There is a delightful contrast of colours in the narrow, flagstoned streets of Paxos: whitewashed walls; pastel coloured shutters; multi-coloured café bar sun umbrellas; crimson and purple bougainvillaea; passion flower vines; oleander trees; potted plants on Venetian balconies and shop displays of fresh fruit.
The island resembles one vast garden thickly covered with olives planted by the Venetians over three hundred years ago and tall pine trees, which together descend to over 30 sheltered beaches on the east coast and the dramatic cliffs of the west coast. In the hills bracken and wild flowers, lilies, cyclamen and crocuses abound. The sea is crystal clear and clean. Views from Paxos of Corfu, the mainland of Greece nine miles away and along the island of Paxos itself, are outstanding. AntiPaxos, the little vineyard island just one mile off the tip of Paxos, has only 30 inhabitants and some of the loveliest sandy beaches in the Mediterranean.
For those who like exploring by boat or on foot, there are on Paxos and AntiPaxos grottoes, caves, tiny unpopulated islands, uninhabited villages, ancient fortresses. A visit to the mainland village of Parga allows one to be taken up the ancient River Styx by a local fisherman.
