Parga at 6.30, enjoying a couple of cans of Mythos on the way back.
We battle through the crowds and get a taxi back to the
hotel with essential shopping (water, wine, beer, crisps). We share the taxi
with a very nice Norwegian couple who are staying at our hotel. Not that I
recognised them.
We get back to the room and – oh no.
We have lost our shopping from Paxos!!
Yes, we get back to the hotel and realise we have probably left
our shopping on the boat. I put my walking shoes on and head straight back down
to the town to see if I can get our clothing back.
I made it to Delizi in 15 minutes which is not bad going for
an old man!
Nickie has in the meantime had the most innovative idea of
phonning Delizi and asking if they could get our bag for us! We speak on the
way down and I collect the bag from Delizi, reserving a table for the next
evening.
Then all I have to do is walk back to the hotel – 21 minutes
to get back, well it is uphill all the way!
And that is what a day trip from Parga to Paxos and Antipaxos is like.
An all round splendid day which I can recommend to anyone and everyone.
Want to know more about Paxos?
I hope that you have found this helpful. If you would like to find out more about Paxos then please head over to my home page where I go through all the pages on this site with links so you can straight get to the stuff you want to.
Paxos might well be a very small Greek Island but there are
lots of things to do.
In this post I will tell you about 15 free things for you to do in Paxos Greece. Most of these things I have done myself, and the ones that I have not done I cannot wait to get back to Paxos to enjoy. And all of these wonderful things to do on Paxos are completely free, and all very enjoyable too.
I hope that you enjoy this post and that my ideas help you
to enjoy your holiday on the wonderful Greek Island of Paxos just a little bit
more.
1 – Visit the magnificent Tripitos Arch
The Tripitos Arch is one of the most popular tourist attractions on the Greek Island of Paxos
The Tripitos Arch is a magnificent natural structure which
can be accessed for free on foot. The arch is a collapsed sea cave and can be
found on the southern coast of Paxos.
There is a bit of a walk down to this magnificent, vibrant
colourful arch but the effort is well worth it. I will never forget walking
down the path to the arch and it appearing right in front of me.
There is nowhere to pay for entry, you put in the effort to
get there yourself and are duly rewarded.
The views from the hills above the arch are breath-taking, with that crystal-clear blue water surrounding the base of the structure. And you can see the even smaller Greek Island Antipaxos off to the south, with boats going to and fro. If you want to know more about Antipaxos check out my post imaginatively titled Antipaxos Greece – Everything You Need To Know.
You can walk all the way down to the Tripitos Arch, and all
the way over it, but please be careful.
I spent a good afternoon at the Tripitos Arch, taking in the
views and exploring the rocky coastline. Just make sure you take plenty of
water.
One thing – don’t rely on our phone to get there – the
signal drops before you get to the critical turning where you take the path
down to the coast!
2 – Visit the Lessianitis Windmill in Tranakatika
After the Tripitos Arch it is a quick walk through the countryside
to the derelict Lessianitis Windmill.
Sign pointing to the Lessianitis Windmill and Tripitos Arch
Now granted this is not the most interesting derelict
windmill that you will see, but there is lots to see along the way and when you
get to the windmill you are high up on the island and can see the sea on both
sides, which I had never done before.
Here is the derelict windmill.
Lessianitis Windmill Paxos Greece
And it does get hot when you are out of the breeze believe
me – I did not take enough water really for the amount of exploring that I
ended up doing!
3 – Walk along the waterfront of Gaios
Boats on the waterfront at Gaios, Paxos
So much to see here. From anywhere in Gaios the waterfront
is easy to reach. You can walk from one end to the other on a nice wide level
path.
I like to walk up to the new port at the end of the channel,
looking at all the boats along the way. This should be easily recognisable as
this is where you get off one of the various ferries to Paxos on arrival at the
island.
Many people get off their boat and are shuttled off to their
hotels without experiencing this wonderful walk.
From the port you just follow the path as far as you want
to. If you are not in a rush, which let’s be honest on Paxos you should not be,
then this can take a couple of hours, popping into various shops, bars and
restaurants along the way.
