Paxos Greek Island Walks - Guides for Holiday Walking on Ionian Paxos

Paxos Walking Guides and Photos describe walks in and around Gaios, Trypitos Arch, Moggonissi, Logos, Lakka, Kaki, Lagada, Fontana and Kapiadi - also Anti-Paxos.

The Small Greek Ionian Island of Paxos may not be so very big as Greek Islands go but there are loads of tracks, walled paths and trails available for holiday walking/hiking (and plenty to photograph), certainly enough to ensure you do not run out of something new over a couple of weeks. On top of that the countryside is excellent with the bonus of loads of old sterna's, olive presses and ruined and semi-ruined churches to explore and photo whilst out sightseeing or walking. The week before we arrived for our holiday on Paxos the island had received a good heavy rain-storm and this had kicked much of the fauna back into life so that there were many shrubs and flowers showing everywhere up in the hills.

Paxos is not flat, something you soon find out after just a few miles of hiking. Some of the coastal edge walks involve reasonably hard climbing as you go in and out of the coves - maybe it would not be quite so nice during a hot August but it was fine in a 25 degree September. As is normal with a Greek island there is always the opportunity to stop and have a chat with various people, another of the nice things about Greece.
Getting to somewhere for a walk on Paxi is quite easy with the bus generally running to schedule or you can get a taxi to your start point - the taxis are based at Gaios town square and one can be found sometimes on the edge of Lakka near the bus stop. Having a car in Paxos seemed quite pointless - there is nowhere to drive really that the bus does not cover.

The Paxos walks described here cover hiking on tracks, walled paths and trails going to coves, beaches and coves plus a lighthouse visit. Our walks listed below are for guidance rather than guaranteed to be correct route instructions because as anyone who walks on Greek Islands will know things can change - "things" being an appearance of a bulldozer and a new track etc. however where any "funny bits" have occurred there is reasonable detail. There is an excellent map available for the island showing most of the paths and tracks.
We have included quite a few pictures with the walk details but please also check out our main Paxos page where there are a few more pictures of the Island.

Gaios - Trypitos Arch - Moggonissi. Leaving Gaios by the bus station take the road (soon passing the Alexandros apartments ) towards Makratika and after around 10 minutes uphill you reach the Ozias turnoff and just past this on the bend you find a Taverna on your left. Walk through the Taverna and then the footpath is on your right. This footpath winds round behind the church and then rejoins the Ozias road. Turn right (but first maybe just go left a little and look at the ruins) and after a few yards go right again on a cobbled trail which climbs to Vellianitatika. Straight ahead at the junction go past the shrine and the campanili of the church and then you will see the church itself. Take the alley on the left opposite the back of the church which then winds between houses, turn left at the cross track and then follow the footpath to the cliffs.

Once you have had a browse around the cliffs return back the same way as far as the junction and turn right. The next bit is quite fiddly to get through - pass the houses then turn left on a dirt path circling a house with a garden, at the junction turn right along a driveway, take the first path on your right and you come to another junction which actually looks like a Square. Head right towards the coast and after about 15 minutes you reach the cliffs above Mouzmouli Bay. Return back to the Square-like junction and take the alley to the right and then leave this by an olive press to take a concrete lane for just a few yards uphill to some houses. On the right take a footpath which is signposted to a ruined windmill/scheduled monument. Once you reach the windmill and have had a look round and of course taken it's picture, looking from the windmill towards the coast take a footpath on the right which brings you after about five minutes to a junction by a hut with a blue door. Turn right here and then at the next junction turn right again towards Trypitos Arch (this is signposted). It is quite reasonable to climb down to the arch as long as you take care and if you are nuts like my wife you can also walk across it.
Eventually return to the junction and turn right and then there is a really fine high walled track which goes along the coast. If you want to return to Gaios at this point take the second track left back to Ozias and then follow the road back to Gaios. Otherwise continue on the track and eventually you come across a house on your left, just past this house you come to a junction where you take the road towards Ozias, but turn off right at the next junction. At a crossroads turn right towards Ag. Stephanos ruins - continue along this track until you reach the coast at Porto Ozias.

Turn right and walk round to Moggonissi beach (here you can get a boat back to Gaios) or you can walk back to Gaios along the coast road.

