Tiny Antipaxos island is a dot in the azure seas that lap the shores of the Ionian islands off the west coast of mainland Greece. With its sheltered bays, white sand beaches and crystalline turquoise waters it’s been called Europe’s answer to the Caribbean. We caught a taxi boat from Paxos to Antipaxos to check out the picture perfect Antipaxos beaches.
Disclosure: Ionian Villas hosted our Paxos villa in return for honest coverage of our stay. This post is entirely my own thoughts and opinions.
Why visit Antipaxos Greece
West of the Greek mainland lies a small island that’s been called Europe’s answer to the Caribbean. Yet Antipaxos is so small that it’s often overlooked by visitors to the larger islands in the Ionian sea. Here’s why it’s worth a visit!
The Ionian islands of Greece are well-known for their beauty and their beaches: Corfu, Kefalonia and Zakynthos all have their own airports and are popular Greek holiday destinations. But some of the smaller islands, like Paxos, Antipaxos and Meganisi slip under the radar. Without direct flights, big hotel complexes or high-rise apartment blocks they’ve retained an authentic feel that draws visitors back year after year.
Fans of the Ionian islands come for discreet villas with amazing blue sea views, harbourside restaurants serving the freshest of fish, and white pebbled coves with dazzling gin-clear sea. Some visitors sail around the islands, swimming, snorkelling and mooring off-shore in little bays for lunch at restaurants that you know if you’re in the know.
And this is where little Antipaxos island comes in. It’s not the easiest place to reach – or stay on. But the payoff is secluded Caribbean-coloured beaches and lovely tavernas.
Antipaxos (also known as Antipaxi) is just 4km long and 3km wide. It lies a 15 minute boat ride south of Paxos (or Paxi), hence its name: Anti means opposite. The island has around 30 full time residents, four tavernas and a handful of villas. Apparently it also boasts a couple of Jeeps but there are no shops, petrol stations or even proper roads on the island.
Away from the beaches are the quiet places where donkey tracks wind between orchards and olive groves and small vineyards produce the local wine. And once the day trippers go home, the few visitors who stay overnight can enjoy beautiful starlit dark skies and true, Robinson Crusoe peace and quiet.
For Antipaxos is not completely undiscovered. Its Caribbean-style white sand beaches and turquoise sea make it a popular destination for day trips and yachts sailing in the Ionian.
How to get to Antipaxos
The simplest way to get to Antipaxos is from Gaios harbour on Paxos. During the season small sea taxis in Gaios provide a shuttle service from Paxos to Antipaxos from around 10 am. The crossing takes just 15 minutes. You can return on any of the water taxis which run a regular service through the day until 5.30 pm. The frequency of the service depends on the time of year, so check before you board. The most important thing is not to miss the last boats back to Gaios in the late afternoon, since Antipaxos doesn’t have any hotels!
From Gaios on Paxos you can also book a private speedboat transfer or hire your own boat for the day to cross between the islands.
Another way to visit Antipaxos is on a day cruise from Paxos or Corfu. This gives you the opportunity to see the Antipaxos beaches as well as other Ionian landmarks like the Blue Caves of Paxos. But bear in mind you’ll be arriving at the island with a boat full of other visitors at the busiest time of day.
Day Trip to Antipaxos Greece
When my sons and I visited the Ionian island of Paxos, we met up with family friends who were also staying on the island in Gaios. We’d all heard about the Antipaxos beaches so we arranged to catch the water taxi together and spend a day on Antipaxos island.
We met up on the quayside at Gaios around 10am on a lovely blue sky morning in September.
The taxi boats gather in the harbour and they’re easy to find. A return ticket is around 20 euros each. We bought ours as we got on the shuttle boat along with a dozen other people. Soon we were motoring out of the harbour for our day trip to Antipaxos island.
Gaios is a pretty harbour with a cluster of Venetian style buildings and you get a lovely view of it as the taxi boat sets out across the strait to Antipaxos.
