The beaches of Paxos are small, intimate coves of white pebbles and dazzlingly clear turquoise water. Rather than long stretches of sand. Their unspoilt beauty is a large part of the island’s charm. The sheltered east coast holds most of the swimming spots, from the organised strand at Monodendri to pretty coves like Levrechio. Marmari and Kipos near the villages, while the wild west coast is a dramatic line of white cliffs with only a scattering of remote bays such as Erimitis. For soft sand, most visitors take a short boat trip to neighbouring Antipaxos.
This guide covers the best beaches on Paxos, where to find them around Lakka, Loggos and Gaios, and how to make the most of the island’s beautiful, crystal-clear sea.
Here you will find a guide to the beaches of Paxos: what they are like, the best beaches on the island, the coves near Lakka. Loggos and Gaios, whether there is any sand, the dramatic west coast, how to reach the beaches. The sandy beaches of neighbouring Antipaxos.
What are the beaches of Paxos like?
The beaches of Paxos are mostly small, pebbly coves with clear, turquoise water, set among green slopes and olive groves.
The beaches of Paxos and Antipaxos are not the long sandy strands found on some Greek islands, but small, intimate coves, most of them made of white pebbles rather than sand. It is precisely these pebbles, together with the clear water and unspoilt settings, that give the beaches their striking turquoise colour and a large part of their charm.
Most of the island’s beaches lie along the more sheltered east coast, where a string of pretty coves offers calm. Clear swimming close to the villages, part organised with sunbeds and tavernas and the rest left wonderfully natural. The water everywhere is remarkably clean and clear, ideal for swimming and snorkelling.
The west coast, by contrast, is a dramatic wall of white cliffs facing the open sea. With very beaches. The ones that exist, such as Erimitis, are remote and reached only on foot or by boat. This mix of gentle east-coast coves and wild western scenery gives Paxos a surprising variety of beaches for such a small island.
What are the best Paxos beaches?
The best Paxos beaches include Monodendri, the island’s most organised beach, the pretty coves of Levrechio, Marmari and Kipos near Loggos, Harami and Kanoni near Lakka, and the dramatic Erimitis on the west coast, all known for their clear, turquoise.
Among the most popular beaches on Paxos is Monodendri, on the east coast near Loggos, the island’s best-organised strand, with sunbeds, clear swimming and a lively beach-bar atmosphere. Nearby, the small coves of Levrechio and Marmari are classic Paxos beaches, compact and pretty, with deep, clear water and a taverna close at hand for lunch after a swim.
A little further, Kipos is one of the finest beaches on the island for swimming and snorkelling. Set in a lovely bay a short walk from Loggos and shaded by olive trees that grow down to the shore. In the north, near Lakka, the shallow, turquoise coves of Harami and Kanoni are especially popular with families, offering easy, safe swimming.
For dramatic scenery, Erimitis on the west coast is the standout, where huge white cliffs drop into deep blue water, best admired towards sunset. Between these, further small coves dot the coast, so part of the pleasure of Paxos is seeking out your own favourite spot among its beautiful, varied beaches.
What are the best beaches near Lakka?
Near Lakka, in the north of Paxos, the best beaches are the shallow, turquoise coves of Harami and Kanoni, popular with families, along with the pebbly beaches around the beautiful Lakka bay itself, which offers safe, sheltered swimming in clear.
The village of Lakka, curled around a lovely sheltered bay at the northern end of the island, makes a fine base for beaches. The bay itself offers calm, clear swimming from pebbly shores, and its protected waters are a favourite with families and swimmers as well as the yachts that anchor there.
Just around the coast lie Harami and Kanoni, two shallow, turquoise coves that are among the most family-friendly beaches on Paxos. With easy access to the water and a small taverna making it possible to spend a full day there. Their gentle, clear shallows are ideal for children and less confident swimmers.
These northern beaches, set against green, wooded slopes, capture the peaceful beauty of Paxos, and their sheltered position makes them reliable for swimming even when a breeze gets up elsewhere. For anyone staying in Lakka, they are within easy reach on foot or by a short trip.
