Family Holidays: Paxos family holidays

Take the Family holiday rating 4 stars out of 5

Why

Because there is no airport, Paxos has succeeded in retaining its original character, with much of the accommodation available in existing houses. Loggos, the smallest of the the three villages, retains its feel of a picturesque Greek village with fishing caiques, yachts and little motor boats (one will be yours) moored in the small harbour. But this outward appearance belies the variety of restaurants, cafes and even mini-markets to service the needs of the families who turn the small village square into a lively cosmopolitan meeting spot each evening.

Although we thoroughly recommend Paxos, your family might prefer a ‘busier’ island with more activities.

Top left: Paxos Beach
Top right: West Coast

Bottom left: Aerial view of Loggos
Bottom right: Loggos

When

Visit in May or June when the island is at its greenest and you will have a beach to yourself. And don’t be put off by high season, when the town of Gaios and the villages of Loggos and Lakka come to life and your children will play with newfound friends late into the summer evening.

How

take a boat or private speed boat

The island of Paxos is about ten miles south of Corfu and we can offer a range of accommodation in Loggos, based on charters to Corfu on Fridays and Mondays with an onward ferry or hydrofoil to Paxos. Or be flash and fork out to have a private speedboat whiz you across in twenty minutes.

Do

The best way to explore the island is by motor boat, allowing you to find the beach and taverna that suits you for another lazy day. Or take the express sea taxis from Gaios across to the marvellous sandy beaches of Anti-Paxos, the island’s tiny sister. And when those kids’ demands for a bit more action wears you down, take your boat or use the the wonderful local bus service to Lakka, which manages to combine the charm of its former fishing village existence with offering a range of watersports (but remember that those ringo rides don’t come cheap).

Arrive at the end of August and attend at least one of the concerts that make up the Paxos International Music Festival, where young prize winning musicians may inspire your son or daughter to keep going with those flute lessons after all. Hit the island capital with its Venetian fronted harbour, its greater variety of market shops and restaurants and – hey even a dodgy disco for those teenagers. Then back to base in Loggos for that last Metaxa as you watch life and your children go by.

Eat

Gaios may be the island’s capital with the greater range of places to eat, but for such a tiny village Loggos has an amazing number of restaurants, not only in the harbour square, but also hidden down each alley. Fish can be expensive as with anywhere in Greece, but with most tavernas offering an unusually imaginative variety of traditional favourites and a selection of wines that moves well beyond the acquired taste for retsina, you will eat well and at a different resturant every night of the week.
Alternatively, you could just live off the excellent results of one of the best bakeries we’ve found in Greece and the powerful cocktails in Taxidis bar but then that wouldn’t be a great example to the kids would it?