Gaios to Loggos. From Gaios take the New Port road along the harbour and simply continue along the coast road (stay right at the Bogdanatika turnoff) passing several small beaches until you reach Kaki Lagada beach, which is of course pebbles, has some shade with seats and is quite a nice little stopping place.
From here to Fontana you have two choices:
Keep to the main road with maybe a divert around the reservoir (on the basis that if it's there then walk round it..) and simply continue on to Fontana (there is a Taverna at the next road junction), or
At the far end of the beach you will see a large house and a path goes UP the side of this house alongside a wall and joins the track at the top. You basically stay on this track as it continues bearing right and eventually you come to a T-junction where you turn left and follow this track - ignoring any turn-offs until you reach the Fontana-Loggos road (near Ag. Jacob). (Note: there is a really pleasant Taverna about five minutes along on the left).
Otherwise turn right and follow the main road as it winds it's way downhill to a road junction on a sharp bend where you will see three broad tracks - take the left-hand track which passes the village sterna and church and then at a crossroads turn right to Kapiadi beach following the signs. Return back to the crossroads and turn right and after a while you pass the Villa Chryssa - about 50-60 yards from the Villa spot a pair of round concrete gate posts, take a path to the left of these gateposts and follow along this path - down steps - after about another 30 yards you will see a path branching off to the right, go up this (more steps) alongside a garden wall and this leads you to Marmari beach after a few minutes.
From here return back to the path junction, turn right and this will lead you to Levrechio beach, which has a Taverna. Walk along the beach and soon join the road into Loggos

Loggos to Lakka. This walk will get your legs going a bit since it involves a lot of ups and downs - the walk includes a really lovely path which takes you down to Orkos beach.Leave Loggos on the broad path behind the old soap factory and after a few yards take the flight of steps on the left, then almost immediately turn left on a path which will lead you up to a derelict windmill. Continue on circling the garden wall on your left (with a view of Phykia beach on your right) and soon see the remains of a second windmill - keep going until you reach a lane on the outskirts of Dendiatika. Opposite the junctions are the Antigone apartments, go down the alley to the left of them and continue on the alley at it twists right and left until after a short uphill section you turn down hill at a fork and follow this path as it winds down to the beach at Glyfada Bay.

Go the far end of the beach and find a path leading back inland (a few yards uphill there should be a path on the right leading to Monodentra beach but we could not access this since it was fenced off). Therefore follow the path steeply uphill (being careful since we found it very slippery), until it joins a main wide track which you follow further inland back to the road. Turn right and continue past Ag. Dimitrios until you pick up the main road on a bend.
Turn right and follow the main road until you arrive at a road junction where you keep right - continue on this road until you see a wide track signposted Monodentra beach - simply follow this down eventually to the beach. This beach is quite large and has a Taverna and sun beds etc.

Leave the beach at a watercourse at the far end of the beach and a few yards up look out for a small path on your right which takes you up and out of the gully. After climbing steeply for about 15 minutes you come to some olive trees - continue on upwards and eventually you will see a house on your left and also a red junked car in front of you. You are now on a broad track, turn left by this car and after around 400 yards reach a junction with a sign on the right indicating Lakkos beach - continue down to the beach. Note this is a very very steep concrete track and ultimately steps down to the beach - you have to come back this way and its knee breaking UP on the concrete. Return the same way and at the junction now turn right and follow this wide track - keeping straight on at the crossroads - until you reach a T-junction where you turn right and after a few yards turn right again on a path taking you down through beautiful scenery to Orkos beach.
Turn left along the beach and take the path at the side of the Juventus Kraal, following it up and out of the beach. After going along - eventually with a wall on your right - be certain to turn sharp right when the wall does, do not continue straight on. Eventually come out onto a track turn right and after a few yards see a track on the left which winds down to Arkoudaki beach - this was also a very pleasant track to walk on.
From the beach you can either go to the rocks and take a headland path round and into Lakka or you can return the way you came in by going back to the track and turn right - then at a T-junction turn right and then left at the next junction - this will take you back down into Lakka.

Lakka to Lakka. Head towards the western end of Lakka port and go up the steps between the two tavernas, continue along the coast passing two beaches - then head straight up on a goat's path to the top of the hill to join a broad track. Turn left and follow this track to a T-junction and then turn right to go towards the lighthouse which should be in view.
Now return back to the T-junction but keep straight on and after a few yards take the broad track on your right which leads to Plani beach - very worth visiting - usually deserted and ideal for a nude sunbathe and swim if you wish.

On the left end of the beach (facing the sea) you can climb onto the rocks and walk along to rock tables and various rock formations, also if the sea is rough get good a view of the waves as they crash into these rocks. Return up the track but turn right when you reach the top. The track then undulates on its way through Delietatika, Vasilatika and eventually arrives at the Venetian villa - the scenery through here - as in fact throughout this part of the walk is really good and it gets possibly better. Go under the Arch and turn right in front of the ruined villa and follow the track on to the cliff top. Return to the villa and turn right at the bottom of the steps and head along a beautiful walled path which meanders along the countryside.
Eventually you arrive at a wide newly bulldozed track where you turn right towards the cliff edge, follow this path as it goes round Ipapanti Cove often very very close to the cliff edge - the views from here are really good. Watch out for the derelict windmill on your left - walking to this is a bit prickly to say the least because of heavy thorn undergrowth but if its there then you need to see it of course..