I know this bit costs money but the walk itself is free.
You walk past the main square in Gaios, where the ever so small and lovely Church Analipsi can be found. Just off here is one of our favourite lunchtime spots where they do excellent chicken gyros by the way.
Church Analipsi in the main square of Gaios, Paxos
Keep walking and you will see the boats that take you on a
day trip to Antipaxos, the other way of getting to this even smaller Greek
Island. That is the other way rather than hiring a boat and taking yourself
there, which you can read about in another post I have written titled Paxos
Boat Hire – Do Your Own Trip From Paxos To Antipaxos https://paxostravelguide.com/paxos-boat-hire/
If you keep walking you will end up at the magnificent Statue
of George Anemogiannis
Picture of the Anemogiannis Monument with a burst of sun in Gaios on the Greek Island of Paxos
This bronze statue was created in 1966. George was a Greek
sailor born in Paxos who fought for the cause in the Greek War of Independence.
He was captured in Nafpaktos at the frightfully young age of 23 during an
attack on the Ottoman navy and was duly executed.
And here is the plaque under the statue.
I took the photo of the statue after a sunrise shoot. What you will not know is that there was a person to the left of the monument who just would not move out of the way. It was obvious that I was taking photos, but they seemed determined to stay in shot so in the end I took this photo and removed them in Photoshop!
If you keep walking after the statue you go past one of the smallest beaches you could wish to see. Normally at this point though people head back into the town of Gaios to explore the side streets, shops and bars.
4 – Enjoy the sunrise in Loggos
Sunrise picture of the boats in the harbour in Loggos on the lovely island of Paxos by Rick McEvoy photography
Probably one of my favourite sunrise locations. This is one of my sunrise photos of Loggos.
The beauty of sunrises on Paxos is that they are nice and
early, and relatively quick, so you can catch a stunning sunset and get back to
bed all warmed and comforted by the daily natural miracle that is sunrise.
Obviously you need to be on the west coast to get the best
of a sunrise, which thankfully Loggos is.
I am a photographer, so I get there early and stay long
after the sun has risen making the best of that wonderful morning light.
This photo was taken from the beach right in front of the
bus stop. Apart from a couple watching the sunrise from the balcony it was just
me out there taking photos, which I love.
In this photo I am looking towards mainland Greece, with the
boats giving the foreground interest, with the sun breaking above one of the
boats. I love the colours of the sunrise reflected in the calm morning waters.
Check out my photography gear page where I list all my photography gear – if you are interested in photography that is!
5 – Taking in the sunrise in Gaios
Photo of sunrise in Gaios on the Greek Island of Paxos taken by Rick McEvoy for the travel website Paxos Travel Guide
OK. Another sunrise. But you are on holiday – why would you
want to get up at stupid ’o’clock in the morning?
Well it might just be me, but I love watching the sunrise in
the morning. Check out this photo, looking down on Gaios and the main channel.
Gaios is just down the coat from Loggos on the east coast of Paxos, so the sun
is rising over mainland Greece which is circa 10 miles away.
In this photo of mainland Greece my camera was pointing in
the rough direction of Sarakiniko, with
Parga not far down the coast (to the right).
This is another one of those picture postcard locations, and
to be honest it is dead easy to get to. You drive down towards the port and just
before you get to the port itself you turn off to the right, drive up the hill
and pull in a t the first parking bays on your left.
This is where I took this photo from, accompanied by two
chaps talking loudly and smoking, somewhat affecting the ambience!!
This parking bay is one of the best sunrise spots in Paxos
would you believe!
And this photo I took just up the road from that sunrise
shoot – the lovely morning light caught my eye.
Morning light in Gaios Paxos photographed from the road above the capital of Paxos after sunrise
And this is me treating myself to a lovely morning coffee in
the square in Gaios.
Yamas from Rick McEvoy Photography!
6 – Explore the hills around harbour of Lakka
This was one of my favourite things to do. I like a few days
of switching off and doing nothing, and then I get itchy feet. I need to get
out and explore.
