Corfu is a beautiful island in itself, with stunning beaches, mouthwatering food and breathtaking natural beauty. It’s an incredible place to explore on land or by hiring a boat, and discover all its hidden beaches and tucked away traditional eateries.
Despite that, during your holiday on Corfu you should definitely try to venture out and explore some of the island’s idyllic surroundings. The Paxos Antipaxos Boat trip is the perfect way to do that!
It’s the most popular day trip from Corfu and for a good reason. After all, Paxos was voted as one of the 20 most beautiful islands in the world. That definitely sets high expectations for your trip but trust me, you will not be left disappointed!
This boat tour from Corfu was definitely the highlight of our trip and I cannot recommend it highly enough. The Paxos and Antipaxos islands are otherworldly beautiful and I can guarantee you will fall in love with them by the end of your visit!
Prepare for your trip to Corfu
➔ Book your accommodation in advance – find the best hotel deals for Corfu here.
➔ Find the best tours in Corfu – book your adventures in Corfu in advance.
➔ Rent a car – the best and easiest way to get around Corfu is by renting a car.
➔ Travel Insurance – make sure you’re covered before your trip! I always use SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance which is super affordable and flexible.
➔ Travel cards – Get a Wise or Revolut bank cards to avoid overseas charges and save money on your travels.
Booking your trip from Corfu to Paxos and Antipaxos islands
The Paxos and Antipaxos boat trip from Corfu is always in high demand even during low season, so I highly recommend you to book your tour online in advance, especially if you are traveling during high season (June-September).
There are many companies in the touristy areas of Corfu that offer the tour as well, but booking in advance will ensure you can review the company beforehand and make sure you are signing up to the best available option!
These are my top picks for day tours to Paxos and Antipaxos that you can book in advance:
- Day Cruise to Paxos and Antipaxos Island from Corfu with Ionian Cruises (GetYourGuide)
- Paxos and Antipaxos Islands Day trip from Corfu with Corfu Cruises (GetYourGuide)
- From Corfu Island – Antipaxos and Antipaxos Boat trip with Ionian Cruises (GetYourGuide)
The tours start around 8:45am and run until late afternoon. The prices are around €55 per person for the whole experience, which is quite a good deal considering the tour lasts all day and takes you around different points of interest around the islands!
What’s included on the boat trip
All tours offer a pick-up and drop-off service from your hotel (or a nearby meeting point) so you don’t have to worry about making your way down to the boat departure point by yourself.
Keep in mind that depending on the location of your hotel (and how far it is to the port) you will most likely be picking up quite a few more guests from different hotels around the island along the way.
This means that the transfer from your hotel could take anywhere between 20 to 90 minutes, so just keep that in mind! Regardless, it’s a really nice way to see more of Corfu island and its natural beauty, so just look at it as a panoramic drive tour through Corfu!
There is also a live tour guide on board, navigating the tour in English, and several other European languages. You will be able to choose a tour in your preferred language when you book your tour online.
The boats have an on-board bar service, with drinks, snacks and grilled food available to order.
The food isn’t included in the price, so I would personally recommend you to bring some light snacks as well.
Then you will have enough space to enjoy a proper meal at one of the traditional Greek tavernas when you reach Paxos around lunch time.
Boat trip itinerary
Pick up and sailing from Corfu town
If you have booked your Paxos Antipaxos boat trip including a pick up service, your day will start with a pick up from your hotel or a nearby pick-up point early in the morning. From there, the air conditioned bus takes a drive through Corfu as it picks up any remaining passengers on the way to the port.
The experience at the port was quite quick and easy for us. There are quite a few cruise boats leaving from the same place in the morning but there’s someone from the company to guide you the whole time and make sure you get on the right boat.
From the ferry port, you’re taken on a scenic journey as you sail along the Kanoni Peninsula and enjoy the stunning views of the Venetian castles in the Old Town of Corfu.
The sail down Corfu island takes you past the towns of Perama and Kavos on the way down to Paxos. The views along the way are some of the most beautiful as you can see some islands in the distance.
Definitely try to take seats near the side of the boat for the best views! Someone shouted out that they saw dolphins at some point but unfortunately I can’t confirm as I didn’t get to see them.
Rock formations and Paxos Blue Sea Caves
The views get better and better as the boat sails along the west coast of Paxos and you get to enjoy some stunning rock formations. I can’t even count how many photos I took of the surroundings here, as you get a perfect panorama of the crystal clear waters with small boats scattered here and there in front of the magnificent rocks.
The boat then takes you into two of the blue caves of Paxos, considered to be some of Ionian’s sea top natural attractions. They can only be reached by boat which makes them even more special and exquisite.
The boat stops here for photos and if you are lucky enough you could even see some of the Mediterranean monk seals, to which the caves are a natural habitat. The legend says that Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, was hiding his mistress, Amphitrite, in these caves.
Eventually he broke off the tip of Corfu with his trident to create Paxos as a love nest for them. That’s why Paxos and Antipaxos are considered the isle of the gods.
Antipaxos island and Paradise Beach
Next is my favorite part of the trip – Paradise beach at Antipaxos Island. I was absolutely stunned by the crystal clear, turquoise color of the water here which if I hadn’t seen with my own eyes I would have thought it’s fake! I still can’t get over how beautiful this beach was!
You get around an hour here to enjoy yourself in the water, jump off the boat or just sunbathe on one of the nearby rocks. If you have goggles, definitely take them with you so you can dive in and see all the fish swimming at the bottom of the seabed.
For me, this is definitely the highlight of the trip! I could have probably stayed here all day and not get tired of staring at how insanely blue the water is here.
