A Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise sails from Corfu across the Ionian Sea to Paxos, Antipaxos and their sea caves. Compare the day trips in our list of tours in Greece.
This page covers what the cruise is, how long it lasts and where it starts, the crossing, Gaios and its harbour, the blue caves, Antipaxos and its beaches, swim stops and snorkelling, the boats and how wind and sea change the day.
What is a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise, and how does it work?
Every Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise fills a whole day at sea. The boat leaves Corfu and enters sea caves. It stops at Antipaxos for a swim, then docks at Gaios on Paxos before the sail home.
Paxos has Antipaxos as its neighbour, about 3 kilometres away to the south. Both islands belong to the Corfu regional unit. That is why a single Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise can link them in one day. One operator confirms it: the caves, the swim at Antipaxos and Paxos fit into a single day.
Operators describe the same order of stops. The boat heads south from Corfu and enters the blue caves in the white cliffs of western Paxos. It crosses to Antipaxos for the swim and then moors in Gaios. Between the stops, passengers can enjoy the sun on deck and buy refreshments at the bar.
Not every Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise ends its island visit in Gaios. One operator sells two versions of the same day. One stops in Gaios, and the other stops in Lakka, a harbour village on the north side of Paxos. A semi-private sailing trip from another operator also names Lakka Bay as its Paxos stop.
Commentary is part of the day. Two operator pages describe multilingual commentary on board. One of them says the professional guiding runs all day in more than two languages. Both pages list a bar on board that sells refreshments.
The last stop is on land. On a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise with a Gaios stop, passengers wander the narrow streets and browse the souvenir shops. They have lunch at a traditional taverna, then board for the sail back to the port where the day began.
How long is a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise, and where does it start?
Each Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise lasts from eight hours to nearly eleven, as the operator and the port differ. Boats leave from the main port of Corfu, from Lefkimmi in the south, or from the marina at Benitses. Every trip starts in the morning.
On a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise from the main port, one operator opens boarding at 7:40. Its boat sails at 8:20 and is back at 18:00. Another operator’s boat leaves the same port at about 8:15 and returns at about 19:00. That puts the whole day at just under ten to just under eleven hours.
Lefkimmi is the second starting point for a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise. It is a village in the quieter south of Corfu. One page lists the departure from Lefkimmi port at about 10:00. Another describes its Lefkimmi trip as lasting about eight hours, with swimming stops and free time in Gaios included.
Benitses is the third starting point. It is an old fishing village with its own marina. A semi-private cruise leaves Benitses at 9:00 in the morning and lasts ten hours in total. A second operator lists its own Paxos and Antipaxos cruises from Benitses port as well.
Times on a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise can shift on the day. One operator notes that the departure time can change slightly with local traffic. Its boarding window closes ten minutes before the boat leaves.
The port matters, because the same operators run other cruises from other ports. One page lists departures from Corfu Town, Lefkimmi, Gouvia and Agios Stefanos, depending on the excursion. Its Paxos and Antipaxos cruise leaves from Corfu Town and Lefkimmi. The Gouvia and Agios Stefanos boats go elsewhere. Read the departure port before choosing a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise.
How does the sea crossing from Corfu to Paxos work on a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise?
A Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise runs south along the Corfu coast before it crosses to Paxos. At its nearest, the island stands 15 kilometres off the south end of Corfu. The boat reaches the open channel after it rounds Cape Asprokavos, where Corfu ends.
The Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise begins as a sail along the Corfu shoreline. Leaving the port, the boat shows the old town and its two Venetian fortresses. Mon Repos palace and the Kanoni peninsula follow, and one operator page adds Mouse Island. Further south the boat passes the resorts of Perama and Benitses, then Kavos.
Not every trip starts at the same pier. Operator pages list departures from Corfu port and from Lefkimmi, a village in the south. A ferry-booking page gives the sea route as about 56 kilometres from Corfu Town and about 26 from Lefkimmi. A Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise from Lefkimmi therefore starts nearer to the island.
Trips do not all visit the stops in one order. One page sails to the sea caves first, then to Antipaxos, then to Paxos. Another page calls at Lakka Bay on Paxos first and then goes on to a beach on Antipaxos. One page lists phone coverage all day, and another lists dolphins as a chance sighting.
Scheduled high-speed ferries cover the same sea in 45 minutes to one hour and 20 minutes. A Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise runs on its own timetable. One operator page has the boat leave the main port at 8:20 and enter the first sea cave at 11:30.
