Arrival on Paxos

I was in a bit of a quandary of where to go after leaving Ioannina. I’d now booked my flight home from Corfu so it made sense to head back in that direction. I don’t think day trips ever give you a real sense of a place so I decided to go back to Paxos. Before leaving the apartment I ensured that it was ship-shape and orderly then headed to the bus station for the 9am bus. Whilst waiting I checked the ferry connections and there were two options available. The first boat was a direct boat to Paxos but it departed at the same time the bus arrived in Igoumenitsa – that would be cutting it too fine. The next option was to catch two boats via Lefkimmi, on Corfu. It’s a nice scenic journey so I didn’t mind the longer journey with a connection. I booked the latter online to play it safe.

The 1.5 bus journey from Ioannina took me back through the spectacular landscape I’d arrived by. Unfortunately, our driver had fallen out of bed on the wrong side today. Halfway through the journey, an elderly lady left her seat to sit in another one and the driver went crazy. He shouted at her and then he shouted some more. Just when we thought he’d finished his rant he’d start up again. His anger seemed to stay for the duration of the journey.

Interestingly, the bus went directly to the port. I wonder if I’d missed something on the way here and I could have caught the bus from the port. That would have saved me having to heave my luggage to the bus station. I’ll have to check this out for next time. Anyway, to my surprise, the ferry that I thought I wouldn’t be in time to catch was in the final stages of loading and boarding. Although I’d already bought my tickets for the later boats I ran to the ticket office to see if I was still in time to catch the direct ferry. Thankfully I could. I asked if this particular boat always connected with the bus. The lady in the ticket booth told me that it didn’t and I was very lucky – the bus had arrived earlier than usual. Hmmm – I daresay all thanks to our driver’s angry strop!

Well, that’s it for the mainland. Back to the islands for the remaining 10 days of my trip though I know I’ll be back to these parts in the near future.

I’m back on board the Agia Theodora! I must say that the boat journey through the Corfu straight is stunning! Whether travelling from the Diapontia or towards Paxos, you have a sense of connection to the Albanian and Greek mainland on one side and Corfu on the other. These sheltered waters are a yachters paradise as can be seen from the number of white-sailed vessels we pass along the way. I’ve booked a room in Lakka for 6 nights. My host Angela said she would meet me from the bus when I arrived in the village.

On the approach to the port of Gaios, modern villas tumble down deeply forested, dark green slopes which came to an abrupt halt at the quayside. As I was one of the last people to board the ferry I hadn’t seen how busy it was but a huge amount of cars spewed out of the ship. It was all rather frenetic so once I’d disembarked I waited until the majority of the traffic had passed before heading towards the town. I’d forgotten what a long walk it was from the port to Gaios. The tour boat I’d arrived on several weeks previously moored at the marina which sits between the port and the town – and even that was a trek! I had plenty of time.

Whilst dragging my luggage to the town, I met a young woman called Laurie who’d arrived on the same ferry. We fell into conversation and soon after we were joined by another lady called Jackie – the two of them had met on the boat. Jackie was also staying in Lakka and Laurie very bravely was going to camp wherever she could find somewhere suitable. The three of us headed to Gaios Town to fathom out the location of the bus stop. It wasn’t hard – it was in a small square a short walk from the harbourfront.

We waited at the bus stop until a cronky old bus came along and parked on the other side of the square. We weren’t sure whether this was ‘The’ bus but I hot-footed it over to ask. The driver asked if it was just me. I told him that it would be three of us – Laurie had decided to stay in Gaios but we’d been joined at the bus stop by a man who was staying on his yacht in Lakka. He pulled his face a bit but said it would be OK. And it was, until he saw that we had luggage with us!

This was the school bus, a large van filled with primary school children around 5 years of age. There was no way our luggage was going to fit on board. After huffing and puffing for a while, he got off the bus and opened up the back. There was just enough space for Jackie’s small case and my slightly larger but much heavier case. I had to lift it above shoulder height, which was a struggle. The driver had left us to it! Anyway, I got it in and we boarded and paid the driver an over-inflated price of 5€ per person. Later I found out that it should have been half the price. The important thing was that we got to our destination. We said our goodbyes to Laurie and squeezed into seats amongst the children who were very curious about us and we set off to Lakka.