Eventually emerge onto a broad track, turn left and walk down it for about five minutes then just before the track curves left there is a small path on your right - this path takes you past some ruins and a church (where we sat on a wall for a while watching wild bees in a tree hive). Go on past the church and continue to a junction with a small road - keep left and go round and through some houses and keep following the small road through Manesatika - keep going down and round to eventually arrive at the far side of Grammateika where you will see the Campanili Ipananti.
From here go past the church (perhaps take a look at the spring on the left but watch out because it's quite slippery here) and then turn right, follow the path for a few minutes and then take the steps down between a couple of houses which takes you to a lane where you head left and eventually arrive at the Lakka road.
Turn left and Lakka is around 15 minutes way assuming you don't decide to have a wander around the reservoir on the way back - which of course we did.

Magazia - Lakka This walk starts in Magazia at the bus stop by the road junction. Walk downhill past the church and almost opposite the petrol station take a concrete track on the right which is signposted to St Apostle Church and follow this down hill until you reach a track on your right heading between a garage and a house (signposted). This track leads to some steps up to the church. If you walk through the churchyard you will find great views of Erimitis cliffs, also there is a taverna here but it is not always open apparently. On your way back when you reach the turnoff (about 2 minutes) descend to the right and take the track following the coast, which eventually will give you good views of Achia Bay and it's caves. Return to the main road, turn left and follow the road through Magazia - lookout for the olive press ruins on your left. Continue along the main road passing a shop and fire station until you come to a lane on your left next to the school which goes to Manesatika. Go down this lane and ignore a left turn but just keep going - this is a really picturesque part of the walk. As you come into Manesatika the lane forks, stay left and pass the church and a very tiny shop.

Just after this see a sign on the left marked for Sunset Path, worth a detour. Continuing along the road, past Sunset cafe, the road bends slightly to the right (ignore the gravel track on the left unless you want to have a look at the cliffs), the roads ends by a wall. Go left by this wall passing a church and some ruins and a little later you will see a house on your right. A (hard to spot) path goes sharp right through a wall gap - if you reach a main grassy track a few yards further on you have gone too far. This path descends very steeply through woods and eventually you see the Campanile of Ipapanti church coming into view. On reaching the T-junction at the edge of the trees turn right - shortly arriving at a small bridge on your left which leads up to the Campanile (however do walk straight on to take a look at the spring first). The bell tower is usually open and well worth climbing for the views.

Continuing on, walk up the road through the houses and after a few minutes step down between a couple of houses to join a driveway just below - this then leads down to the Manesatika lane where you turn left and follow the lane down to the main road - turn left here and go back to Lakka.

Gaios - Gaios. Leave Gaios on the Makratika road, continue past the Ozias turn on the left, and as the road bends sharp right you will see a track on your left between stone walls which goes to Vellianitatika. Bear right at the junction which brings you out alongside the village church. Continue past the church and join a narrow road where you turn left. Follow this lane going past the village of Fanariotatika (and it's church on your right) - carry on down this road as it becomes a stony track and when you get to the end, continue (left) along a footpath beside a wall - this will brings you out at the cliff top at Khairos Point.  Return back as far as the church (now on your left) and as you pass  the village you will see a track on your left - the track starts as a stony/concrete surface but as it continues it becomes a dirt track. Continue along this until you come to Agrilas (Avlaki Creek), where the beach (at least when we visited) was quite clean and a nice place for a picnic and a swim if you so wish - the water was crystal). Return back up the track and at the end of it turn left on the road.

As you get to the junction (not quite back to the   church) continue on along the road as it bears left and follow it until you come to a very sharp curve to the right - take the alley descending to the left through houses, and emerge on the main road. Turn left on the main road and soon come to the Venetian church of IIConde (Pantocratoras) - you are now in Makratika. Go through the campanile (but first have a good look round - lovely arches and stonework), then keep straight ahead   past a hen-hut, onto a well-defined grassy lane through the olives groves - which eventually becomes a path. Reach some unusual buildings (nobody seems to know what they were used for) and take their photo. The path does continue for a little further but is just a dead end - it used to go on down to the beach but is now blocked off. Return back to the IIConde, turn left and follow the main road to Bogdanatika junction and turn right here to return to Gaios..

