Paxos, Antipaxos & Blue Caves Day Cruise from Corfu

The from-price is $51 per person. That covers the boat, the crew, the route into the blue caves, the swim stop off Antipaxos and about two hours in Gaios. Live guiding in English, German, French and Italian runs on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and a Monday departure carries audio guides in Romanian and Spanish.

What is extra

Lunch, drinks, snacks and towels are not included. Food and drinks are sold on board, and most people eat in Gaios during the free time. Optional hotel pickup from north and central Corfu costs extra on top of the fare, and the pickup time is emailed 48 hours before departure.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and reserve-now-pay-later is offered.

Fine print worth knowing

No minimum age is stated, but children must be with an adult. The trip is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments. Difficulty is easy and swimming is optional.

The schedule can change with the weather, and the captain sets the swim stop on the day.

The boat leaves Corfu port and heads south to Paxos, the smallest of the main Ionian islands at about 25 square kilometres. The west coast is where the famous caves sit, under high white cliffs. The boat enters the Paxos blue sea caves and stops inside for photos.

Nobody swims in the caves, because they are a habitat of the Mediterranean monk seal.

Antipaxos swim stop

Next comes Antipaxos, the small island just south of Paxos. You get 50 to 70 minutes swimming off Mesovrika or Voutoumi beach, weather permitting. The captain picks the beach on the day, so the stop can move if the wind does.

Gaios free time

The last stop is Gaios, the main port of Paxos, for about 120 minutes of free time. That is the window for lunch, since nothing is included on board. Travellers highlight the clear water and the caves, though some say the balance would be better with more swim time and less time ashore.

The day in list form:

• Boat enters the Paxos blue sea caves for photos, no swimming inside
• 50 to 70 minute swim stop off Mesovrika or Voutoumi beach on Antipaxos
• About 120 minutes of free time in Gaios village
• Optional coach pickup from north and central Corfu
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure

This is a large shared cruise boat with a bar, the biggest crowd in this catalog at 4,378 reviews. No exact group size is stated. The busier deck is the price of the $51 fare, so stake out a spot early or plan to move around.

Bar drinks are extra.

How the pickup works

Hotel pickup is optional and covers north and central Corfu. The exact time is emailed 48 hours before departure. The transfer itself takes 20 to 90 minutes each way, so a pickup in the far north turns a boat day into a very long one.

If you stay near Corfu Town, walking to the port is the simplest plan and keeps the day closer to the shorter end.

The listing gives 7 to 12 hours door to door, and the spread is almost entirely about the pickup. Add the coach leg on both ends and you are at the top of the range. Walk to the port and the day shrinks toward the bottom.

The fixed points are boarding from 07:40 to 08:10 and a departure at 08:20. No return time is stated, so the evening arrival back at the port depends on traffic and your pickup zone. If you book a pickup, plan nothing else for that evening.

On board the timings are generous by comparison: about two hours in Gaios plus 50 to 70 minutes in the water off Antipaxos. That is more shore time than most short Corfu trips give you, but less swim time than the semi-private speedboat layout.

This is the right pick if price is the main thing and you want all three classic stops: the caves, an Antipaxos swim and time in Gaios. It also fits people staying outside Corfu Town, because it is one of the few listings with optional hotel transfer. Families with children can go along, as long as an adult is with them.

Think twice if you dislike crowds, since this is the busiest boat on the list. It is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments. If you want a quiet deck, the semi-private speedboat caps at 20 guests, and if you want lunch handled, the wooden boat cruise includes it.

The obvious rival is the semi-private speedboat from Lefkimmi, which runs the same islands with 20 guests at most and drinks included, at more than twice the price. The table below puts this listing next to the closest alternatives in the catalog. Figures current for Q3 2026.

Boarding runs from 07:40 to 08:10 and the boat sails at 08:20, so arrive at Corfu port inside that window. If you booked the coach pickup, watch your email 48 hours ahead for the exact time. Bring swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and cash for lunch in Gaios and for the bar.

Booking rules

Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. Reserve now and pay later is available. No minimum age is stated, but children must travel with an adult.

The trip is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments.

Weather and the swim stop

The schedule can change with the weather, and the captain sets the swim stop on the day, so the Antipaxos beach may swap between Mesovrika and Voutoumi. Remember that the caves themselves are photo stops only. The Paxos sea caves are a habitat of the Mediterranean monk seal, and swimming inside is not part of this trip.

Port notices for Corfu, including the main passenger port where this cruise boards, are published by the Corfu Port Authority.

Booking this cruise is a short process once you know what each step involves. The from-price is $51 per person and it covers the boat seat, not food or towels. Everything you need sits in a few choices at checkout, then a couple of checks before the day itself.

• Choose your date and your option: the cruise itself from Corfu port, or the version with coach pickup from north and central Corfu, or the Lefkimmi port option. Pickup is optional and the price starts at $51 per person.
• Reserve now and pay later. This listing allows it, so you can hold seats without paying on the spot. Note the final cost rises with any pickup option and with extras on board.
• Check the cancellation rule before you confirm. Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance gets a full refund, so keep that deadline in mind if your plans are loose.
• Wait for the pickup email. If you chose the coach transfer, your exact pickup time arrives 48 hours before the trip, and the road leg can run 20 to 90 minutes.
• Read your ticket for the port details. The boat leaves Corfu port at 08:20 and boarding runs 07:40 to 08:10, so aim to arrive early in that half-hour window.
• Do a weather check the day before. The listing states the schedule can change with the weather and the captain sets the swim stop on the day, so keep your morning flexible and your phone on.

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• After booking, the main job is the day before. Confirm you have the pickup email if you asked for the coach, and plan your route to the port. A pickup from the far north can add up to 90 minutes each way, so the whole day runs 7 to 12 hours door to door. Bring cash or card for lunch in Gaios and for the bar on board, since food, drinks and towels are not included in the ticket.

Going to the wrong port

This boat leaves from Corfu port in Corfu Town, with a separate Lefkimmi port option. Travellers sometimes confuse it with boats from Corfu Old Port or Lefkimmi that other Paxos listings use. The fix is simple: read your ticket, confirm which port your option names, and remember boarding at Corfu port runs 07:40 to 08:10 for an 08:20 departure.

Assuming lunch and towels are covered

The ticket includes neither food, drinks nor towels. There is a bar on board and about 120 minutes of free time in Gaios village for lunch, but both cost extra. Budget for a meal in Gaios and pack your own towel for the swim stop, or you will be buying everything at top price on a boat day.

Underestimating the road to the port

If you skip the coach pickup and drive yourself from the far north of Corfu, the transfer alone can be a long haul. The listing allows 20 to 90 minutes for the coach leg, which shows how spread out the island is. The fix is to pick up the coach option, or leave enough time to reach Corfu port well before the 07:40 boarding window opens.

Booking a day with no weather buffer

The schedule can change with the weather, and the captain chooses the swim stop on the day itself. Guests who book this on their final morning have no room to move if things shift. Book a day with a spare day around it, use the free cancellation up to 24 hours before if the forecast turns, and expect swimming to happen off Mesovrika or Voutoumi, never inside the caves, where nobody swims.