The journey takes about 15 minutes, passing the islet of Mongonissi and heading south to the tiny island of Antipaxos.
Voutoumi Beach Antipaxos
The taxi boat stops at Vrika beach first. Some passengers got off here but we stayed onboard to go around the headland to Voutoumi beach. A path on the island links the bays so you can go exploring on foot and walk between the two if you’re feeling active.
At Voutoumi beach we hopped off onto the little wooden jetty before the taxi set off back to Paxos.
Voutoumi beach is a pretty curved bay, bordered with smooth white pebbles and a narrow strip of pearly pale sand leading into the translucent water.
The sea is absurdly pretty: it glows with every shade of turquoise, striped with deep indigo blue as you look further out into the bay and towards mainland Greece.
We put down our bags and jumped straight in! The water was still and calm and the beach slopes gently into the sea.
Yacht owners moor off shore, and little day boats with canopies come and go throughout the day. Although Antipaxos island is almost uninhabited and has no shops at all, the tavernas have a good reputation. So holidaymakers who’re sailing in the Ionian islands often anchor in the bay and come ashore for lunch.
A little row of beach beds and umbrellas fringe the shore. But the beds filled up quickly as the shuttle boats arrived. There’s no other shade on the beach so it’s a good idea to arrive early or bring your own parasol.
Lunch at Voutoumi beach
Before too long we went to investigate the nearest taverna, set back from the beach with lovely views. Its terraced floor gives views out over the bay and there was an appetizing smell of grilled squid. We sat with coffees for a while, then the boys needed pasta and burgers. Luckily they were on the menu along with lots of Greek dishes.
Quite a collection of boats were gathering in the bay, probably with lunch in mind. But we were soon heading back to the beach.
We swam, chatted and went for a walk. At the far side of the bay is a little cave.
And the first of the steep steps up to the second restaurant on Voutoumi beach. Bella Vista bar and restaurant is set up on the cliff with great views over Voutoumi bay.
We’d noted that the taxi boats were scheduled to go back to Gaios at 2.30, 4 and 5pm that day. But they did seem to turn up more regularly than that on the day we were there and we didn’t have to queue at all for the return boat.
Vrika beach Antipaxos
After the boys and I went back to London our friends spent a few more days on Paxos. They re-visited Antipaxos almost every day and went to Vrika beach as well as Voutoumi.
Vrika beach is sandier than Voutoumi and has the same beautiful clear blue waters. Spiros taverna on the beach serves excellent food and the organic Antipaxos red wine.
The shuttle boats run every day during the season as long as the sea is calm. This isn’t completely guaranteed but in fine weather a day trip to Antipaxos is a must if you’re staying on Paxos.
Antipaxos weather
Antipaxos and Paxos have a Mediterranean climate of hot, sunny summers and mild winters. Paxos is also a very green island thanks to the rainfall it receives between October and February.
June to August is peak holiday season and the hottest and busiest months. The islands are very pretty in the springtime and less hot than in the summer although the sea will also be cooler and may only appeal to hardy swimmers!
September is a lovely time to visit as the sea is warm and the average daily temperature drops a little from the highs of August. There’s a possibility of some rain or storms from early October. And at this point the islands’ restaurants and boat services will start to close down in preparation for winter.
Can you stay on Antipaxos?
You can rent a villa on Antipaxos for a real ‘away from it all’ vibe. This island is for families or couples who will revel in the peace, quiet and natural beauty of island once the daytime visitors have left.
The reality requires a bit of planning since there are literally no shops on the island and once the tavernas close, at around 6.30 or 7.30 pm, there are no food outlets or bars either.
The beaches may well be busy during the day, especially in high season when they receive visits from island day cruises as well as private boats.
But on the plus side those beautiful Caribbean-style beaches are peaceful before the first shuttle boat arrives in the morning at 10.30 am and after the last one leaves at 5.30 pm.