The bus journey took us through a beautiful landscape that was rich and verdant and a little hilly but certainly not mountainous. We drove through small settlements occasionally stopping along the way to let the children off to waiting parents. After a stop at Laggos/Longos/Loggos (just some of the spellings I came across), we reached our destination. I summoned up all my remaining energy to heave my case out of the back – well that will teach me to not travel lightly!

Jackie and I waited in the square until my host Angela arrived to show me to my accommodation. She also gave Jackie directions to the place she was staying at just around the corner. I’m staying at Lefcothea Guest Rooms just set back from the harbourfront. The room is simple but immaculately clean. Two sets of doors open out onto each end of a long, thin balcony just wide enough to fit a small table and a chair. More importantly – an ample washing line that gets the sun. I was sure there’d be a launderette that caters for the yachters but it’s quicker and easier to do it myself. Besides, I’d made full use of the washing machine at the apartment in Ioannina before I left! Just below my balcony, I noticed there was a bakery. That was going to be very handy for my bougatsa fix. Greek bakeries are my biggest downfall!

See Tripadvisor reviews and book your stay by following the link below:

https://tripadvisor.tp.st/sJnKUpoH

Once unpacked I had a scout around Lakka to familiarise myself with the lay of the land. Lakka is small so it wasn’t too difficult to do. Whilst visiting for a day trip several weeks previously, our guide didn’t hesitate to reel off a long list of celebrity names who have holidayed on Paxos. From Morgan Freeman to Madonna and Angelina Jolie to – well the list is extensive. My concern was that the island would have been ’boutiquified’ to within an inch of its life and that type of place isn’t my cup of tea. I was relieved to see that Lakka felt very traditional and there was enough patina and decay for it to retain its charm. Many of the buildings were adorned in bright traditional Venetian colours that make them ‘pop’. I walked through several small squares surrounded by a cluster of shops and tavernas which had a ‘local’ feel about them. Yes, I think I made the right choice to stay in Lakka.

The cafe bars lining the harbour front were busy, mainly with yachters who have moored along the water’s edge. The vibe was Panama hats, with and without a neckerchief and flowing white linen. People-watching is the main activity – and who could blame them with a view like this! I prefer to be on the periphery of the action so I headed around to the western side of the marina.

Behind Fanis Bar, a set of stone steps sprouting lilac cyclamen leads me up and past the small chapel of St John and back down to two small coves. The first, Kanoni Beach is the smaller of the two with Harami Beach just a little further along. The beach is made up of white pebbles backed by a couple of gnarly olive trees. The white stone reflects the light of the sun giving the sea its unique turquoise colour – and it really is the deepest of turquoise.

Now in mid-October, the beach bars behind the beach are closed and the coves are deserted. I’m sure in peak season, these small beaches are very popular. It’s a nice place to stop for a while and admire the enchanting view.

After travelling from Ioannina early that morning I’d built up quite an appetite. It only dawned on me when my stomach began to complain that I realised I hadn’t eaten that day. A fabulous friend who knows Paxos well recommended that I dine at Restaurant Alexandros just off a small square – so that is where I headed. The restaurant is run by a lovely family of a mother and her two adult children. When I arrived I was made to feel very welcome and was directed to a seat under the vine-covered pergola. I ordered skordalia which came with a nice crusty bread and beef stifado. The skordalia was so smooth and the daughter told me that the potatoes are put through a potato ricer to give it that silky consistency. I will try this at home!

The stifado was top notch and I immediately decided to eat here again another day. The daughter (I’m kicking myself that I didn’t make a note of their names) told me that the season would be coming to an end and it would be their final night in two days. Once they have packed up they would be heading back to their winter home in Ioannina. I immediately reserved a table just in case – I’m sure there will be many people coming to give them a send them off.

Well Paxos, let’s see what else you’ve got. More tomorrow.

Similar Posts

3 Comments

  1. I’m so pleased you liked Lakka , despite the yachting fraternity and you got to eat at my favourite place x

    1. Ah Yes, Lakka was most definitely the right choice of place to stay. Although there’s probably not enough on Paxos to make me want to go back, I found the island beautiful and the people exceptionally kind – especially the lovely family that run Alexandros – thank you for the recommendation! ❤️

  2. I’ve always fancied Paxos but feel it might be too busy at the time of year when the weather is more reliable. You were very fortunate with the weather in October ! Stunning scenery.

Let me know what you think. ❤

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.