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Paxos is the smallest of the main Ionian Islands. It has an
area of only 19 km². It is densely populated though.
Approximately 5000 people call the island their home. Paxos
is situated a few kilometers south of Corfu. The main
settlement with almost 2000 people living there is Gaios.
Paxos is most popular with hikers. That is a bit of a
surprise considering the amount of people living there. The
rather large number of inhabitants is compensated up by the
almost total lack of tourists. It isn't as crowded as one
would think.
Picture: © Netfalls -
Fotolia.com
The main source of income is agricultur. The number of
tourists is increasing but this (so far) hasn't changed the
island too much. As one would expect farming is more or less
limited to olives and grapes.
The main attraction on the island are the blue caves. Among
them is the popular Ipapanti cave. The only way to get there
is a boat.
There are a number of hotels and rooms to rent in Gaios.
Prices are moderate. There are some places to stay in the
smaller settlements like Longos and Lakka as well.
For most people the main attraction of the island is the
crystal clear blue sea. Paxos is a great places for
snorkeling and diving. Even better and more remote is
Antipaxos a few kilometers south.
The easiest way to get to Paxos is a ferry from either
Igoumenitsa on the mainland or (of course) nearby Corfu. The
ferries go all year around. During summer the ferries from
Patras to Italy stop here. There is no airport on the island
though.
To get to Antipaxos is easy enough from Gaios. There are
plenty of small cruise boats catering for day trippers. There
are a few rooms to rent and a couple of tavernas on Antipaxos
but most people only come for the day. The beaches on the
tiny island are spectacular but it gets very quiet in the
evening.
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