“A place belongs forever to whoever claims it hardest, remembers it most obsessively.”
— Patrick Leigh Fermor
Paxos rewards a different way of travelling. It’s not an island of endless choice, but of considered return — the same cove revisited at different hours, the same swim repeated as the light shifts, the same lunch spot reached by boat rather than road. Time here stretches not because you do more, but because you stop trying to fit everything in. Choosing the right beaches is less about variety and more about rhythm: where the water is calmest today, where lunch will unfold easily, and which stretches of coast invite you to stay longer than planned.
Paxos is small, green and edged with coves that run from pebbles and bright-white shingle to powder-soft sand on nearby Antipaxos. The water is famously clear and the coastline splits neatly between the calm, village-facing east and the wilder, cliff-backed west. If you’re planning a first visit, you’ll want a clear sense of which shores are easy to reach, which reward a short walk or boat hop, and which are best saved for a full day with lunch built in.
This guide sets out the essentials: the most popular beaches to anchor a relaxed day, the few sandy options and how to reach them, secluded coves when you want quiet, and the island’s most beautiful stretches for that “stop and stare” moment. We also highlight family-friendly picks with gentle entry and nearby tavernas, low-key watersports (think self-drive boats, SUP and kayaking), and practical tips on timing, footwear, water taxis and reserving loungers in peak season. Read on to choose the beaches that fit your pace and make every swim, snorkel and sunset count.
SANDY BEACHES
Most Paxos beaches are shingle or pebble, which is exactly why the water looks so clear. On Paxos proper, Mongonissi, at the southern tip, provides the island’s only sandy stretch, popular with families for its calm, shallow bay and handy taverna. If you’re chasing powder-soft sand and that pale-aqua gradient, make Antipaxos your target. Vrika is the classic sandy landing; neighbouring Voutoumi pairs soft underfoot with surreal turquoise from a higher vantage. Water taxis from Gaios typically take around 15–20 minutes and run throughout the day in season.
SECLUDED BEACHES
Solitude here is earned, usually by a short walk or a boat hop. Kipiadi remains our go-to for quiet, thanks to its length, natural setting and light footfall away from August’s peak. Nearby Kipos and Marmari are smaller, pretty coves reached on foot. Go early and carry shade to make the most of that first-swim calm.
On the west coast, Galazio is all about colour – an intensely blue pocket in the cliff-line, best approached by boat when seas are kind. For raw drama, Erimitis is unforgettable: a beach born from a cliff collapse in 2008, framed by stark limestone walls and sunset light that turns the rock honey-gold. Access and conditions vary with the terrain. Check locally before you commit to the descent.
MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACHES
Beauty on Paxos splits in two directions: the painterly and the cinematic. On the painterly side, Voutoumi’s viewpoint above the bay on Antipaxos gives you all the tonal blues in a single frame. Swim first, then climb for the looking-back photograph. Vrika reads softer and more intimate, particularly early, when the sand is scarcely marked.
Cinematically, Erimitis, newly formed in living memory, stark, and unforgettable at day’s end, is the showstopper. We rate it for seasoned beachgoers who appreciate mood and geology over facilities. Back on Paxos’s east, the long curve of Kipiadi, with its cypress backdrop and gin-clear water, delivers a quieter, understated kind of beauty that rewards swimmers and readers.
FAMILY-FRIENDLY BEACHES
When you want easy entries, space to spread out and a nearby lunch, Monodendri ticks the boxes with set-ups that take the logistics out of your day. Book loungers, swim, and let lunch roll naturally at the bar above the beach. Mongonissi’s sandy, shallow bay is another safe bet for younger swimmers and nap-between-dips days. For a gentler, village-framed atmosphere, Lakka’s sheltered coves suit mixed ages. Bring masks for children, there’s plenty to see close in.
For families keen on a small adventure, build a half-day around Antipaxos. Take an early taxi-boat to Vrika, then enjoy a swim and a lazy lunch above Voutoumi before returning mid-afternoon as the light softens.
WATERSPORT BEACHES
Paxos isn’t about loud toys, it’s about movement that still feels part of the landscape. The classic day is self-drive boating: pick up a 30hp motorboat in Gaios, Loggos or Lakka, skirt sea caves and west-coast cliffs, then idle into Antipaxos for a swim over white sand. Several operators offer rentals and skippered options. Day cruises run too if you prefer a hands-free approach.
Closer in, SUP and kayak sessions are excellent along the east coast, where waters are typically calmer than the wilder west. It’s an easy way to nose into pocket coves you’d miss from the road and to keep teens happily active without turning the day into logistics.
PAXOS BEACHES: VC TIPS
From our experience, a little planning turns good beach days into great ones:
Time your arrivals. On Antipaxos, aim for the first water taxi from Gaios; you’ll have Vrika nearly to yourself for that first, crystalline swim. Return after lunch to dodge the peak.
Pack for pebbles. Water shoes make long, barefoot strolls on shingle easy, and encourage impromptu swims at coves you hadn’t planned to stop at. Most Paxos beaches are pebble-based, that’s why the sea looks so clear.
Choose your coast. The east is generally calmer and more accessible by road, the west is wilder and better by boat on settled days. Build your plan around the conditions you wake to.
Respect the terrain. For Erimitis and other cliff-backed spots, ask locally about access and rockfall risk before committing. The beach exists because of a landslide and it remains a live landscape.
Book set-ups in season. On organised beaches like Monodendri, reserve loungers for late-morning arrivals, and keep lunch flexible – it’s the island way.
Make at least one full boat day. A loop of the west-coast caves and Antipaxos is the signature experience for good reason, and the logistics are simple.