Thankfully these days I am well prepared for clambering about
all over the place, taking proper walking shoes and having a backpack for my
camera gear with side pockets for lots of water.
So I am ready to explore.
You need to get up into the hills around Lakka if you want
to really appreciate those picture postcard brochure shots of the wonderful
village on the northern tip of Paxos.
From these hills you can see not only mainland Greece but
also the foot of Corfu, 8 miles to the north.
There are various paths around the hills of Lakka, and I
think I found most of them, if not all. To the west the path takes you up and
over to the harbour entrance, passing a secret beach with no name along the
way.
There are ruins of a church, Church Agiou Thoma nestled in the midst of all the greenery.
But for me it is the
views of Lakka Harbour that make this walk to the west, the lovely aquamarine
blue water and all those shiny white boats illuminated by the bright Greek
sunshine with a backdrop of greenery on the hills around.
Just stunning.
And if you take the
paths to the east you obviously get the opposite view, but his path takes you
around the edge of the island an onto the east coast.
Following a recce one day I came across a sunrise location which would provide complete isolation being on the coast in quite literally the middle of nowhere.
Well that is what I
thought.
Imagine my surprise
when two Greek gentlemen, older than me, appeared, happily shouted kaliméra then
stripped off and jumped into the sea for some early morning skinny dipping!
Still the photos I
got were pretty good. And I would not have found all these places if I had not
got off my backside and got out there exploring!
And on another day I
found another path down to a beach which is not even on the map!
Sign to Arcoudaki Beach near Lakka, Paxos
Check out the video
I took on this path – another day when I went out in the August Greek heat
without any water at all!
Seriously I love
exploring the lesser known parts of the Greek Islands – I get to places that
others have never heard of let alone been to.
7 – Explore the middle of the island on foot
Talking of which, there is the middle of the island to explore.
The bit that everyone else travels through on a bus or in a car without
stopping to have a good old look.
Paxos is roughly 6 miles long, and less than 2.5 miles wide
at its widest part, so getting into the middle of the island is not hard. Just
walk down the main road running down the island from Lakka to Gaios and onwards
to Mongonissi, and take a side road, or a path, and just explore. I love doing
this with no plan, but lots of water and some decent snacks!
You can drive from Lakka at the top end of the island through
Gaios and down to Mongonissi in less than half an hour.
So exploring the middle bit of the island is dead easy. I
was fortunate enough to have a car, but you can easily explore the middle of
the island on foot. There are lots on interesting things to find, including
endless amounts of olive groves right by the side of the road.
What the middle of Paxos looks like!
I would have never found this by using Trip Advisor or a
book!
Getting out there and finding things for myself gets me to
all sorts of interesting places.
8 – Explore the beaches of Paxos
I have written a separate post titled Paxos Beaches where I list, well all the beaches on Paxos.
So if you want to know more about the beaches of Paxos please check out this comprehensive post. I will mention a couple of beaches that we have been to though in this post.
Here is a photo of Lakka Beach though.
Photo of Lakka Beach after sunrise, Paxos, Greece
9 – Orkos Beach
Not far from Lakka is a lovely beach called Orkos Beach. It
is a long walk down to this beach to be fair, but don’t let this put you off
making the trek.
I was walking down there in my proper walking shoes behind a
family with a small child happily navigating the path and vegetation wearing
flip flops and carrying a large inflatable on her back.
And then an octogenarian couple passed coming back up the
hill away from the beach.
So whilst the paths are a bit challenging they are perfectly
manageable, including the path down to Orkos Beach.
Photo of Orkos Beach, Paxos
When you get there you will find a house on the beach which
is owned by a famous former footballer called Bruno. The house looks more like
a restaurant than a house, and when I was on Orkos Beach there were so many
people inside the grounds of the house that I thought I could just walk in for
a drink!
There is a sign that says Private House on the open gate.
The house on Orkos Beach, Paxos
All very confusing.
