Paxi are located 7 nautical miles, in the south of Corfu (Kerkyra) and 8 nautical miles far from the Epirus coasts. It is a very picturesque island, with many caves, many churches, carved basins and sulphureous, thermal baths. The picturesque village of Gaios, protected by the two islets, Panaghia and Aghios Nikolaos, is the island’s capital. Paxos island is full of olive groves and Antipaxos island full of vineyards, but in both islands the exotic beaches have the first role. Small islands, where you will find a lot of beautiful places to visit and admire.

Paxi Archaeological Sights and Castles

Although Paxos is a small island, it has a long history. In general, the island had a common historic route to the neighbour Corfu (Kerkyra) (until their liberation, they were conquered successively by the Romans, the Venetians, the Frenchmen and the Englishmen).

The island, according to mythology, is a creation of Poseidon (Neptunes), the god of sea, who cut, with his trident, the southern tip of Corfu and created Paxos, his love refuge with Amphitriti. That is why the trident is the island’s emblem.

Homer is the first who referred at Paxos, saying that its residents had come from Epirus. Phoenics, who had their colony at Kefalonia, were probably the first to settle in the island.

As for the word’s etymology, according to Stravonas, it comes from the Phoenician word “PAKS”, which means geometrical trapezium, island with a trapezium shape, whilst, others consider that it is named after the latin pax, which means peace, crowned with an olive branchlet.

Paxi Churches and Monasteries

At Paxos island there were 39 churches in 1686, 45 in 1739 and 51 in 1781. Today, on the island there are 64 churches of which two are early Christian churches of the 6th century (Aghia Marina-Aghios Stephanos at Porto Ozias). All of them have architectural and artistic details, like marble templons, doors, windows, bell towers, icons of great artistic and archaeological value and remarkable frescoes. They are all remarkable monuments of the island.

Paxi Museums and Historical Monuments

Small Paxi islands, with their long history, have only one museum, the Historic Folklore museum at Gaios, with exhibits that reveal the history of the island, as they include findings dating at the prehistoric and classical ages, up to the period of the Balkan Wars and World War II. One of the most important exhibits is the Decree of the Ionian Parliament for the unification of the Ionian Islands to the Greek State in 1864.

Paxi Settlements and Destinations

In Corfu (Kerkyra), Paxi and Diapontia islands, there are more than a hundred villages and settlements. Some villages have remains and traces of the archaic or roman era, some are influenced by the Byzantine period, the Venetian period or the traditional architecture of the 18th, 19th and 20th century, but all of them are built in a beautiful green environment. Although, the landmark of Paxi islands is its caves, an ideal place for diving and swimming.

 

Paxi Sightseeing Photos

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