What are the best beaches near Loggos?
Near Loggos, on the east coast, the best beaches are Levrechio, a pretty cove just south of the village, Marmari nearby, and Kipos, a lovely shaded bay a short walk away that is excellent for swimming and snorkelling in clear.
The tiny harbour village of Loggos, midway along the east coast, is surrounded by the prettiest coves on Paxos. Levrechio, a short stroll south of the village, is a classic small Paxos beach of pebbles and clear water. With a taverna behind, making it easy to combine a swim with a relaxed lunch.
Close by, Marmari is another compact, attractive cove in the same mould, while a slightly longer walk leads to Kipos. Widely regarded as one of the best beaches on the island for swimming and snorkelling. Set in a beautiful bay, Kipos is shaded by olive trees that reach almost to the water, a rare and welcome feature on the island.
These central coves are among the most characteristic beaches of Paxos, small, green-framed and gloriously clear, and their proximity to the tavernas of Loggos makes them a delight. For visitors based in or near the village, they offer easy, beautiful swimming within a short walk.
What beaches are near Gaios?
Near Gaios, in the south of Paxos, the beaches include the sheltered bays around Mongonisi, at the island’s southern tip, with its little linked islet and taverna, along with smaller coves along the coast, offering calm swimming close to the.
The capital, Gaios, lies on the south-east coast, and while it is a harbour town rather than a beach resort, there are good swimming spots within easy reach. The most popular lies at the southern tip of the island around Mongonisi. A sheltered bay with a small islet joined to the shore, calm shallow water and a taverna, popular for swimming and lunch.
Along the coast between Gaios and Mongonisi. On the little islets that shelter the harbour. Other small coves and rocky swimming spots can be found, offering clear, calm water in beautiful surroundings. These are easily reached from the town by road or on a short boat trip.
For the finest beaches, visitors based in Gaios often take a boat, whether to the coves further up the coast, to the dramatic west side of the island, or across to Antipaxos with its famous sandy beaches. The town’s position and its harbour make it an ideal launching point for exploring the whole coast.
Are there sandy beaches on Paxos?
Paxos has very few sandy beaches, as most of its coves are made of white pebbles that give the water its clear, turquoise colour.
Visitors hoping for long stretches of soft sand know that Paxos is fundamentally a pebble-beach island. The great majority of its coves are made up of white pebbles and shingle. While this is part of what makes the water so strikingly clear and turquoise. It means genuine sandy beaches are rare on the island itself.
The classic solution, and one of the most popular day trips from Paxos, is to take a short boat ride south to the tiny island of Antipaxos. Its celebrated beaches of Vrika and Voutoumi have soft white sand and shallow, brilliantly clear water, and are among the most beautiful sandy beaches in all of Greece.
They are only a short boat trip away from some of the finest sandy beaches in the Ionian. For visitors, combining the pebbly coves of Paxos with a day on the sands of Antipaxos gives the best of both.
What are the beaches on the west coast of Paxos?
The west coast of Paxos has beaches, a dramatic line of steep white cliffs facing the open sea.
The western side of Paxos is very different from the sheltered east, presenting a wild, spectacular face of steep white cliffs plunging into the open Ionian Sea. This exposed coast has almost no beaches, and the ones that exist are remote and dramatic rather than easy family strands.
The most celebrated is Erimitis, where huge white cliffs drop into deep blue water in one of the most striking coastal scenes on the island. It is a famous spot to watch the sunset, when the cliffs glow in the evening light. The swimming. For the more adventurous, is in deep, clear water below the crags.
Many of its bays and the sea caves along it are best seen from the water. Exploring this side of the island on a Paxos boat trip reveals scenery quite unlike the gentle coves of the east, and is one of the highlights of a stay on the island.
How do you get to the beaches of Paxos?
You reach the beaches of Paxos on foot from the villages, by local bus, taxi or hire car or scooter, or most enjoyably by boat.
