Paxos, Ionian Sea, Greece

Paxos (or, Paxi) is directly below Corfu and shares a similar weather pattern, wet throughout Winter with abundant sun and strong green growth on the islands during spring and summer. Paxos is part of the Paxi Island group, which are: Paxi, Antipaxi, Agios Nikolaos, Kaltsonisi, Panagia.

A Short History of Paxos

Paxos has been controlled through history by a number of forces, and ancient Greek texts list the island as Πάξοι" (Paxoi). The island shows up in Roman and Byzantine history (for example, Dio Cassius' Roman History, around 230–235 AD) as a strategic location for military purposes. From the 14th century until 1797, the island was under Venetian control. The Venetians fortified the island and constructed forts, most which still exist today, such as the "Old Castle in Gaios" Κάστρο Παλιό (Kastro Palio).

The Venetians left a lasting mark on the island’s food, culture, and especially architecture. Many local customs and traditions on the island still show a significant trace of the era of Venetian rule.

The island was ceded to France under the Treaty of Campo Formio in 1797. Later, the island was under British control from 1809 to 1864 as part of the United States of the Ionian Islands, a British protectorate, a semi-independent territory that allowed Britain to exert influence over its foreign relations, defense, and sometimes internal affairs, while the local rulers or governments retained control over day-to-day matters. The British influence is still detected on the island, such as infrastructure work like the harbor and road system.

In 1864, following the unification of Greece and the official end of protectorate status, Paxos officially became part of the Greek state. For most of the 20th century, Paxos was considered a relatively small and isolated island that relied upon agriculture, especially olives, for the island’s economy.

For the last decades, though, Paxos has become increasingly popular for tourism, and development has been in progress to build up that economic engine.

Related: Islands of Greece

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