What is Paxos island, and what does a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise show of it?
Paxos sits in the Ionian Sea, directly south of Corfu. It spans roughly 10 kilometres in length and about 3 at its widest. A Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise shows its white west coast from the sea and then ties up at a village.
The island’s area is 25.3 square kilometres, and olive trees fill the hills. A tourism page says the Venetians brought them, and it adds oak, pine and cypress. The Corfu regional unit ends in the south at Paxos and Antipaxos. On the approach, the Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise shows olive and cypress trees on the slopes.
Paxos was already inhabited in prehistoric times. In 229 BC Greek and Illyrian fleets met in the Battle of Paxos. In the late fourteenth century the Venetians gained control. Until the mid nineteen-sixties the island lived by olive oil, soap and fishing, and tourism then became the main trade. The municipality counts 2,466 residents.
The island has small neighbours. The islets Mongonisi and Kaltsonisi sit off its south-east corner. Paxos, Antipaxos and the surrounding area belong to the European Natura network of nature protection areas.
Steep white chalky cliffs line the west coast, and the blue caves lie in them. A Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise sails past that side from the sea. The three main settlements sit on the east coast. They are Gaios, the capital, then Lakka in the north and Loggos. Beaches on that side are small and pebble-covered.
Operator pages show two harbour stops. One version of the Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise moors at Gaios, the port. Another stops at Lakka, in a bay with olive and cypress trees around it, where one trip stays 45 minutes. Legend on operator pages tells how Poseidon hit Corfu with his trident to make a retreat for his wife Amphitrite.
What is Gaios, and how does the harbour stop fit into a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise?
Gaios is the capital town of Paxos and its chief harbour. On the Gaios version of a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise it closes the day. The boat moors in front of the village, and passengers get free time for lunch, shopping and a walk.
Among the main group of seven Ionian Islands, Paxos is the smallest, and Gaios stands on its eastern shore. The town carries the name of Gaios, a student of the apostle Paul who brought Christianity to Paxos. Agios Nikolaos and Panagia, two small islets, give the harbour its shelter.
The Greek tourism board calls the port the centre of social life, with plenty of dining and entertainment. On the way back along the east side, a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise passes Skaltsonisi and Mongonisi. These small islands lie off the south-eastern tip of Paxos. Then the boat enters the narrow channel between Panagia and Agios Nikolaos.
On a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise, one timetable has the boat moor 50 metres from the main square. Free time runs for 110 to 130 minutes. Arrival is at ten past two in the afternoon, and departure is at twenty past four. A Lefkimmi timetable from another operator gives about two hours and fifteen minutes.
Passengers wander the narrow streets, browse the souvenir shops and eat at traditional tavernas. The tourism board adds mansions with colourful tiled roofs and a marina where fishing boats share space with sailing yachts. It also names a folklore museum in a neoclassical building. Five minutes on foot from the village’s south side, there is a small beach.
Not every Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise ends in Gaios. Operators also sell a Lakka version. One semi-private sailing trip stops at Lakka Bay in the north of Paxos for 45 minutes. That trip lists Lakka Bay and Voutoumi Beach as its stops and serves lunch on board.
What are the Paxos blue caves, and how does a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise visit them?
The Paxos blue caves lie in the steep white cliffs of the west coast. A Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise sails south along that coast. The boat goes into the caves before the swim stop at Antipaxos.
The west coast of Paxos is dominated by steep white, chalky cliffs that are greatly eroded at sea level. These cliffs harbour the blue caves. One operator describes the caves as known for dramatic rock formations and vibrant shades of blue.
A Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise reaches the caves by sailing south along the west coast of Paxos. One operator describes the rocky coastline and white sandy beaches on the way. Its highlights add the white cliffs of Erimitis and the island of Ortolithos. They also list the natural wonder of Tripitos, called Kamara.
On one timetable the boat enters the cave of Ipapanti at half past eleven. It enters the cave of Ahai at noon. The boat stops inside the caves, so passengers can take photographs. Another operator makes the caves the opening stop on its Lefkimmi trip, before the swim at Antipaxos.
Myth adds to the stop on a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise. One operator says that, as legend has it, Poseidon’s marble palace stood in Ahai. Another puts the palace of Poseidon and Amphitrite in the Ipapanti cave, which it says reaches the island’s middle.