Magazia to Lakka (2). This walk starts at the bus stop at Magazia and takes you on the west coast of Paxos to eventually arrive at Lakka.
From the bus stop go back to the junction (few yards) and turn right on the main road to go through Magazia. Take a left hand junction by the school and take this lane to Mitsialatika (ignoring paths etc to the left until you reach the houses). At the Mitsialatika junction turn left going past the church and a small shop and continue past the Sunset cafe. Take the next turn on the left and take this stony/rubbley road to until it starts to bend right in a quite open space, where you take a narrow path straight ahead.
This leads you along the cliffs around Yapapati cove - this is a lovely little track. You come to a wide bull-dozed track - go straight-ish along this track (do not turn right) and after a few minutes you come to a footpath on the left - take this path which goes between stone walls and at the end of it you will see the Venetian villa on your left. Option here is to walk up the steps and along the front of the villa and go to the cliffs).
Continue right going past some houses and you come to a junction - (option here take a left hand track to walk to Petratiaka and back (this diversion is certainly well worth the effort)).

Otherwise continue straight on and wind your way along this really attractive road as it undulates its way to Delietatika. From here you can extend the walk to Plani beach and the lighthouse or take the path through the houses and down the steps back into Lakka.

Gaios - Geramonachos - Loggos; This walk takes you up to the deserted village (now actually being re-built and re-settled) and then to Fontana and then onto Loggos via Zenolissatika and Anemoyianatika.

At the bus station facing inland turn right to cross the water course and pass the church and head towards the British Cistern, pass left in front of this Cistern and follow the steps up to the main road. Turn right and follow the road for a couple of minutes and just as it turns to left you will see a steep concrete path on the left, take this and follow it upwards past two houses at which point it becomes a goat path. Continue up the hillside until you come to a wide track where you turn left and then right almost immediately.

A few yards along you will see a shrine on the left which looks like a porta-loo, anyway turn left here then wind your way through the deserted village of Geramonachos. It is really worthwhile spending time here to see the old sternas etc.
On the path continue along until you come to a house with a red door, bear left uphill and eventually turn left at a high stone wall, follow this path until it rejoins a track where you turn right. Follow this track past several houses until you reach the main road where you turn left and eventually meet the main road junction in Bogdanatika. Turn right and then keep right again at the next road junction, then as you come to a very sharp bend in the road take the gravel track ahead of you. Just before you reach some gates across the track turn left up a goats trail (bit difficult to spot but it is there). Make your way up this sometimes difficult trail until you clamber through a narrow v-shaped cleft with a pine tree in the middle, go left and after a few yards you will see a ruined building on your right and just beyond that a ruined wall, fork right and descend to the track below (which again is invisible for a while but it is there). Turn left on this track and eventually you will arrive at the main road where you should turn left passing the church and arrive at a junction with a Taverna where you could stop and have a drink..Continue on the main road towards Loggos and after about five minutes take the first concrete lane on your left (there is a small shrine on the roadside here), follow this lane to the houses and where it bears right pick up a path which goes across some ground to a wall, descend alongside this wall into the hamlet of Zernatika. Turn left on the concrete lane and when this swings down to the right stay left and after a couple of minutes the path ends outside a cottage with a garden gate, go right down some steps and join another lane below where you go left and pass through Kangatika.
At the junction just past the church turn left and simply follow this lovely little road as it winds its way down to join the main Loggos road. Turn right to Loggos.

Anti-Paxos. Anti-Paxos is reached by (mostly) fast boats from Gaios town harbour, with the boats starting at around 10am and no real need to pre-book. Due to the lack of sandy beaches on Paxos quite a few people go to Anti-Paxos each day since it does have two nice though not massive sandy beaches. We went during our first week with the plan to go again the following week, however the weather absolutely cracked up in our second week with very violent thunder and lightning storms and high winds - to the extent that for several days even the Corfu ferries were cancelled. Unfortunately the sea conditions never did become passive enough for the Anti-Paxos boats to be allowed to operate, nor did any of the round the island boats come out to play either. Our only walk therefore was from Vrika (the landing point on Anti-Paxos) down to the lighthouse at Akr Novoros - needless to say this is not a complicated walk since there is only one main track available. Having got off the boat at Vrika just walk to the other end of the beach and on the far side of the furthest Taverna you will find the track out. This quite rough track climbs up out of the beach, when you come to a main track on the left (this goes to Voutoumi beach (the other possible landing place by the Paxos ferry boats)), turn sharp right and continue up the hill.

Just keep walking towards and through the houses and their often really nice gardens, until you come to a three-way track and take the right-hand track which goes between high walls and soon passes a church.
You will come to a path going down to the right which is to the old British cistern, its quite a way down and hard work back up but well worth the diversion. Return back up the steps from the cistern, turn right and just keep going until eventually you reach the lighthouse. You can go round to the right of the lighthouse and pick up a well made path which  takes you down to the landing point where it is very possible to swim/snorkel etc. Return the same way - but if you have time you can go down to Agrapidia port. We did not have time so we returned past the church to the junction and turned right and then left at a small shrine and followed this track to the taverna above Voutoumi beach and had a nice cold beer (or two).
We then went down the steps (very steep and a lot of them too) to the beach and then took the track the other side back to Vrika.

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