Off-Grid / Lakka & Antipaxos

According to German philosopher Hartmut Rosa, what defines the modern era above all else is acceleration. This occurs mainly in three areas: transportation, production, and communication. Never in the history of humanity has it been easier to go from one end of the world to another. Shein, the world’s largest fashion brand, launches 6,000 new garments each day. And thanks to Facetime and Zoom, we don’t even have to be on the same continent to be in a live meeting anymore. For decades, many academics and social engineers saw this as something positive. The acceleration would lead to increased efficiency. At universities, students of contemporary history were taught that dishwashers and washing-machines revolutionized everyday chores, allowing more time for relaxation and general downtime.

More recent studies have shown this narrative to be false: Even though time is saved on some chores by modern mechanization, others have been added, and so people now actually spend more time on household chores than in the past. The same goes for the workplace, where many inventions (such as the fax, internet and e-mails) initially were thought to make work easier. Today, they are known to have blurred the line between work and free time, so that many feel like they are always in stand-by work mode, even during the weekend or when they are in the privacy of their own homes.

So, to briefly summarise; time is moving faster, and we are all doing more in every hour than previous generations, thanks to new technologies that “allow” us to become continuously more productive. Perhaps this is why Ottessa Moshfegh’s book My Year of Rest and Relaxation (2018) became such a literary sensation when it first came out: In the novel, the protagonist spends a whole year doing nothing, aiming to mainly sleep for an entire year, isolating herself from the demands of the outside world. 

In a society strongly focused on a consistent increase in production, the act of doing nothing can be considered a radical form of protest. This is by no means a new insight Already in 1880, Paul Lafargue published Le droit à la paresse (The Right to be Lazy), a modern classic on the subject of not being defined by one’s labour, and on the value of free time, to be used for creativity, recreation or not doing anything at all. 

It is not always enough to block parts of the digital calendar, or to turn on the auto-reply function in e-mail systems. A good idea is to also remove ourselves geographically, to travel someplace distant and far away.

The only problem with travelling in order to relax is that most people tend to travel to the same places as their friends and acquaintances, and so it is not unusual to see the same people by the pool that they otherwise see every week at the mandatory morning meeting. That’s why you should travel somewhere remote and unexpected, to a place as off the grid as possible.

Every summer, we travel to Lakka, a remote small town on the tiny Greek island Paxos. When we feel properly relaxed, we travel from Lakka to Antipaxos, a neighbouring island almost complete devoid of locals. With no wifi and no people around, we can recharge and go into deep rest.

Getting to Lakka

Even though Paxos is one of the smallest of the Ionian islands, with a total area of 76 square kilometres and only 13 kilometres in length, it is difficult to cross by foot, especially considering the intense Greek sun, so make sure you have secured your transportation to Lakka, located on the other side of the island, before arriving. Paxos’ geographic location, west of mainland Greece and south of the heel of Italy, places it far from most of the other Greek islands (making it hard to include in traditional island hopping-trips). 

Historically, this has been considered a very strategic location, and throughout the centuries, Paxos has been ruled by Romans, attacked by pirates and harboured Crusaders. Today, Paxos is far from being a hotspot for international politics. Much of its rural landscape is covered in olive groves, stretching from the sleepy town Lakka in the north to slightly more bustling Gaios in the south. 

The production of olive oil, soap manufacturing, and fishing were the three main industries of Paxos until the 1960s, when the island first became a destination for international tourists. As the island is not so easy to get to, the influx of tourists has not really transformed the island (as it has in many other places) and so the rural impression and traditionally slow lifestyle is still more or less intact. 

Lakka is a harbour town, on the most northern tip of the island, facing southern Corfu (which however is too far away to be seen). There are only two small and narrow roads that connect Lakka with Gaios, so arriving in Lakka by car always happen the same way and along the same route.

On your way to Lakka you will pass numerous olive groves, churches and a few local cafés, until you come to what looks like a gathering of houses. Lakka is by all definitions a town, but just barely. Almost as soon as you arrive, you will be able to see the ocean, which is on the other side of town from the road.

Lakka has the perfect location for a harbour, placed inside a small, rounded bay, the rocks form a natural protection from the sea, so even when it is stormy, the Lakka waters will be calm. 

What to do in Lakka

most of the proprietaries of the restaurants and shops. Routines here vary very little from day to day. From May to October, every day follows the same pattern as the day before, making it easy for visitors to get into vacation mode and simply relax. There are two food shops, a great gelato café and several restaurants that serve food of excellent quality and with warm and friendly service.

Lakka has two beaches, the larger being pebbled Kanoni beach and the smaller the sandy Harami beach. The two are only a few minutes from one another by foot, and many people like to swim back and forth between the two in the sea, beneath the connecting footpath. 

Perhaps this is the key to understanding the popularity of Lakka and other similar Greek harbour towns? You can do a bit of everything, but usually you end up doing mainly nothing. In the morning, perhaps you will go for a swim and read a few pages of a crime novel under the shade of an olive tree. For lunch, you have Greek salad in a nearby café, before returning for yet another swim. Then you rest for a few hours, and once the siesta is over, you go for gelato and a slow stroll around town, looking at the selection of local olive oils, soaps and wine (but probably ending up not buying anything).

