Paxos () is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, lying just south of

Corfu Corfu ( , ) or Kerkyra (, ) is a Greece, Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands; including its Greek islands, small satellite islands, it forms the margin of Greece's northwestern frontier. The island is part of the Corfu (regio ...

. As a group with the nearby island of

Antipaxos Antipaxos (, ) is a small island (5 km2) in Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest ...

and adjoining islets, it is also called by the plural form Paxi or Paxoi (, pronounced in English and in Greek). The main town and the seat of the municipality is Gaios. The smallest of the seven main

Ionian Islands The Ionian Islands (Modern Greek: , ; Ancient Greek, Katharevousa: , ) are a archipelago, group of islands in the Ionian Sea, west of mainland Greece. They are traditionally called the Heptanese ("Seven Islands"; , ''Heptanēsa'' or , ''Heptanē ...

(the Heptanese), Paxos has an area of , while the municipality has an area of and a population of about 2,500. Paxos lies some 15 km from the southern tip of Corfu and at about the same distance from the town of Parga on the mainland. It is connected by ferry lines from Igoumenitsa and

with Gaios. The island is hilly, the highest point having an elevation of 230 m. In

Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

Poseidon Poseidon (; ) is one of the twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and mythology, presiding over the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 He was the protector of seafarers and the guardian of many Hellenic cit ...

created the island by striking Corfu with his trident, so that he and his wife Amphitrite could have some peace and quiet.

History

Paxos is a historical island that has been inhabited since prehistoric times. According to tradition, the

Phoenicians Phoenicians were an ancient Semitic group of people who lived in the Phoenician city-states along a coastal strip in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily modern Lebanon and the Syrian coast. They developed a maritime civi ...

were the first settlers on Paxos, and it is believed that the name "Paxos" originated from the Phoenician word "Pax," meaning "trapezoidal." In ancient times, Paxos played a significant role, especially during the First Illyrian War in 229 BC when the Battle of Paxos was fought between the ancient Greek and Illyrian fleets. The account of this battle is documented in The Histories, a work by the ancient historian

Polybius Polybius (; , ; ) was a Greek historian of the middle Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , a universal history documenting the rise of Rome in the Mediterranean in the third and second centuries BC. It covered the period of 264–146 ...

. Paxos has been ruled by various conquerors, including the Romans in the 2nd century BC, pirates during the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

era and

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, and by Crusaders. Eventually, the Venetians gained control of the island at the end of the 14th century. During the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

, the Ionian Islands were occupied by the French and the Russo-Turkish alliance. However, Paxos surrendered to the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

frigate HMS ''Apollo'' and 160 troops from the 2nd Greek Light Infantry from Cephalonia and the 35th Regiment of the Royal Corsican Rangers on February 13, 1814. The United Kingdom established the Ionian Union in 1815, and in 1864, Paxos, along with the rest of the Ionian Islands, was ceded to Greece.

Geography

Paxos lies some 15 km from the southern tip of Corfu, and at about the same distance from the town of Parga on the mainland. The island is approximately long and up to wide, stretching in northwest–southeast direction. Much of the hilly landscape is covered in olive groves. These stretch from Lakka, the harbour community in the north, through Magazia to Gaios, the capital. Coastal communities of Gaios, Lakka and Longos on the east coast are the three main settlements, while the interior features numerous scattered hamlets. The west coast is dominated by steep white, chalky cliffs that are greatly eroded at sea level, and harbour many "blue caves". The highest point of the island is Agios Isavros at an elevation of 231 m. Several islets lie very close to the coast of Paxos: Agios Nikolaos and Panagia protect the harbor of Gaios, while Mongonisi and Kaltsonisi lie off the southeastern tip. Antipaxos lies some 5 km further southeast. The production of olive oil, soap manufacture and fishing were supplanted by tourism as the main industry in the mid-1960s, resulting in a construction boom, which has greatly altered the coastline around Gaios, the capital of the Paxiot ''demos'' (community).

Fauna

Reptiles and amphibians

Only a few articles have been published on the herpetofauna of Paxos and Antipaxos; the latest in 2014 and 2017, where the following reptile species were confirmed: '' Hemidactylus turcicus'', '' Mediodactylus kotschyi'', ''

Algyroides nigropunctatus The blue-throated keeled lizard (''Algyroides nigropunctatus''), or Dalmatian algyroides, is a species of lizard in the Family (biology), family Lacertidae. Description The maximum total length (including tail) is which makes it significantly ...

'', '' Hierophis gemonensis'', and '' Zamenis longissimus''. Earlier reports of '' Lacerta viridis'', '' Laudakia stellio'', and '' Platyceps najadum'' were not confirmed. No amphibians have been reported on the islands.

Province

The province of Paxoi () was one of the

provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...

of the Corfu Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality Paxoi. It was abolished in 2006.

Foreign residents

Among well known semi-permanent British inhabitants were Audrey Good, former commander of the UN refugee bases in

Epirus Epirus () is a Region#Geographical regions, geographical and historical region, historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay ...

following the

Greek Civil War The Greek Civil War () took place from 1946 to 1949. The conflict, which erupted shortly after the end of World War II, consisted of a Communism, Communist-led uprising against the established government of the Kingdom of Greece. The rebels decl ...

, actor Peter Bull (author of ''It Isn't All Greek to Me''), and actress Susannah York. Members of the Agnelli family (of

FIAT Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., commonly known as simply Fiat ( , ; ), is an Italian automobile manufacturer. It became a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014 and, in 2021, became a subsidiary of Stellantis through its Italian division, Stellant ...

fame) have built a palatial holiday home—complete with ''faux'' medieval tower—on a small island of ( Kaltonisi) situated near the southernmost tip ('the heel') of Paxos, close to the beach of Mongonissi. Paxos is part of a European network called Cultural Village of Europe. The annual Paxos Festival was founded by John Gough, and is now organised by the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a music school, music and drama school located in the City of London, England. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz al ...

in London, and attracts some of Europe's finest young performers. This festival events usually take place between June and September and are usually held in the disused school of Longos.

Transport

The island is serviced by combined passenger and vehicle ferries which operate year-round from the port of Igoumenitsa on the mainland of

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

(1.5 hours). In the tourist season hydrofoils, passenger ferries and sea-taxis operate from Corfu (1–2 hours). A hydrofoil passenger service operates outside the tourist season, but is infrequent and weather dependent. Winter visitors should anticipate occasional periods of isolation.

Climate

Communities and settlements

(nearby island) * Mogonisi (nearby island) *Panagia (nearby island) *Agios Nikolaos (nearby island) * Katsonisi (nearby island) * Apergatika * Argyratika * Arvanitakeika * Aronatika * Dalietatika * Gaios (seat) * Gramatikeika * Lakka (second-largest settlement) * Loggos (third-largest settlement) * Magazia * Makratika * Ozias * Platanos (or Fontana / Fountana) * Velianitatika (or Veliantatika) * Vlachopoulatika * Zenebissatika File:Paxos gaios square bgiu.jpg, Square of Gaios File:Mouseio Paxon.jpg, Museum of Paxos File:Paxoi - Nature pool.jpg, Paxi - Antipaxi coast File:Giorgos Anemogiannis 1821.jpg, Giorgos Anemogiannis monument 1821

References

External links

Paxos International Music FestivalThe Prefecture of Corfu official page
{{Authority control Populated places in Corfu (regional unit) Mediterranean port cities and towns in Greece Islands of the Ionian Islands (region) Islands of Greece Municipalities of the Ionian Islands (region) Provinces of Greece Septinsular Republic Phoenician colonies in Greece Landforms of Corfu (regional unit)