Our Places
OUR PLACES
Worth visiting places
Vrika Beach, Antipaxos
The vine-covered island of Antipaxos is only ten minutes by water taxi from the harbour at Gaios. Vrika Beach is also a family favourite as it enters the sea on a smooth gradient and has lots of safe, shallow water. This has the kind of shimmering turquoise tones you’d expect from a tropical paradise.
Gaios
The main settlement on Paxos, Gaios has a harbour buffered from the sea by the small island of Agios Nikolaos. The main point of departure for ferries and boat trips Gaois is also a working fishing port, and there’s a line of small wooden caïques tied to the quays. In from the water is a small web of lanes with more cafes and tavernas than you can count. You could pause at the main plaza, with a memorial to the Greek War of Independence and a looking across to the evergreen Slopes of Agios Nikolaos. At entrance to the harbour is another small island, Agia Panagia, with a monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary that attracts throngs of worshippers for the Assumption on 15 August.
Diving
Lakka is the home of the island’s diving centre, Oasi Sub. People intent on getting PADI certified can bone up with an e-learning course at home to get most of the paperwork out of the way. After that you’ll need four or five days of training to be fully qualified to dive anywhere on Earth to a depth of 18 metres. Kids can take part in “Bubblemaker” excursions, in which they’ll get used to wearing the equipment in safe, shallow water in the company of an instructor. Oasi Sub also offers snorkelling safaris, which are worthwhile given the high underwater visibility in the Ionian. And if you’re already an experienced diver there are drop-offs, reefs and a wreck waiting for you. Non-divers can join you in the boat and swim in the tranquil waiting for you to resurface.
Stone Carved Cisterns of Sarakinos
In the village of Boikatika there are signs leading to this special site in a system of ashlar drystone walls. You’ll get to this tree-shaded place in under five minutes, to be met by covered stone-built cisterns. These water reservoirs have been hewn from the bedrock and then covered with little shelters in different shapes and sizes. They look like small dwellings until you peer inside and see the cavities for storing water.
Tripitos Arch
Less than three kilometres south of Gaios is one of the island’s great natural landmarks. The journey is tricky but brief, as you have to drive on an unpaved road through olive groves before parking up and descending a short, steep track. The arch is the remnants of a collapsed sea cave, and at its highest point is 20 metres above the water. On foot the bridge is broader than it might seem and you can cross it to a stack topped with bits of scrub. The Tripitos Arch can also be viewed from the water on one of the tours to the Blue Caves, which we’ll cover next.
Blue Caves
he massive west coast of Paxos has limestone cliffs that in places have been hollowed out by the sea. The Blue Caves can only be seen by boat, and are larger enough that many vessels can pass right through. Tour boats will stop to let you dive into the transparent waters, swim through the caves and climb on a few of the smaller outcrops. You can make the trip on a large boat with lots of other visitors, or keep it private by taking a skippered vessel or just hiring your own motorboat for the afternoon. Make sure to set a course for Ortholithos, a monolithic outcrop near the entrance to the Pappanikoli Cave.
Carnayo Restaurant, Gaios
Situated among olive trees, with its charming garden full of flowers, this restaurant built in traditional style from wood and local stone is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the hospitality and warm welcome of chef Spiros and his team.