Sample journey · 9–11 days
Blue caves and calm coves: the Ionian islands with children
Corfu, Paxos & Antipaxos, Parga & Lefkada
Photo: Petar Lazarevic / Unsplash
Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.
The Ionian islands are a different Greece from the dry, white Cyclades: green with olives and cypresses, the sea usually calmer, the summer winds gentler. That makes them especially good for families, above all those coming to Greece for the first time. The journey begins on Corfu, whose old town, with its Venetian fortresses, French arcades and a cricket ground left by the British, shows how many rulers have passed through, and continues on the quiet north-east coast with its pebbled coves.
Next comes little Paxos, where the only real traffic is on the water and a boat takes you to sea caves and to the beaches of Antipaxos, where the water often looks like a swimming pool. From there to Parga on the mainland, with its castle above the harbour and a river children can wade between rock walls, and finally to Lefkada, joined to the mainland by a bridge. Transfers are short, most stops have two or three nights, and the stays, from villas with a pool to family apartments by the sea, are chosen so parents can relax and children have room to play.
The route
The journey
- Corfu Town
- Corfu's north-east coast
- Paxos
- Antipaxos
- Parga
- Lefkada
- Preveza
01Days 1–3 · Corfu Town
Fortresses, arcades and cricket
Two nights in or near Corfu's old town, a UNESCO World Heritage city. For children the highlight is the Old Fortress on its rocky headland: a bridge over the moat, tunnels and a view down over both bays. In the afternoon, the Spianada, where cricket is still played on summer weekends, and ice cream under the arcades of the Liston, built by the French on the model of the Rue de Rivoli in Paris. In the narrow lanes, kumquat liqueur and the kumquat jam children are usually happy to try. On day two, Pontikonisi, a tiny islet with a Byzantine chapel, and, if you like, the Achilleion, the palace Empress Elisabeth, known as Sisi, built on a hill above the sea.
02Days 3–5 · Corfu's north-east coast
Pebble coves below Pantokrator
About an hour north and two nights on the north-east coast, between Kalami, Agni and Kassiopi, where the mountains of Albania lie only a few kilometres away across the strait. This part of Corfu is green, hilly and calmer than the west and south: small pebble coves with clear water, perfect for a first go at snorkelling, and tavernas you can reach by boat. One morning, a small boat with a local skipper along the coast to coves no road reaches; another, a walk to the ruined castle at Kassiopi or, for older children, the path up towards Old Perithia on the slopes of Mount Pantokrator. In the evenings, fish by the water and the sunset over the mainland.
03Days 5–8 · Paxos & Antipaxos
An island where the roads are water
From Corfu port, a ferry or fast boat about an hour to an hour and a half south to Paxos. Three nights on a small island covered in groves of ancient olive trees: the harbour of Gaios with its painted houses, the calm sandy bay of Lakka for children and the hamlet of Loggos, where tables stand right at the water's edge. The key day is on the water. With a local skipper you follow the steep west coast to sea caves the boat can slip into when the sea is calm, past the rock arch of Tripitos and on to Antipaxos, whose beaches at Voutoumi and Vrika often look simply turquoise. If you're confident at sea, you can sometimes hire a small motorboat to drive yourselves, where that's permitted and when the weather is calm.
04Days 8–9 · Parga
A castle above the harbour, a river between rocks
In summer, boats run from Paxos to Parga in about an hour; at other times you travel via Igoumenitsa. One night in Parga: brightly painted houses rising like an amphitheatre from the harbour to the Venetian castle, where children like to watch the boats come and go, and the islet of Panagia just a few hundred metres offshore. The real adventure is the Acheron river near Glyki: the ancient Greeks believed it led to the underworld, and today families in water shoes wade upstream through cold, clear water between high rock walls. It's usually the day children remember longest. In the evening, a stroll along the waterfront and ice cream in Parga's square. The next morning you pick up a car and drive south.
05Days 9–11 · Lefkada
White cliffs and calm eastern bays
About an hour and a half south along the coast, past Preveza and over the bridge, to Lefkada. Two final nights on an island whose west coast drops in white cliffs into a vivid blue sea, while on the east the water is as calm as a lake. For families, the east or south is easiest: shallow bays, small boats to the islets nearby and, in the bay of Vasiliki, where a steady wind blows in the afternoons, windsurfing for older children with an instructor. One morning, head early to Porto Katsiki or Egremni on the west coast; they're at their best before the crowds arrive, and both are reached by steps. On the last day, barely half an hour to Preveza airport.
Experience highlights
- 01
Corfu's Old Fortress
A bridge over the moat, tunnels and a view over both bays: the old town's adventure for children.
- 02
The caves of Paxos and Antipaxos
A day on a boat with a local skipper: sea caves, a rock arch and turquoise bays.
- 03
Wading up the Acheron
Cold, clear water between the rocks and the myth of the road to the underworld.
- 04
The bays of Lefkada
Calm eastern waters for children, windsurfing at Vasiliki and an early morning below the white cliffs.
First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.
Make it your own
With little ones
Fewer moves: one base in a villa on Corfu's north-east coast, four nights on Paxos, and Parga and Lefkada combined into one stay.
With teenagers
More time on the water: snorkelling and kayaking along the coast of Paxos, windsurfing lessons at Vasiliki and a boat trip to the island of Meganisi.
In June or September
In July and August the best-known beaches and harbours are crowded. In June and September the sea is warm and the islands calmer, if school terms allow.
With the mountains of Zagori
From Parga it's barely two and a half hours to the stone villages and bridges of Zagori; for older children, a few mountain days complement the sea perfectly.
Practical considerations
- The best time for families is roughly June and September; July and August are warmest, but the most popular beaches, harbours and ferries are at their busiest. The Ionian is usually calmer than the Aegean in summer, but the wind can pick up in the afternoons.
- Ferry and boat timetables between Corfu, Paxos and Parga depend on the season and the weather, and some routes run only in summer, so we check them before you travel and leave some slack.
- Rules and requirements for hiring small motorboats change, and driving one yourselves suits only calm days and confident boaters; usually we suggest a boat with a local skipper.
- There are many steps down to Porto Katsiki and Egremni, and the Acheron is cold even in summer: water shoes are essential, and the wade may be too much for the youngest children.
General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.
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