Ionian Villas offers four Antipaxos island villas and will ensure your stay runs smoothly. All villas are equipped with a freezer, satellite TV, wi-fi (can be slow), air-conditioning and… a torch!
The villa caretaker can liaise with guests in advance to prepare a shopping list and stock the villa’s fridge and freezer ahead of your arrival. They can also do additional shopping on Paxos during your stay. Alternatively you can head to a supermarket when you arrive in Gaios before you take a speedboat to Antipaxos. You may also be able to buy fresh fish from the tavernas to cook on your own barbecue.
The shuttle boats between Paxos and Antipaxos run each day, weather permitting, or you can hire your own boat and moor it in Antipaxos’ little harbour.
The nearest airport for Antipaxos is Corfu. You can transfer via hydrofoil to Gaios on Paxos and then speedboat to Antipaxos. Or it’s possible to charter a private boat transfer direct from Corfu.
How to get to Paxos and Antipaxos
Since neither Paxos or Antipaxos have airports, most visitors fly to Corfu and transfer from there. The average flight time from London to Corfu is 3 hr 15 mins. We stayed overnight in Corfu Town before catching the hydrofoil to Paxos island which takes about an hour.
On our return we took an early hydrofoil to Corfu Town and spent part of the day there before catching an early evening flight back to London.
Ionian Villas organised our Paxos island villa accommodation as well as our sea transport from Corfu Town to Paxos.
The boys and I arranged our Paxos villa holiday, transfers and hire car on Paxos with Ionian Villas, click here to go to their website
This 3rd generation family-run specialist villa company offers a personalised service and can advise on destinations and tailor-make itineraries.
Their charming and efficient on-island managers, Dimitris Aronis and his father, are based in the village of Lakka, Paxos. Dimitris emailed us in advance of our trip: according to requirements he can organise transfers, meet and greet, hire cars, villa cooks and even hampers. Having this local expertise to hand helps allay worries about island transfers or co-ordinating flights with boats. As we were staying in Lakka we often passed by the office – and who could ignore Pongo the office dog!
Antipaxos FAQs
White sand and pebbles on the sea bed reflecting light through shallow clear waters helps the Antipaxos bays to look beautifully turquoise. The limestone cliffs of Antipaxos also contribute to the turquoise colour of the sea, in the same way as in the Caribbean.
Antipaxos island is renowned for its turquoise sea and white sand beaches. Recently its also received a namecheck as the home island of Nadja the vampire in the US horror comedy series: What We Do in the Shadows!
Please note that all visitor information here is for guidance only. Please check the relevant websites for the most up to date information eg. accommodation details, tickets, entrance requirements, opening times etc.
What to Read Next about the Ionian Islands
I’ve visited several of the unspoilt Ionian islands of Greece:
Thinking of visiting Paxos island? Read about our lovely villa with a view in Lakka
In Kefalonia we stayed in a chic villa in Fiskardo and a catered villa in an olive grove.
On Lefkada we stayed in Vasiliki, a hub for watersports and close to some of the best beaches on Lefkada – and in Europe! We also visited magical Meganisi island, NB Lefkada and Meganisi are a great combination for a two-centre stay.
About the author Nancy Roberts is a former women’s magazine editor and writer. She lives in London and is mum to two 20-something boys. In Map&Family she shares info and inspiration for curious travellers: singles and couples as well as families travelling with teens and young adults.
All photos are all rights reserved. Please do not reproduce these photos without prior written permission
Maggie says
What a beautiful trip! This seems like an ideal getaway spot. The water looks so calm, like you could just wade in and see all sorts of fish.
Dana says
The beach in Antipaxos looks incredible! The water is simply stunning! The water looks so calm and perfect for kids to take a swim. Good tip to bring your own parasols, that sun is strong!
Ariana says
Greece is one of those places I have dreamed about… forever!!! Thanks for more inspiration.
cj says
Hi! Great post. Did you hear about
‘the hole’ whilst in Antipaxos? It’s an open topped cave I’ve been told of but I can’t seem
to find the location… Thanks!