A Europe-wide network that protects natural areas also covers Paxos and Antipaxos, along with the sea around the two islands. The marine area at the caves is also a natural habitat of the Mediterranean monk seal. A Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise therefore passes through a protected stretch of the Ionian Sea.
What is Antipaxos, and why do swimmers go to its beaches?
Antipaxos is a small island just south of Paxos. It has vineyards, low vegetation and beaches of white sand and white pebbles. A Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise stops here so passengers can swim in clear turquoise water.
A Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise reaches an island of around 4.5 square kilometres. Only 21 people live there, and its single harbour is called Agrapidia. Paxos, Antipaxos and the islets around them are also called Paxi or Paxoi. The vineyards belong to local residents and give a rich red wine, which is known on Paxos.
Three beaches draw swimmers on a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise. Vrika has fine white sand and shallow water, and Visit Greece calls it the island’s easiest beach to reach. Voutoumi has white pebbles and crystal-clear water that deepens abruptly. Mesovrika is a pebble beach with deep, refreshing water, for anyone who wants peace.
Vrika and Voutoumi are the two bays a traveller account names for anchoring cruise boats. Both sit at the island’s northern end, and small secluded coves lie to their south. The account calls Vrika the smaller, busier bay. It calls Voutoumi the bigger bay, with more room for cruise boats to anchor.
Visit Greece lists Voutoumi among the Ionian’s top-photographed beaches. Two operator pages compare the sandy blue coves of Antipaxos to the Caribbean. The same traveller account says the mix of pebbles and sand gives Voutoumi’s water a white-to-blue colour gradient. Rodovani and Sarakiniko are two smaller, quieter beaches that suit short stops.
Trips differ on where they stop. One itinerary moors near Mesovrika beach, while a semi-private sailing trip and two exclusive cruises name Voutoumi. Operators also spell the beach names in different ways, so match them by sound. The beach on your Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise depends on the trip you pick.
How do swim stops and snorkelling work on a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise?
On a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise, the boat moors or anchors off an Antipaxos beach. Swimming and snorkelling in the clear sea take about an hour, and one sailing trip allows longer.
One operator answers the swimming question by naming Antipaxos, Voutoumi Beach and the Blue Lagoon. A second page lists the Antipaxos stop as about one hour. A semi-private sailing trip stays at Voutoumi for one hour and 45 minutes. So the swim on a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise runs from one hour to one hour and 45 minutes.
Snorkelling on a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise happens at the same stops. One itinerary lists swimming and snorkelling off Mesovrika beach, where the water is turquoise. A different operator page says the sea off Antipaxos suits both. Visit Greece describes the seabed as ideal for swimming and exploration. The sailing-trip page adds Lakka Bay on Paxos for snorkelling too.
A traveller account of a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise says the boats anchor offshore. It describes walking down the boat ladder and kicking out 30 metres with a mask on. The same account reports about 20 metres of visibility on a calm day and says the metal ladder gets hot.
One timetable has the boat arrive at Antipaxos at 12:40, moor near Mesovrika beach and leave at 13:40. The same operator describes a walking path on Antipaxos for passengers who want to explore while the boat is moored. At the swim stop of a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise, a reviewer praised another operator’s crew for clear departure instructions.
Which boats run a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise, from large ships to small motor boats?
A Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise runs on a large ship, a high-speed catamaran or a small wooden sailboat. Listings show room for 300 guests on the ship and 24 on the sailboat. Sea-taxis cover short hops between the islands.
The large ship is the biggest boat on a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise. Its listing gives a capacity of 300 and a limit of 240 booked guests. The day lasts about nine hours. On board are two open decks with seating and an air-conditioned main hall. There is a self-service bar, plus toilets, showers, cabins and changing areas.
A high-speed catamaran from Benitses port is the faster choice. Its listing gives a capacity of 200 and a limit of 180 booked guests. It sails for seven to eight hours, and the boat leaves at 9:00. The page says the quicker crossing leaves less sailing time and more time to explore the water.
At the small end, a semi-private Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise sails on a classic wooden sailboat. It is limited to 24 guests and leaves Benitses marina at 9:00. The listing gives a total time of ten hours. A separate exclusive trip on the same route uses a modern deluxe vessel and swims at Voutoumi Beach.
