Voutoumi

Ideal stay

A day trip from Paxos

The vibe

Clear, tiny, gloriously simple

From our guides

1. 01

   Voutoumi beach

   White pebble shelving into clear water, sheltered from most winds, with the best swimming early in the morning before the day boats moor up.

2. 02

   Vrika beach

   The neighbouring bay to the north is sandier and shallower, which makes it the easier of the two with small children in tow.

3. 03

   The clifftop path

   A steep track links the two beaches over the headland in about twenty minutes, with a taverna at the top and views back across to Paxos.

4. 04

   Antipaxos wine

   The island is almost entirely vineyard, and the strong local wine made by Paxos families is poured at both of the beach tavernas.

5. 05

   Boat trips from Paxos

   Small boats leave Gaios and Lakka through the morning, many looping the west coast sea caves and blue arches on the way across.

6. 06

   The west coast cliffs

   Both islands drop sheer into the sea on their western sides, best seen from a boat in flat morning water before the wind gets up.

1. Fly to

   Kerkyra (CFU)

   Nearest airport to Voutoumi, about 56km away as the crow flies.

2. Then

   To Gaios

   Corfu (CFU) is the realistic gateway, with ferries and hydrofoils from Corfu Town to Gaios on Paxos taking between about an hour and two hours. Preveza (PVK) is nearer in a straight line but poorly connected.

3. On the ground

   Getting around

   Day boats and water taxis cross from Gaios to Antipaxos in around fifteen minutes and land you at Voutoumi or Vrika. There is nothing on the sand itself beyond a taverna up the hill.

Public transport: Seasonal boats are the transport here. Paxos has a skeletal bus between its villages and Antipaxos has nothing at all.

Villas and studio apartments, small family hotels in the harbour towns, and a tiny number of houses on Antipaxos itself. No large hotels and no all-inclusives.

• Best base overall

  Gaios

  Paxos's main harbour town, where the Antipaxos day boats leave and most of the island's rooms sit. Pretty and busy, with the ferry traffic to match.

  Find stays in Gaios →
• Best for couples

  Loggos

  A miniature harbour of four or five tavernas on the east coast, quieter than Gaios and lovely at dusk. Very few rooms, and you will hire a car or scooter.

  Find stays in Loggos →
• Best with children

  Lakka

  A sheltered bay at the northern tip with shallow swimming, sailing schools and easy beaches. It is the furthest point from the Antipaxos boats.

  Find stays in Lakka →
• Quietest

  Antipaxos

  A handful of private houses and studios among the vineyards, with the bays to yourself once the day boats leave. There is no shop, no bank and almost no evening.

  Find stays in Antipaxos →

Worth knowing before you book: Most Paxos villas are sold as weekly stays through operators, with Saturday changeovers, and August is gone by winter. Ferries from Corfu can be cancelled in strong winds.

Getting there

There is no airport. Ferries reach Paxos from Corfu and from Igoumenitsa on the mainland, and small boats cross from there.

Timing

Arrive on the first boat of the day. The bays fill from late morning and empty again by early evening.

Cash

There are no cash machines on Antipaxos and the tavernas may not take cards. Bring euros over with you from Paxos.

Pack this

Water, shade and swim shoes for the pebbles. There are no shops at all and the tavernas are seasonal.

Sea conditions

Crossings are cancelled in strong winds, particularly the summer meltemi. Do not plan anything tight around the return boat.

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