Corfu to Paxos Boat Trip

"We left Corfu Town just after eight and the channel was flat calm the whole way, which our skipper said is not guaranteed in July. Vrika on Antipaxos was the highlight for me — the water shifts from pale jade to navy within about ten metres of shore and you can see your own shadow on the sand. Bring reef shoes, the pebbles are rounded but hot underfoot"

"The stretch along the west coast of Paxos is where this corfu to paxos boat trip earns its reputation — sheer white cliffs, sea arches, and caves where the light bounces off the seabed and turns the whole ceiling blue. Our captain cut the engine inside one of them and it was completely silent apart from water slapping the rock. Sit on the port side heading south for the best angle"

"Loved the hour we had in Gaios, all Venetian pastel houses and fishing boats tied along the channel behind Agios Nikolaos islet. My partner swam at Voutoumi while I wandered the backstreets and we both felt we got what we wanted out of the day. The Ionian light in late May is soft and the crowds had not fully arrived yet"

"The outbound crossing was smooth but the afternoon meltemi picked up and the ride back had some real slam to it — anyone prone to seasickness should sit midships and take something beforehand. Everything else about the paxos and antipaxos day cruise was well run and the crew handed out water without being asked. Antipaxos deserves more than the forty minutes we had"

"Early March meant a cold swim but almost nobody else at Voutoumi, and the visibility was extraordinary — I could count stones on the bottom from the boat ladder. The limestone cliffs on the west side of Paxos are much taller than photos suggest, easily a hundred metres in places. A quiet, uncrowded version of the trip"

"Our skipper pointed out the terraced olive groves running right down to the cliffs, some of the trees supposedly centuries old, which gave the corfu to paxos boat trip more depth than just beach hopping. Tripitos arch from the water is the image I keep coming back to. Take a hat, there is almost no shade on the upper deck in July"

"We went out of season and the Ionian was rougher and greener than the postcard blue, but the caves along the Paxos coastline were still dramatic and we had Gaios almost to ourselves. Fewer corfu to paxos boat trip tours run in February so check schedules carefully. The crew were relaxed and happy to talk about the islands"

"The anchorage off Vrika was the part everyone talked about afterwards — pale pebbles, water the colour of a swimming pool, and small boats scattered across the bay. Booking corfu to paxos boat trip tickets in advance meant we got a spot on the smaller catamaran rather than the large ferry-style boat, which made a real difference. Sea temperature in early June was warm enough to stay in for an hour"

"Winter light on the white cliffs is beautiful, low and warm by mid-afternoon, though the swim stops are short for obvious reasons. The channel between Corfu and Paxos took a little over an hour on our boat. Dress in layers, the wind on deck is colder than the air temperature suggests"

"A well-paced corfu to paxos boat trip tour with time in the sea caves, a stop in the harbour, and a long anchor off Antipaxos where the seabed is visible from the rail. August heat is serious by midday so the shaded lower deck fills fast — board early if you want it. The Ionian stayed calm both directions for us"