Best Things to Do in Paxos: What Should You See?

Best things to do in Paxos? I would build the trip around the coast rather than conventional sightseeing. Hire a boat, swim in secluded coves, explore Gaios, Lakka and Loggos, walk through the olive-covered interior and include a day on Antipaxos. Together, those experiences show far more of the island than racing between individual attractions.

A boat changed what I could reach. A walk inland showed me another side entirely.

Paxos felt small enough to explore easily, but leaving some time unplanned mattered. It meant a beach, harbour or stretch of coast could turn into a longer stop without the rest of the day immediately falling behind.

Trying to squeeze everything into a checklist missed part of what makes Paxos special. These became starting points rather than appointments, with enough time left to follow somewhere unexpected when it caught my attention.

🌿 Is It Worth Exploring Inland Paxos?

Yes. Exploring inland Paxos is worth it because it reveals a side of the island that the beaches and harbours do not. Once we headed away from the coast, ancient olive groves, tiny churches, stone walls and quiet lanes quickly replaced the busier waterfront scenery.

The Smaller Roads Kept Interrupting the Plan

A car became most useful once the route stopped being simply Gaios, Lakka and Loggos. The smaller roads opened up the interior. Being able to stop when a church, olive grove or quiet lane looked interesting was the point.

You do not need a car to enjoy Paxos, particularly if your trip revolves around the main villages, water taxis and boat trips. I found one much more useful for inland roads, quieter beaches and spontaneous stops that public transport cannot reproduce.

If you want the freedom to explore this side of the island, read our guide to whether you need a car in Paxos.

⛵ Is Hiring a Boat in Paxos Worth It?

Yes. Hiring a small boat is one of the Paxos experiences I would prioritise most highly. For us, the value was not simply seeing the island from the sea. The boat removed the road network from the day and let the coastline decide where we stopped.

A promising cove could become the next stop without needing to know its name first. We could anchor, swim beneath limestone cliffs and reach tiny beaches that were difficult or impossible to access from land. That freedom made hiring a boat worth it for me.

I would still pack drinks, take a waterproof bag and avoid planning the day too tightly. The best part was often what appeared between the places I had actually intended to visit.

🏝️ Is Antipaxos Worth a Day Trip From Paxos?

Yes. If we could take only one excursion from Paxos, I would make it Antipaxos. Its remarkably clear turquoise water and beaches made the trip feel sufficiently different from another day on the main island to justify giving it a full day.

Voutoumi was the famous beach, but Vrika did not feel like the consolation prize. I found it equally worth visiting and slightly more relaxed. With enough time, I would see both rather than choose between them.

I took the water taxi from Gaios and would give Antipaxos the full day rather than rush back after a couple of hours.

For transport, beaches and how long to spend there, read our complete guide to whether Antipaxos is worth visiting.

🏘️ Are Gaios, Lakka and Loggos All Worth Visiting?

Yes. We found all three worth visiting because each gave the trip a different rhythm: Gaios for choice and convenience, Lakka for its sheltered setting, and Loggos for a smaller, quieter harbour atmosphere.

If you are choosing where to base yourself, our guide to which Paxos village you should stay in compares Gaios, Lakka and Loggos.

🌊 What Is Worth Seeing on the West Coast of Paxos?

Tripitos Arch, the cliffs and the more rugged coastal scenery make the west coast one of the parts of Paxos I would actively seek out. Exploring this side of the island gave us a much more dramatic coastline than the sheltered eastern harbours.

Tripitos Was Worth the Walk

Tripitos is an enormous natural limestone arch and one of the landmarks that genuinely justified leaving the car behind for a while. The view rewarded the short walk required to reach it.

In the south, I found Mongonissi offered a completely different landscape, with sheltered water and a more relaxed coastal setting.

Rather than race between viewpoints, I would combine a few coastline highlights with beaches and spontaneous stops along the way.

A Week Does Not Need Seven Days of Attractions

There is enough to do in Paxos for a week if you do not treat the island as a seven-day sightseeing list. I would give one day to Antipaxos and another to a self-drive boat. Then I would spread the villages, beaches, inland roads, Tripitos and slower evenings across the remaining days.

The extra time changes the rhythm. Instead of finishing Gaios and immediately moving on, you can stay for lunch. A swim does not need to be squeezed between two landmarks. A road that looks interesting can become the afternoon rather than a distraction from the itinerary.

🔎 What Else Is Worth Finding Beyond the Main Sights?

Beyond the main sights, some of our most memorable finds came from smaller places we had not built the trip around. The Plani sea caves, rough coastal scenery and simple local discoveries rewarded leaving room for curiosity rather than following only the obvious attractions.

The Plani Sea Caves Felt Like a Proper Find

Near Lakka, I followed a short scramble across the rocks to impressive cave formations and dramatic coastal scenery. I would wear proper footwear because the route is rough in places.

I did not need every memorable discovery to be a landmark. Small local finds like the goat’s milk ice cream in Gaios were exactly the kind of unexpected experiences I wanted to make time for.

My approach was simple: I left enough room in the itinerary to find places I was not actually looking for.

🌙 Is Loggos Worth Visiting in the Evening?

Yes. Loggos is particularly worth visiting in the evening, when the harbour becomes quieter after many day visitors leave. An unhurried evening there became one of the best parts of our Paxos trip.

I would arrive before sunset, wander around the tiny harbour and choose somewhere beside the water for dinner. The change came later. As the day visitors disappeared, Loggos became quieter and considerably more atmospheric.

Nothing Improved by Rushing Back

I would stay for drinks after dinner and enjoy the harbour after dark. For me, Loggos was at its best when I had nowhere else to be.

🌅 Is Erimitis a Good Place for Sunset?

Yes. Erimitis is one of the places I would choose for sunset in Paxos. The west-facing cliffs and open sea gave us one of the most dramatic ways to finish a day exploring the island.

The west coast faces directly into the setting sun, with steep cliffs and open sea creating one of the island’s most dramatic evening views.

I would give myself time to find a good viewpoint rather than arrive at the last minute, then stay as the light changed across the cliffs and sea.

It was a simple experience, but one of the most memorable evenings I had on Paxos.

🌿 Should You Leave Free Time for Unplanned Stops?

Yes. Leaving some free time for unplanned stops improved our Paxos trip because the island was small enough to explore confidently without every hour being assigned. Some of the best moments began without a destination at all.

I would take a quiet inland road, follow a walking path or stop when I spotted an interesting village, church or viewpoint. Those unscripted moments often showed me more of the island than another famous attraction.

Paxos was small enough to explore confidently, yet varied enough that getting slightly off the planned route often became the point.

⭐ What Should You Prioritise on a First Trip to Paxos?

If we could not do everything on a first Paxos trip, I would prioritise the coast, one day on Antipaxos, the three main villages and at least some time exploring inland. These are the experiences I would put first:

• Hire a boat and explore the coastline independently
• Spend a day on Antipaxos
• Explore Gaios, Lakka and Loggos
• Drive through the inland villages and olive groves
• Visit Tripitos Arch
• Find the sea caves near Plani Beach
• Spend a long evening in Loggos
• Watch the sunset at Erimitis

For me, the best things to do in Paxos combined the coastline, villages and quieter interior rather than focusing entirely on the beaches.

If you are deciding how much time to allow for all of this, read our guide to how many days you need in Paxos.