Getting to the beaches of Paxos is easy, and how you do it depends on where you are staying and which cove you want. Many beaches lie within walking distance of the villages of Lakka, Loggos and Gaios. Reached by pretty paths through the olive groves, while others are a short trip by local bus, taxi, or a hired car or scooter.
The most rewarding way to reach the beaches, however, is often by boat. Hiring a small self-drive boat, for which no licence is needed on the smaller craft, lets you explore coves that no road reaches. Anchor in clear water and combine beaches in a day, including the sands of Antipaxos.
For those who prefer not to drive, water taxis and organised boat trips also serve the main beaches and the crossing to Antipaxos. Choosing where to base yourself, which our guide on where to stay in Paxos covers, helps put your favourite beaches within easy reach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Paxos have sandy beaches?
Paxos has very few sandy beaches of its own, as the island is characterised instead by small coves of white pebbles and shingle. While this disappoint those dreaming of long sandy shores, it is exactly these pebbles, combined with the clean, clear sea, that give the beaches of Paxos their beautifully clear, turquoise water. The coves along the sheltered east coast, near the villages of Lakka, Loggos and Gaios. Are the main swimming spots. Although pebbly, they are lovely places to swim and snorkel in crystal-clear water. For those who specifically want soft sand, the answer lies just a short boat ride away on the tiny neighbouring island of Antipaxos.
Whose beaches of Vrika and Voutoumi are famous throughout Greece for their white sand and shallow, dazzlingly clear turquoise water. Taking a day trip from Paxos to the sands of Antipaxos is one of the most popular excursions in the area. Combines perfectly with exploring the pebbly coves of Paxos itself. So while Paxos is not the island to choose if you want to walk straight from your accommodation onto soft sand, its clear-watered coves are beautiful in their own right. The finest sandy beaches in the region are within very easy reach by boat.
Which is the best beach in Paxos?
There is no single best beach in Paxos, as the island’s appeal lies in its many small, beautiful coves, each with its own character. A few stand out as favourites. Monodendri, on the east coast near Loggos, is the island’s most organised beach, with sunbeds. Clear swimming and a lively beach-bar atmosphere, making it a popular choice for a full day by the sea. Kipos, a short walk from Loggos, is widely regarded as one of the finest beaches for swimming and snorkelling. Set in a lovely bay and unusually shaded by olive trees growing down to the shore.
Near Lakka in the north, the shallow, turquoise coves of Harami and Kanoni are especially loved by families for their easy. Safe swimming, while Levrechio and Marmari near Loggos are classic pretty Paxos coves with tavernas close by. For drama rather than swimming, Erimitis on the west coast is unbeatable, its towering white cliffs and deep blue water making it a famous sunset spot. Which is best really depends on what you are looking for, whether that is organised facilities, family-friendly shallows. Snorkelling, or spectacular scenery. Part of the joy of a stay on Paxos is exploring the coves to find your own favourite.
Are the beaches of Paxos good for families?
Most of the beaches of Paxos are good for families, particularly the sheltered. Shallow coves along the east coast and in the north of the island, though the pebbly nature of the shores is worth bearing in mind. Near Lakka, the shallow, turquoise beaches of Harami and Kanoni are among the most family-friendly on the island, with calm. Clear water that is easy and safe for children. A small taverna nearby that makes a full day at the beach possible.
The organised beach at Monodendri, with its sunbeds and beach bar, is also convenient for families wanting facilities, while the coves near Loggos, such as Levrechio and Kipos, offer clear, calm swimming, with Kipos providing welcome shade from olive trees. Because the beaches on Paxos are pebbly rather than sandy, water shoes are a sensible thing to pack for comfort and to protect little feet. For families who really want soft sand, a short boat ride to the shallow, sandy beaches of Vrika on neighbouring Antipaxos is ideal for young children. Overall, with their sheltered, clear and generally calm water. A good choice of coves with tavernas nearby.
The beaches of Paxos and Antipaxos make a lovely and largely relaxed setting for a family holiday by the sea.