Charming Five Bedroom Villa in CorfuN°001
Paxos, Greece
Private PoolSea View
From $564 per night
A tiny Ionian island of olive groves, harbours and turquoise coves
Paxos is the smallest of the main Ionian islands, a short sail south of Corfu, covered in centuries-old olive groves and edged by white cliffs and impossibly clear water. With no airport and three small harbour villages, it stays genuinely unhurried, and a private-pool villa here is the natural way to settle into its rhythm.
- Three postcard harbour villages: Gaios, Loggos and Lakka, each with waterfront tavernas
- Boat trips to Antipaxos and the celebrated turquoise sands of Voutoumi and Vrika
- Sea caves and white limestone cliffs along the dramatic west coast
- Ancient olive groves and dry-stone walls threading the whole island
- Private-pool villas in the hills and above the coves, supported by concierge service
Known forGaios, Loggos and Lakka harbour villages, Antipaxos beaches, sea caves beneath white cliffs, ancient olive groves and a car-light, low-key pace
Best time to visitMay, June and September for warm seas without the crowds; July and August for peak summer
Nearest airportCorfu (CFU), then a hydrofoil or private boat transfer to Gaios; Igoumenitsa on the mainland is the alternative ferry port
Ideal forCouples, families and small groups seeking privacy, boat days and an authentic small-island Greece
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18homes available
2–5bedrooms
up to 9guests
17with a pool
Events not to miss in Paxos
- April
Greek Orthodox Easter
The most important date in the Greek calendar, marked on Paxos with candlelit processions, midnight services and long family feasts. The island is at its most authentic and welcoming.
- 15 August
Feast of the Assumption (Panagia)
Paxos' great summer feast day, centred on the Panagia islet monastery off Gaios harbour, with services, music and celebrations spilling along the waterfront.
- Late August to early September
Paxos International Music Festival
An intimate classical and chamber music festival that has drawn fine musicians to the island's small venues for decades. Concerts on a warm Ionian evening are quietly magical.
Paxos through the seasons
- Spring (April – May)
Wildflowers and walking weather
The olive terraces turn green and flower-strewn, ideal for walking the old mule paths between villages before the summer heat arrives.
- Summer (June – August)
Boat days and harbour evenings
Peak season for self-drive boats to Antipaxos, swims in glass-clear coves and late dinners on the Loggos and Gaios waterfronts.
- Autumn (September – October)
Warm seas without the crowds
September keeps summer's sea temperatures with calmer bays and empty beaches, many regulars' favourite month on the island.
- Winter (November – March)
The quiet olive-harvest island
Paxos returns to its roughly two thousand residents and the olive harvest. Most visitor facilities close, making this a season for locals rather than holidays.
The Area and Where to Stay
Paxos measures barely ten kilometres end to end, so nowhere is far, yet each corner has a character. Gaios, the little capital, curls around a channel sheltered by two islets and holds most of the shops and waterfront life. Loggos, midway up the east coast, is the smallest and arguably prettiest harbour, a huddle of fishing boats and tavernas. Lakka sits on a horseshoe bay at the northern tip, loved by sailors and swimmers. Villas here tend to stand privately among the olive terraces above the coast, with pools looking across the channel to the mainland mountains or down to hidden coves. A small hire car or boat makes the whole island yours, and our concierge arranges both before you arrive.
Things to Do
Life on Paxos revolves around the water. Hire a small self-drive boat, the island's favourite pastime, and spend the day tracing the east-coast coves before crossing to Antipaxos, whose Voutoumi and Vrika beaches have Caribbean-clear shallows. Boat tours run beneath the west coast's white cliffs and into its sea caves, best in the calm of morning. On land, walking trails follow old mule paths through olive groves and past ruined presses, linking the villages in an hour or two of easy hiking. Swim off the pebble coves near Loggos, browse Gaios' small boutiques, or simply claim a taverna table at dusk. Snorkellers find remarkable visibility along the limestone shore. The concierge can arrange skippered charters, in-villa chefs and day sails towards Corfu.
Food and Local Flavour
Paxos eats simply and well. The island's olive oil, pressed from trees planted under Venetian rule, anchors everything, and waterfront tavernas in all three harbours serve grilled fish, octopus, horta and slow-cooked classics metres from the boats that landed the catch. Loggos and Gaios hold a handful of more polished kitchens alongside the traditional ones, and Antipaxos' beach tavernas make a fine lunch stop on a boat day. Local honey, cheeses and the neighbouring islands' wines fill out the villa kitchen. A private chef evening on your own terrace, arranged through the concierge, is the island at its best, and the most popular waterfront tables are worth booking ahead in August.
When to Visit
The season runs from late April to October. May and June bring wildflowers, warm days and quiet harbours, with the sea warming steadily. July and August are the liveliest months, when yachts fill the bays and tavernas hum late into the evening; villas with pools come into their own in the heat. September is many regulars' favourite, still hot, with calm seas ideal for boat days and the summer crowds gone. October turns gentle and green, and a late Orthodox Easter is an atmospheric time to see island traditions in spring. Ferries and hydrofoils from Corfu run most frequently in high season, so shoulder-season travellers should plan connections with a little more care.
Getting There
Paxos has no airport, which is precisely why it stays peaceful. Fly to Corfu (CFU), served by direct seasonal flights from across Europe, then continue south by hydrofoil to Gaios in around an hour, or by private water taxi for the most seamless arrival. Ferries also connect from Igoumenitsa on the mainland. The concierge can coordinate the whole chain, meeting your flight, handling luggage and having a car or boat waiting at the harbour. On island, distances are short: no point is much more than twenty minutes' drive from another.