Guiding comes with the bigger boats. The ship and the catamaran listings both promise full-day multilingual guiding on board. The ship lists more than two languages. The sailboat listing says all safety equipment is included. It adds that no doctor travels on board, but the crew is trained in first aid.
Other boats link the islands without a cruise. Public boats also cross from Corfu to Paxos in summer: sea-taxis, hydrofoils and ferries for passengers. The sea trip takes one to two hours. From the port of Gaios, a sea-taxi reaches Antipaxos in 15 minutes. A Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise joins these links into one day on a single boat.
How do wind and sea conditions change a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise?
Wind and sea set the schedule of a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise. Operator pages list the trip as subject to favourable weather. In summer the main wind is the Maistro, a mild north-westerly that stays quiet until 11 am.
A north-westerly called the Maistro lasts from late spring to late September, say sailing sources. It builds into a medium breeze through the afternoon and dies away shortly before dusk. Sailing sources give its strength as 2 to 5 on the Beaufort scale. For a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise, the wind is a matter for late morning and afternoon.
Boats from Corfu leave between about 8:15 and 9:00 in the morning. Sailing sources call the Ionian the calmest region in peak season, and the Cyclades the windiest group. The Ionian is greener, so its land heats up more slowly and makes less breeze than the dry Aegean.
Operator pages put the weather rule in writing: the running order can change with the sea. Swim time at Antipaxos runs 50 to 70 minutes depending on the weather. The catamaran listing gives 60 to 70 minutes. On any Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise, the posted swim time is a range, not a promise.
The port has the last word on a bad day. Operators say they check the weather with port officials and cancel any trip judged hazardous. If bad weather cancels a trip, the traveller can pick a new date or a different tour. Leave a spare day around a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise.
What else do travellers ask about a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise?
When does a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise run, and what is the sun like on deck?
A Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise runs in the warm months. Cruise calendars open in late April and close in late October. Travel writers call the Corfu summer warm and relatively dry, with blue sky and seasonal breezes. Wet weather arrives mainly from November to March. Summer is the top season on the island.
Corfu averages eight and a half hours of sun a day across the year. Operators invite you to soak up the sun on board between the stops. One page adds the summer breeze of the Ionian Sea while the boat sails.
Which clothes and gear go in the bag for a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise, and what helps with seasickness?
The packing list for a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise is short. Bring a swimming suit, mask, towel, glasses, hat, comfortable shoes or sandals and high-factor sunscreen. Add a camera, and a waterproof one for the water. A small sailing boat is wired for 220 volts, so bring an adapter for a 110-volt device.
A ferry website notes that the Ionian Sea can get choppy. For seasickness, it suggests motion sickness medicine before the trip and a word with a doctor or pharmacist. Bring any medicine you take. A small sailing boat has no doctor on board, only trained first-aid staff.
Is a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise suitable for children, and who is it not made for?
Children join a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise, and two operator pages say an adult must go with them. A small sailing boat takes no babies under three months. Older babies travel only with their own equipment. That boat supplies no baby food or milk and has no babysitting.
One operator page calls its day not suitable for those with mobility issues. The small sailing boat has no facilities for passengers with special needs and takes no pets. It tells women to seek medical advice from the twelfth week of pregnancy. It asks for a medical certificate from the twenty-eighth week.
Which meals and drinks does a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise bring, on board and ashore?
Two operator pages describe a bar on board a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise. One bar menu runs from coffee and juice to pizza, toasts and croissants. Lunch happens ashore. The Paxos stop leaves time for a meal at one of the traditional tavernas, which serve Greek food.
A small sailing boat serves a set menu. It starts with coffee and cake in the morning and crepes as a snack. Lunch is gyros, tzatziki, salad, pita bread and seasonal fruit. House wine, soft drinks, juice and water come throughout the cruise. Tell the crew about special diets one day ahead. That boat allows no outside food or alcohol.
How do hotel pick-up and meeting points work?
On a Corfu Paxos Antipaxos cruise, pick-up is an option. Hotel pick-ups start from seven in the morning until half past eight, by location. The exact time comes with the booking confirmation. The coach ride to the port takes roughly twenty to one hundred and twenty minutes, depending on the hotel.
Selected cruises include pick-up, so check the description of your booking. Be at the meeting point at least five minutes early and look for the bus with the company sign. Without pick-up, reach the port at least twenty minutes before the boat leaves. After the cruise, the transfer drops you at your hotel or the nearest meeting point.