Hi again!
I am back with the first Greek island (which in this case is islands), which is Paxos and Anti-Paxos.
Although the Greeks know how beautiful these two little islands of Ionion Pelagos are, most of the foreign people ignore them, except for Italians, which are only 6-7 hours away by speed boat!
So, Paxos is the main island (where you can stay) and Anti-Paxos is the smaller one just across wher it is more preferable to visit within a day by renting a boat. Both Paxos and Anti-Paxos have amazing and crystal clear water. In addition, Paxos have also quite nice lifestyle (in terms of things you can do there). But... Too much information, so let's categorize the treasures of these islands in order to help you avoid any unpleasant (and "touristy" ) surprises:
Paxos
Main villages: Gaios,Lakka, Loggos. Those are the three main villages in Paxos. Gaios is the main marina and port (if u could call it so, as it is super small!) where all the sail and luxury boats are. You will see really big and luxurious boats there, but it is very tough too find a spot, so if you are intending going by boat, you should better plan beforehand.
Gaios is very picturesque place and it is highly recommended for a walk, for breakfast and for some drinks during the night.
Loggos : Loggos for me it is the best village of Paxos, but it is quite calm. A very picturesque place again, with nice places to stay in, so it is highly recommended to search a room somewhere around there. It has several nice taverns and one or two bars just next to the sea. Also recommended for an afternoon drink.
Lakka: Lakka is nice in pictures and has nice options for food (there is a famous Italian restaurant which is quite expensive though). I would not recommend Lakka as the best place to stay, so if you find accommodation in Loggos or Gaios go there.
Accommodation : Generally, as Paxos is a very small island, you have to book in advance. There are two options : 1) Book a house over a beach or close to nice landscapes and 2) book a room in Gaios, Lakka or Loggos. The second option might be cheaper but it is also very tricky as you can pay more than the room deserves. So in that case, try to go for a studio. A price of 100 -120 euros per day is the price for a normal quality (and clean studio). In any case, as the island has very limited rooms, try to book in advance, especially if you are going there in August (try to book the latest in May)
Food:
Just some great places to go and eat (mostly taverns). ?Unfortunately, I cannot remember the exact location)
1) ΤΑΒΕΡΝΑ Ο ΝΤΟΛΟΣ (Ntolos tavern). Great Greek food! Definitely, try the keftedes (tomatokeftedes and all the others)
2) ΤΑΒΕΡΝΑ Ο ΛΙΛΑΣ ( Lilas Tavern): Good for meat. Tzatziki is good as well but really strong!
3) ΤΑΒΕΡΝΑ Ο ΒΑΣΙΛΗΣ ( Vassilis) : It is located in Loggos and it is a nice place for pasta with lobster or other seafood. However, when I was there and it was very busy, the quality was bad. You have to be very lucky, although my experience was some years ago.
Things you should definitely do :
1) Watch the sunset with a cocktail in Erimitis (it is a cliff where you can see the sun setting in the open sea). You will find a nice bar with great cocktails.
2) Rent a small boat. In Paxos, you can rent a small boat (no license is needed) and go around the islands best beaches. Also, if the weather is really good, you could go to Anti-Paxos as well.
3) Go with the tourist guide boats on the other side of the island to the caves and to Galazio. It's worth it to go early there, it is amazing
4) Definitely, go to Antipaxos (again there are sea taxis). The last picture is from there. The problem is that the sea taxis only go to two beaches, which become crowded. If you already have a boat or a sail boat you will be able to see more of the magic...
Beaches:
In Paxos you won't find sandy beaches. Most of them have small rocks. But you will definitely find beautiful green and crystal clear waters.
1) Lost of blue waters in Anti-Paxos
2) Go to Kipiadi and Kipos for sure
3) Spilies is a nice place to swim
Anti-Paxos
In Anti-Paxos there are not many things apart from nice beaches and places to swim. The island has no houses (although I think there is one hotel). It also has two taverns, which might not be the best, but they are quite good. Especially the one on the top of the cliff has great view, but you have to walk a lot of stairs to go up, so take a deep breath!
How to get there: 1) You can go by car to the port of Igoumenitsa and from there pass across to Paxoi (There are only two ferries per day and that depends year by year)
2) You can go to Corfu and from there take a boat (1 hour)
3) You can go to the Marina Zeas (next to Pireas ) and take a sea plane (this must be fun!!)
Video: Here is a youtube video with some images fro the islands. Have fun!!
That is my first post, so excuse me if I am a bit confusing! I promise my next posts will be far more structured and helpful! I am waiting for your questions.
Ta leme!!
