Paxos, Act 2: The Harbour Town of Gaios

I like Paxos. It is that kind of small, relatively tourist-free Greek island that makes you feel really comfortable and relaxed. I became smitten with this little island as soon as I set my eyes on the delightful pastel-coloured houses that lined its picturesque little harbour: it feels as though I had just stepped on shore onto one of those serene, rustic and paradise-on-earth kind of little Greek haven, the kind of Greece so often portrayed in novels and films. Sure, I had heard something about the beauty of Paxos before I arrived, but I had not envisaged it to be quite as nice, given that I was always a bit weary about islands which were reputed to be 'out of this world' by some of those run-of-the-mill travel guidebooks.

The unique thing about arriving by boat at Paxos's harbour town, Gaios, is that instead of arriving at a conventional open harbour, the ferry instead has to manevour its way through a very narrow inlet, before arriving at the inner harbour close to the centre of the town. This is because the entrance to the inner harbour of Gaios is separated from the much wider outer harbour by a small natural island by the name of Pontikonisi, which also acts as a natural breakwater to shelter the town of Gaios from heavy storms and waves in winter. It took quite a while before the captain of the ferryboat successfully docked the ferry at the landing pier of the inner harbour.

 

Although the harbour town of Gaios looks fairly quiet and subdued at the first glance, a short walk around its beautiful harbour front and inside its pretty little village centre would make most people fall for the charm of this photogenic little port.

Paxos, also known as Paxi, has a year-round population of about 2500, most of which live in the two major villages of the island: Gaios on the eastern side of the island, and Lakka on the northern part. Do not underestimate this little island though: Paxos may be small in both size and population, but this island ranks among one of the most expensive places in Greece to own a holiday home or some real estates. For decades, the island is home to many rich Italians and English upper-class, who spend their winter months in their palatial houses and luxury villas in the villages on Paxos. Even today, one can still discern that air of low-key, unspoken elegance and a slight sense of superiority prevalent in some quarters of Paxos. For a start, prices of hotel accommodation are far more expensive on Paxos than most other Greek islands, which is one of the reasons why most people could only afford to visit Paxos on a day-trip basis from one of the neighbouring islands.    

It is a real pity the day-trips from Corfu only stops for 2-3 hours on this beautiful island. I would have loved to spend more time on Paxos, to better explore its colourful villages and pretty streets, its amazing bays and coves, and to just spend one entire afternoon sitting at one of the harbour front cafes in Gaios doing nothing except for looking at the sea and the sky. 

The Greek Orthodox church in Gaios' main village square is painted in a very Italian-looking colour scheme  of pink-ochre and cream, not the usual blue-and-white Greek church one often associates with the Greek islands. Perhaps due to Paxos' longstanding historical relationships with Italy, Gaios often exudes a subtle yet unmistakable Italianate flaire, not unlike the way I feel on some of the Dodecanese Islands once controlled by Italy until their incorporation into Greece proper after the Second World War.  

One question which I often ask whenever I encounter a scenic little harbour town such as Gaios is, would the days still appear as serene and care-free in the winter months? Admittedly winter on the Ionian Islands are not as harsh, grey and bitterly cold as winter in Scotland or London, but to bear in mind that Gaios is in essence a small hamlet with less than perhaps 1000 long-term residents between October and April every year, I wonder how the ambience of this village would be like in the winter months, when the air is much brisk and rainy, and maybe half of the shops, cafes and taverns are closed? Given the reduced frequencies in the sailings per week between Corfu and Paxos in the winter season, would life on Paxos become insular, even claustrophobic?

How to get there:
There is no airport on Paxos, which is one of the reasons this island has managed to retain its air of exclusivity and charm by escaping from the grasp of modern mass tourism evident on many other Greek islands. Nearest airport is on Corfu.

During the summer months, regular daily ferries connect Paxos with Corfu and Igoumenitsa on the Greek mainland. In winter months, the ferry still operates, abeit at a reduced frequency of 3-4 sailings per week.

Check http://www.openseas.gr for the latest schedules.

Copyrights@2012. All text and photos by Illy the Shiba Inu. All Rights Reserved.