The beach is pebbly with no facilities at all. When I was
there I was accompanied by what looked and sounded like the cast from a Hugh
Grant film!
But the beach is lovely, and the sea is perfectly lovely and
clear.
Here are some photos taken on my iPhone.
10 – Manadentri Beach
Apologies for another beach near Lakka but let’s not forget
that the island is tiny, so it is easy to get around.
We stopped at the Hotel Bastas. The hotel run a free shuttle bus to this beach every morning at 10am, returning at 5pm which is very nice of them.
When you get there you have to walk through a bar to get to
the beach. Once you have made it through the bar without spending any money you
are on a lovely pebbly beach.
Manadentri Beach, Paxos, Greece
To use the facilities at the beach bar you do have to buy
something, and quote right too.
The water is lovely, and here is a top tip if you like
snorkelling.
As you are looking out to sea from the beach, enter the
water on the right-hand side, and swim around the headland to the next beach,
which is deserted. And on the way you might see some stunning boats moored in
the bay of this isolated paradise.
And there are some rocks just below the surface of the water
which form an excellent base for some nice snorkelling diving my style. I only
wear a pair of swimming goggles when I am snorkelling – I can’t be doing with a
mask and snorkel.
11 – Sunset at Eremitis Bay
To view the sunrise you need to be on the east coast. And to
view the sunset you have to be on the west coast.
Disclaimer – I have not seen the sun set at Erimitis Bay,
but I am told that it is spectacular.
I tend to like a drink at sunset when on holiday, and as I
never drink and drive sunsets have to be viewed from a bar, which in our case
was the Romantica Bar in Lakka.
This is why I am a sunrise person; I am a sociable chap and
spend the evening with M, my gorgeous other half.
Sunset at Eremitis Bay is apparently well worth checking
out, other who have been there have told me, and we will definitely do this next
time we are back on Paxos.
12 – Explore the goat tracks
You will find abandoned villages and all sorts of
interesting stuff by getting off the beaten track and exploring the old goat
tracks.
I recommend getting a good old-fashioned map, especially if
you are going to venture towards the coast, as whilst there is an excellent
phone signal on much of the island the drop offs in signal are unannounced and quite
dramatic!
Like at the Tripitos Arch, which I was navigating my way to using Google Maps on my phone. Until the signal went. And yes I got lost.
So get a map, some good walking shoes, a camera and lots of
water and get out there!!
And here is another thing that I do. After visiting a
popular site like the Tripitos Arch I will explore the area around, as you
never know what you will stumble on. Don’t just go for the main event, look at
the bits around the edges too!
13 – Paxos Churches and Chapels
There are many lovely churches and chapels on Paxos. Lots of
them are very small, and lots of them are very hidden. You have to get off the
beaten track to find them.
Most of the population of Paxos are Greek Orthodox, founded
by Constantine the Great in the 4th century. The churches are not
that old (i.e. not 4th century), with most dating back to Venetian
times.
There are two ancient ruins, Agios Stefanos and Agia Marina
which are believed to date back to the 6th century AD.
Some of the churches you will find have been built by
families as a thank you to God for his/ her protection.
The chapels are whitewashed buildings which are only opened
on the day in the year of the saint to whom the chapel is dedicated.
Lovely bell at a church, Paxos, Greece
14 – Paxos Music Festival
The Paxos Music Festival provides a variety musical and
artistic events. The festival is mainly funded by charity, donations and
sponsors from both Greece and overseas.
The first festival was held in 1986 in the garden of a long-standing
Paxos resident, John Gough. The music festival has grown year on year since its
inception and is now an annual event attracting people from overseas to the
island.
The 2019 programme starts on 26th June with an Oboe
and piano concert.
You can find out all about the Paxos Music Festival on the
website http://paxosfestival.com/
15 – Just relax and enjoy the atmosphere
Paxos is a relaxing place. I found the feeling and the vibe
of Paxos to be incredibly relaxing. If you are after a Club 18-30 experience then
this is not the place for you I can assure you.
