A boat trip to tiny, exotic Antipaxi
OVERVIEW
It’s as if the Ionian Islands took everything that makes them unique – the impossible shades of blue and lush greenery – and created perfection in miniature when it comes to two of its smallest isles. So when you visit tiny Paxi, don’t think twice about also spending the day with its even cuter little brother, Antipaxi.
Postage stamp-sized it might be, but Antipaxi (or Antipaxos) makes a huge impression on day-trippers from Paxi. Its handful of beaches routinely features in international best-of lists, and its romantic bays are the kind you instantly want to frame and hang on the wall of your living room. Of the island’s 150 houses, only two are inhabited during the winter months and there’s a path running down the centre of the island that takes only an hour to cover.
Naturally, boat trips focus on the beaches, but the small harbour is also charming. And, too often overlooked, is an interior of olive groves, vineyards and indigenous shrubs and forestland that seem to make every bit of the four-square kilometers of this island an earthly paradise.
DON'T MISS
Voutoumi Beach
An award-winner in the beauty stakes, Voutoumi is a combination of thin white pebbles, limestone sand and swimming pool-blue sea. The intimate feeling is made all the more special by the thick greenery surrounding it. From the beach, you’ll find steps to a taverna where you can enjoy a meal with a wonderful view of the bay.
Vrika Beach
You’ll love snorkeling at all of the beaches on Antipaxi, but there’s the added bonus of a small sea cave at Vrika. Similar in landscape to Voutoumi, it’s sandier and smaller.
More beaches
Other options are Rodovani, Sarakiniko and Skidi – especially if the big two get busy and you’ve hired a boat. For the more adventurous, it’s also possible to reach them by foot.
To Antipaxi:
- From Gaios (Paxi): Traditional tourist boats (kaikia) leave daily from 9:00 to 14:00 and return from 14:30 to 18:00. Or you can hire a boat & skipper and make your own itinerary.
- From Corfu, Parga, Syvota: Organised boat trips/day cruises to Paxi and Antipaxi from 9:00-10:00.
To Gaios (Paxi):
- From Corfu & Igoumenitsa: By ferry or flying dolphin (hydrofoil): Around 1hr all year round (with more options in the summer).
- Boats trips to Antipaxi operate from May to September.
- The beaches do get busy during peak summer with sunbathers and visiting boats, so May-June and September are the best and quietest months to visit.
- All boat trips are dependent on weather conditions.
If you do visit in July-August, the beaches are at their coolest and quietest in the early morning or late afternoon.
- Autumn
- Spring
- Summer
- Winter
- The kaiki trips from Gaios are €15-20 per person (return).
- Boat trips and day cruises start from €28 per person (not for private tours).
- If you choose the kaiki, the duration of your visit is up to you.
- The kaiki crossing from Gaios is around 15mins.
- Organised boat excursions last between 7-12hrs.
It’s worth dedicating a whole day to visiting Antipaxi in order to make the most of the beaches and explore the inland.
You’ll find places to eat and umbrellas & sunbeds on the two main beaches. However, there are no facilities at the smaller beaches, so make sure you’re equipped with everything you need for a day in the sun:
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