Antipaxos, the little island across the water

Seen from the deck of the boat out of Gaios, Antipaxos is at first just a low green island with pale cliffs. Then the boat rounds the coast to the east side, the engine drops, and the colour of the water changes under you: from deep blue to a milky, luminous turquoise over the white sand of Vrika and the pebbles of Voutoumi. For most visitors, that is Antipaxos: a few hours of swimming in some of the clearest water of the Ionian Sea, and the boat back in the afternoon.

Stay longer and the island shows a quieter side. Inland, the slopes are covered with small vineyards behind walls of piled stone, and paths wind between them past scattered farmhouses and little white chapels. Wine has long been the island's crop, and in a few tavernas you may still be offered a glass of local wine; whether it is from Antipaxos itself is worth asking. Only a few families live here through the winter, and when the last boat has gone the silence is almost total.

Above the beaches, simple tavernas grill fish and serve salads to swimmers, and in summer it is wise to book a table or arrive early. Between Vrika and Voutoumi a footpath crosses the headland in about twenty minutes, so you can swim in both bays in one day. Further south, the lighthouse stands alone on the end of the island, looking out over nothing but open sea.