There are many ways to relax on Paxos. I found that I could
very quickly get to places on the coast where there were no people whatsoever,
naked swimmers aside that is!
And I find the sea very relaxing. Being so small you are
never more than a mile (ish) from the sea which is wonderful. And you are never
far from complete silence either.
Lakka and Loggos have a lovely laid-back feel to them –
obviously Gaios being bigger is busier.
Even Gaios has its quiet times though. When the boats arrive
there are mass movements of excited tourists, so if you like peace and quiet
these are easy enough to avoid.
I love the early mornings and have walked along the front in
Gaios completely on my own.
And then there are the boats. Seriously, I find watching
boats very relaxing. I can sit for a surprisingly long-time watching boats.
Best places to watch boats are Gaios and Lakka, where you will find a steady
movement of boats in and out.
And then there is another of my favourite things. I like to
plonk myself on the beach and just vacantly stare out to sea, listening to those
gentle waves lapping on the shore.
And the pool at Hotel Bastas is a place we have spent days and
days just relaxing.
The lovely pool at the Hotel Bastas, Lakka, Paxos
Summary
I hope that you have found this post interesting, and that
you will embrace my free things to do on Paxos and enjoy them for yourself.
Please check out the other posts on my website which tell
you everything I know about this wonderful Greek Island.
I hope that you have found this post helpful, informative
and even a little bit entertaining! To find out more about my favourite, wonderful
Greek island all you need to do is click here and I will take you
straight back to the start of my Paxos blog. Nice and easy!
OK. You have made it all the way to Paxos, or maybe mainland Greece. That was enough travelling wasn’t it? No, there is more. Antipaxos. But how to get there?
Should I drive a hire boat to Antipaxos from Paxos? Sure, why not. And in this post I will tell you why. Antipaxos is a very small Greek Island with lovely sandy beaches and crystal-clear aquamarine water which you would expect to see in much more exotic locations. And why not drive the boat there yourself? We did. Read on!
Map of Corfu, Paxos and Antipaxos from Lightroom MobileThis is a picture of lovely Vrika Beach on the stunning island of Antipaxos in Greece. Paxos Travel Guide by Rick McEvoy
Where can you get to Antipaxos from?
You can get a taxi boat to Antipaxos from the three main towns in Paxos which are Gaios, Loggos and Lakka.
You can also join trips organised by tour operators that take in Parga as well from mainland Corfu.
But most people take a boat in the morning from Gaios, the capital of Paxos, and return late afternoon.
How did we get to Antipaxos?
Our first taste of Antipaxos was on an organised trip with Olympic Holidays. And it was a day trip that first took us to Paxos, from a holiday in Corfu at a TUI hotel.
This is why I don’t turn my nose up at tour operator excursions – they can be a great way to experience a place for the first time without any hassle – all the organising is done for you.
And once you have enjoyed your organised trip you can always sort your own trip out the next time you want to go somewhere.
Ok – we have done the organised day trip – what next?
When we booked to return to Paxos the number one thing on my list was to hire a boat and drive it to Paxos. Do you drive a boat? Or sail it?
And that is what we did
Where can you hire a boat from?
We were staying in Lakka, so that is where we hired our boat from. I didn’t want to have to get to Loggos of Gaios to pick up a boat, I wanted to be able to wander down to the harbour in Lakka in the morning, get a boat and head off.
I am sure there are endless other places where you can hire a boat from in Loggos and Gaios – just pop on the internet or walk around the harbours and you will see the boats for hire.
We hired a boat through our very nice and helpful Olympic Holidays rep Sam. One of Sam’s offices was the pool bar at Hotel Bastas where we were staying.
This is our boat. It was moored in front of our favourite cocktail bar Romantica. L. Diana 765. I kid you not.
Small but functional.
How much does it cost to take a boat from Lakka to Antipaxos?
The price varied massively depending on who you asked. We were asked what size engine we wanted, 2 stroke or 4 stroke? It has an impact on how much fuel you use apparently.
I just wanted a boat to be honest. I didn’t really care – I just wanted a boat that would get us round the island, to Antipaxos and back.