In the evening, you can choose between a restaurant overlooking the water or one closer to the main square, but regardless, the food will be locally sourced and freshly prepared, served by friendly locals. The next morning, you willtake your book or crossword puzzle and find another tree to rest under, while contemplating going for a swim, and so the days pass, one by one, soon impossible to separate from one another. Is it Monday or Wednesday? How long ago since you arrived and when are you actually supposed to check out? In a place like Lakka, where time seems to stand still, no one really knows.

Where to eat and drink in Lakka

O Diogenis Taverna bases its cuisine in traditional recipes, locally sourced food, great service. +30 2662 031442

Restaurant Stasinos is a restaurant with a lovely garden, fresh food and very friendly service. +30 2662 031924

AKIS is an elegant seaside restaurant with great waterfront terrace.

+30 2662 031247

Gelato Italiano is a small shop close to the main square that serves the best gelato on the island. +306973220014

Where to stay in Lakka

Amfitriti Hotel & Studios is a no fuss, family owned hotel, with outdoor saltwater pool, by Kanoni beach. It’s simple but with a great location.

Hotel Ilios is a nice hotel by the harbour. 

Studio Low Lina. Villas and apartments for rent in central Lakka.

When to go

Similar to many other Greek island destinations, Lakka has two very different personalities, defined by the changing of seasons. There is no exact date for when the summer season arrives. Those who don’t live here permanently will arrive here around April or early May, ordering supplies and opening their shops, preparing their restaurants and getting their hotels in order.

They will catch up on what has happened in the winter months, make necessary house renovations and plan for the coming season. In the summer months, they welcome visitors from mainland Greece, Italy, Germany and England (as well as other places). There is also no set time for when the season ends, but the winds will gradually become cooler around October, as will the ocean. More and more of the business owners will close down and return to their home in Athens and Lakka will turn into a ghost town, still beautiful, but almost completely empty. For many, this is not an ideal time to visit, but for those truly seeking a secluded and private place, perhaps looking for somewhere to finish a book project or  something else that requires concentration and solitude, the winter period can be equally magical (though grocery shopping will be an issue).

The effects of the Lakka way of life will stay with you for a long time after you have left, the memory of the warm and long afternoons in the turquoise bay remain in your mind, instantly relaxing your body as you reminisce about the lazy days you spent in this small, sleepy Greek harbour.

Antipaxos

Antipaxos has no airport and only very small, primitive harbours. It is one of the Ionian islands, which also includes Kafalonia, Lefkada and Corfu, but Antipaxos is most commonly associated with nearby Paxos (together, they form the minuscule island group of Paxi).

Throughout the years, the islands have been ruled by many kingdoms. From 1204, Corfu was controlled by the Republic of Venice, and for centuries, all of the Ionian islands were under Venetian rule, but in the 18th century, a Greek national independence movement emerged, and since 1862, they have officially been part of Greece.

According to Greek mythology, the islands of Paxi were created by Poseidon, who struck Corfu with his trident, in order to create a place to which he and his wife Amphitrite could retreat when they wanted peace and quiet. Still today, people come to Paxos and Antipaxos mainly to rest and experience the calm that defines this out of the way place.

It is possible to travel directly from Corfu to Antipaxos, but most boats go from the Gaios port on Paxos to Antipaxos (as well as from Lakka, obviously). The majority of people who visit the island stay only a few hours, drawn there to experience the famously turquoise and clear water of the Vrika and Voutoumi beaches (though the water is equally marvellous regardless of which beach or cove you visit around the island). 

On the island, there are only a few restaurants. Bella Vista is the most popular, with scenic views and a kitchen that cooks local specialities, often using homegrown ingredients. The Beach Bar and Restaurant Voutoumi offers traditional Greek dishes, while Taverna Spiros and Cedrus Beach Bar are right next to one another, on Vrika beach (about 15 minutes’ walk from Voutoumi beach). Be prepared – the restaurants are only open while there are visitors on the island, meaning that they open around lunch and close just before dinnertime. 

For those who do not only visit Antipaxos for a daytrip, but plan on staying for a few nights, it is essential to come prepared.

Firstly, as there are no street signs and no house numbers (and no hotels), you will need to have the exact coordinates to the house that you are renting, unless you are meeting up with someone who will show you the way. It is not enough to have an approximate understanding of the address – as the island is very rural, you can easily get lost while the sun slowly sets, which is not recommended.

Secondly, there are no stores or shops on Antipaxos. Everything you wish to eat and drink, you will need to bring with you. There is a small, ancient well at the foot of the stairs down leading down to Kaloiri Cove, not far from the Saint Emilianos Church. Here, you can refill your empty water bottles with fresh water.

In the evening, when the last boat has left the island, a sense of serenity and peacefulness spreads across the small houses and fields. There are no sounds but the wind, and as almost no one lives on the island, there is usually no sound of anyone else. In theory, it is possible to access wi-fi, but in practice, this is not always the case, so bring a good book or prepare to simply enjoy watching the stars.

Throughout the night there is nothing but peace and quiet. In the morning, you can go for a solitary swim by any of the beaches or cliffs, as the sun rises.

To the north of Antipaxos, you can see the south tip of Paxos, so at least you have some sense of not being the last human on earth, and at times there will be a few yachts anchored out at sea, but while you are on Antipaxos, almost no one can reach you and you will have a sense of being free – if only for a few days or as long as your food supply lasts – from the fast pace and incessant noise of modern life.