Mongonissi Beach

Mongonissi is a small, densely green islet off the southern tip of Paxos, roughly four kilometres from the capital, Gaios, and separated from the main island by a channel barely ten metres wide, shallow enough in places to wade across. A short causeway now links the two, making Mongonissi feel more like an extension of Paxos than a separate destination.

The beach itself is partly artificial: at some point a section of the rocky shoreline was cut back and filled with sand to create the small strip that sunbathers use today, in front of the islet's single seafront taverna. The surrounding bay is sheltered on its southwestern side, which, combined with a sandy seabed and clear, shallow water, makes it one of the more reliably calm anchorages on this stretch of the Ionian Sea, popular with both day boats and passing yachts.

For those cruising the area by sea rather than road, Mongonissi is typically one of the anchorages you'll visit on a private gulet cruise in Greece, dropping anchor for a swim and a seafood lunch before moving on.