So, we got out boat through Sam for the excellent price of 60 euros. When you return with the boat (assuming that you do of course!) you pay for the actual fuel used, which is fair enough,
We used 45 euros of fuel on our epic boat trip. So, 105 euros for the most excellent of days.
I have to be honest the engine sounded like it had seen better days, but it got us there all fine. After a very brief induction on how the boat works (engine on and engine off) we were left to our own devices.
Is it safe taking a hire boat from Paxos to Antipaxos?
If you are not comfortable taking a boat out of the harbour and around the island, then don’t. If you are happy then carry on.
Take advice from the boat hirer about the weather conditions. Obviously, the weather in Paxos is pretty settled but there are stormy days. Strong winds can make the trip very uncomfortable, especially the crossing from Paxos to Antipaxos.
Take advice from those who know and follow it – this is very very important.
How long does it take?
It depends how many times you stop on the way, but I reckon you can get to Antipaxos from Lakka in 1 – 1 ½ hours. I don’t really know to be honest. It didn’t matter. We just knew we had to be back in Lakka at 5.30pm. Ish.
What was the crossing like between the islands?
A bit bumpy but fine. You just have to be sensible and be aware of the height and direction of the waves. The basic principle I follow is to get the ride as smooth as possible by varying my direction and speed until the boat is in harmony with the sea.
Where did we go on Antipaxos?
The first beach you come across is Vrika Beach. If you have never been to Antipaxos just go there. It has everything you will need for an afternoon.
The next beach is called Mesovikra Beach. This is a pebbly beach with nowhere for boats to anchor and nothing to do! It is a lovely site that you go past on your way to the next beach.
And the next beach, the third beach, is called Voutoumi Beach. This is the other beach where you can do stuff and get something to eat.
On a day trip you won’t get much further than these beaches to be honest. Next time I am going to get a bigger boat and get around Antipaxos.
How did we get to shore?
Ok. This was an interesting bit. I will be writing a full post about our day on the boat, but this is what I ended up doing.
I dropped Nickie off where the ferry drops off and picks up day trippers. It was an immaculate manoeuvre. And then I went and anchored the boat, swam back to the island and went straight for a beer.
Living the dream eh?
Well that is not quite the full story, but I will leave it there for now….
What is there to do on Antipaxos?
Eat, drink, swim, sunbathe. Relax. Chill. Take it easy. That is all I have ever done on Antipaxos.
Oh yes, and fret about the boat!!!
Can you stay on Antipaxos?
Apparently, you can, but this is all about getting a boat there and back in the day.
Can I fly to Antipaxos?
Erm no. You can’t fly yo Paxos, let alone Antipaxos.
Do famous people visit Antipaxos?
Yes. This is the list of celebrities that have been spotted visiting Antipaxos
Well OK there are rumours…
Is there anywhere to eat on Antipaxos?
Yep – on Vrika Beach you can eat lovely food at Taverna Spiros. That’s what we did. Talking of which.
I left my t-shirt at the restaurant and got it back – a true story!
I had faffed around with the boat, swam to shore, got to the bar to meet Nickie who had a cold beer waiting for me. I downed the beer and having stared at the boat for the length of time it took me to have my drink I managed to convince myself that that the anchor was not secure.
I decided to go back and check it. I left the bags with Nickie, checked the boat (which was absolutely fine by the way), and long story short when we got off the boat at Mongonissi I asked if Nicke had my t-shirt. Turns out I had left it at Taverna Spiros.
If you are on Paxos, go to Antipaxos if you like a day trip out on a boat and a few hours somewhere different with a lovely lovey beach and those famous crystal-clear aquamarine waters.
I have been there twice and loved it more the second time than the first.
And if you are up to the challenge get a boat and get over there under your own steam (ok two stroke engine).
Want to know more about Paxos?
I hope that you have found this post helpful, informative and even a little bit entertaining! To find out more about my favourite, wonderful Greek island all you need to do is click here and I will take you straight back to the start of my Paxos blog. Nice and easy!
