The Paxi Sami ferry route connects Ionian Islands with Kefalonia. Currently there is just the 1 ferry company operating this ferry service, Lefkada Palace. The crossing operates up to 3 times each week with sailing durations from around 7 hours.
Paxi Sami sailing durations and frequency may vary from season to season so we’d advise doing a live check to get the most up to date information.
Paxi is an island of Greece, in the Ionian Sea. In Greek mythology Poseidon created the island by striking Corfu with his trident, so that he and wife Amphitrite could have some peace and quiet.
Although possibly inhabited from prehistoric times, the Phoenecians are traditionally held to have been the first settlers on Paxi. The name is believed to be derived from Pax which meant slate in their language.
The Romans ruled the island from the 2nd century BC, and during the Byzantine period and Middle ages it was constantly attacked by pirates. After various rulers and Crusaders had passed through, the island was taken by the Venetians at the end of the 14th century.
During the Napoleonic wars the Ionian Islands were taken by the French, a Russo-Turkish alliance, and finally by the British, who established the Ionian Union in 1815. In 1864, together with the rest of the Heptanese, Paxi was ceded to the Greek state.
The town of Sami is located on the Greek island of Cephalonia which lies in the Ionian Sea. Sami is very much a tourist town and is located around 4 km to the north east of Antisamos Beach which is a particularly stunning beach which has some beautiful hills as a backdrop. However, to get the full beach experience on Cephalonia tourists should travel to Myrtos Beach which is to the south of Assos. The beach has white sand, limestone cliffs and crystal clear blue water. For this interested in history there are a number of archaeological sites and landmarks dotted around the island. These include the archaeological excavations at the Roman Villa in Skala and also the Acropolis of Sami which dates back to the 5th century BC. Another popular landmark is St. George's castle in the Livatho Valley which also dates back to Roman times. Naturally produced sites on the island include the large caverns, such as Drogarai Cave and the Melissani Cave, which are both located in Sami. Melissani Cave is particularly famous and features a vast underground lake, which is deep-blue in colour and best explored by boat.