Just make sure to apply lots of sunscreen as you’re definitely going to burn otherwise. Also, be prepared to have lots of salt on your face and body, as the Ionian sea’s salt levels are quite high.
For me, it just made me feel even more like one with the sea and I honestly couldn’t have loved this part of the trip more!
Gaios, Paxos – The perfect place for lunch and shopping for local souvenirs
After a long enjoyable swim in the Paradise beach in Antipaxos, the cruise continues along the narrow channel of Paxos and the small islands of Panagia and Agios Nikolaos.
The boat then stops at the picturesque village of Gaios, the capital of Paxos island. The buildings and the feel of the village instantly transports you to the Italian Riviera, with its beautiful Venetian-style architecture and cobbled streets.
The tour stops here for around 2 hours which gives you enough time to have a stroll around the town and have some gorgeous lunch with a view. As there are a lot of boats arriving at Gaios at a similar time, it can be quite hard to find available seats at a restaurant in the main area.
However, from our experience, it’s best to pick a place and wait for an available table instead of wasting your time walking around in hope you will find a less busy spot if you’re hungry.
In most cases, people stop by for a quick lunch so you won’t be waiting for too long for a table to become available. We enjoyed a quick gyros in one of the local tavernas which is the perfect Greek food for lunch.
We then took a stroll through the historical streets of Gaios, through the center of the village. Here you will find lots of small souvenir shops where you can buy locally produced wine from Antipaxos island as well as various handcrafted olive wood souvenirs.
Before you’re ready to get back on the boat and sail back to Corfu, make sure to grab a refreshing gelato from one of the shops across the harbour – the perfect way to end your tour around Gaios.
Leaving Paxos and going back to Corfu
As the afternoon approaches and you have had the most amazing time swimming in the turquoise waters and exploring the cute souvenir shops in Gaios, it’s time to sail back to Corfu and finish off this beautiful day.
The way back is quicker as it takes a more direct route and it doesn’t make any stops along the way but it’s just as beautiful to look out into the endless blue skyline.
Once you arrive at the port, your transfer bus is already waiting for you. It then takes the same route back to drop off all guests at their hotels. So again, depending on the location of your hotel this could take up to an hour and a half as the bus drops off everyone along the way.
What to bring for your Paxos and Antipaxos boat trip
Sunscreen – A sunscreen is an absolute must for any boat trip! The hot sun in the summer can cause very painful burns especially if you spend most of the time on the upper deck.
Swimwear – Don’t forget to bring your best bikini for this boat trip so you can enjoy swimming in the beautiful beaches on this Paxos Antipaxos boat trip.
Towel – Make sure to bring a towel to be able to dry yourself after your swim in the water
Sun hat – The sun gets really strong during the day so you definitely want to be able to protect your head. Don’t underestimate the sun!
Sunglasses – Same thing for sunglasses, make sure you bring a pair so you can enjoy the trip better without squinting at the sun the whole time (Been there, done that, it’s not nice!).
Light jacket – It’s recommended that you bring a light jacket in case it gets windy on the boat, but it’s also a good way to protect your shoulders from burning while sailing.
Goggles (optional but recommended) – With goggles you will not only be able to see clearly all the fish underneath the surface but you will also be able to protect your eyes better from the salt water burn!
Sea sickness pills (optional) – If you have issues with seasickness, then make sure to prepare some pills for the trip as you spend a lot of time on the boat.
Flip flops (optional) – I liked having a pair of beach flip flops to use when getting out of the water so I don’t walk around barefoot and don’t get my shoes wet.
Final thoughts
If you are looking for a fun day trip from Corfu and you’re considering the Paxos Antipaxos boat trip, just go for it! The boat trips from Corfu are great value for money and the perfect way to do some island hopping in Greece.
If you’re even more adventurous and would like to explore the island of Corfu at your own pace, definitely consider renting a boat.
Greece is one of the only places where you can rent a boat without any special license or experience, so take advantage of that if it’s something that you’re interested in doing. It’s definitely another fun way to explore the beautiful island of Corfu and its surroundings.
Hello! I’d like to know if this Antipaxos tour and swimming spot was something that non-swimmers could enjoy too? Half of our party doesn’t know how to swim but would love to go in the water (it just looks too stunning to miss) with life jackets. Do they have life jackets on board for non-swimmers?
Hello Arsah! Thank you for your question. I didn’t personally check for the life jackets but other travellers have reported that this tour (link below) provides life jackets if needed. The water is quite salty so it’s really easy to float and with life jackets your party shouldn’t have any problems. It’s definitely an amazing experience to enjoy as a group and the most beautiful water I’ve seen! Enjoy!
Antipaxos tour:
https://www.getyourguide.com/corfu-l405/from-corfu-full-day-cruise-to-paxi-islands-the-blue-caves-t152739/?partner_id=58YG3QY&utm_medium=online_publisher&placement=content-top&cmp=Paxos_Antipaxos_post
Did you feel the boat was very crowded? I’ve read lots of reviews that the boat is so big so theres so many people on it. I don’t want to feel crammed! Also, was it long to get to each destination? Did you feel it was worth the travel to get to each island for just a short period of time? Thank you!
Hi Christina, thanks for your question. I think it really depends on what month you go. We went in September and it wasn’t too crowded but I can imagine it being busier in July and August for example. The alternative would be to stay on Paxos island instead and rent a boat from there and do things earlier in the morning / or do a private trip. We felt like the time in each place was sufficient! You get tons of time to swim in the bay of Antipaxos and then a couple of hours to explore/have lunch in Paxos. I loved this day trip and if you’re in Corfu, I think it’s a must do!