Paxos Yacht Anchorages: The Complete Guide

Paxos sits in the Ionian.

The Ionian is mild in summer, with a northwesterly afternoon sea breeze (the Maistro) that builds in the afternoon and eases overnight; katabatic gusts can fall into some bays at night.

It is the gentlest of the Greek cruising grounds.

This guide covers the island's main anchorages with the practical detail charterers and captains actually use: depth where a published cruising source documents it, holding, and shelter direction.

Where a figure was not documented we say so rather than guess.

Paxos is pretty and sheltered but very crowded with charter fleets in July to August.

Ashore: The pastel Venetian-style villages of Gaios, Lakka and Longos, St Nicholas island's Venetian castle, and the west-coast sea caves (Ypapanti).

Paxos is the middle of the family week we write most often.

It is 35 nautical miles south of Corfu on our distance table and 50 north of Lefkada, so a Corfu loop makes it the third night and a Lefkada loop the far end; the longest leg either way is done in the morning calm.

The four anchorages here are three to eight metres over sand or mud, which is the water a catamaran was built for: it draws little, barely rolls, and lies in Lakka's three to four metres where a monohull anchors outside.

Antipaxos, a few miles south, adds Voutoumi at five to ten metres and Vrika at four to eight, both over sand and both for settled weather.

On the Greek Charter Index 2026 a fully crewed sailing catamaran for eight runs from EUR 17,000 a week at 15 metres and EUR 18,900 to 48,000 at 16 to 19, per yacht before VAT and APA; ARIVA, a Fountaine Pajot Power 67 with five cabins for ten, is based in Corfu on her own listing at EUR 34,000 to 48,000.

One in six enquiries on this desk in the 2026 season came from a family, and the Ionian is where we route children under ten.

Where can a yacht anchor at Paxos?

Paxos has 4 anchorages in this guide: Port Gaios (main harbour, E coast), Port Lakka (N coast), Mongonisi (SE), Port Longos. Each entry below gives depth, holding, shelter direction and what is ashore.

How deep are the anchorages at Paxos?

Port Gaios (main harbour, E coast) 6-8m; Port Lakka (N coast) 3-4m; Mongonisi (SE) 3-6m; Port Longos 3-4m. Depths are typical sand-bottom anchoring depths; the captain drops on current chart data.

What is the holding like at Paxos?

Port Gaios (main harbour, E coast): Mud and weed, good. Port Lakka (N coast): Sand, good (weedy and deeper to the south). Mongonisi (SE): Mud, good. Port Longos: Sand and weed, good.

When is the best time to anchor at Paxos?

Paxos is the busiest small island in the Ionian in July and August: Gaios and Lakka fill with charter fleets by late afternoon, and the crew that wants the quay arrives early. The prevailing summer wind is the north-westerly afternoon sea breeze, the Maistro, which builds after midday and eases overnight; Longos is poor in it, Lakka uncomfortable when it blows hard, Gaios and Mongonisi fine. May, June and September are the months the island is itself, and on the Greek Charter Index the shoulder months price 15 to 25% below peak on the same rate card with three to four months of lead time rather than a year. The Meltemi never reaches here.

What does the captain plan around at Paxos?

The day is planned around the breeze. Antipaxos in the morning, Voutoumi at five to ten metres or Vrika at four to eight, both adequate from the north-west and exposed from the south, then back to Paxos before the Maistro builds: Gaios behind St Nicholas island, six to eight metres in the channel with mud and weed holding, for the town; Mongonisi, three to six metres over mud with good shelter, for the quiet night; Lakka, three to four metres over sand, when the forecast is light. Longos is a settled-weather berth for the pretty village dinner and nothing more. The 35 miles to Corfu and the 50 to Lefkada are morning passages. Depths and holding here follow published cruising sources; the captain confirms the anchor drop against current charts on arrival.

Cyclades

Saronic

Ionian

Sporades

Dodecanese

Crete