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Greece in Focus: How This Quiet Ionian Island Became the Perfect Empty-Nester Escape
The first holiday as empty-nesters represents a significant milestone for any couple, a poignant rite of passage into a new chapter of life together. For Victoria Harper and her husband, this journey took them to the serene shores of Paxos, a Greek island that offered not just a break from routine, but a profound opportunity to heal and reconnect after a year marked by personal loss and emotional fatigue.
A Journey Begins with Unexpected Challenges
"God, that sounds like a nightmare!" was the surprising reaction from a friend upon hearing about the couple's planned trip to Paxos. The concern wasn't directed at the destination itself, nor the boutique adult-only Purple Apricot hotel they had booked, but rather focused on the prospect of spending an entire holiday alone together. "Just the two of you? What will you talk about?"
For Victoria, conversation was the least of her worries. While her husband anticipated a relaxing summer break, she was mentally preparing for something deeper. The unspoken agenda included processing a difficult year: the loss of her father and his youngest sister to cancer, the stress of their eighteen-year-old's A-levels, her husband's knee surgery, and her own profound emotional and physical exhaustion. Paxos represented a lifeline, a peaceful raft to navigate them back from their individual islands of grief towards shared shores.
Arrival Amidst Nature's Drama
The adventure commenced with an early morning flight from Gatwick and a ferry transfer from Corfu, intended as a gentle introduction to the slower pace of island life. However, the Ionian Sea had other plans. Choppy currents transformed the normally ninety-minute crossing into a three-hour maritime trial. As waves grew larger and the boat heaved violently, passengers retreated below deck, gripping their seats while the vessel tilted and slammed against the water. Amidst the chaos, one seasoned traveller in cargo trousers remained impressively composed, engrossed in her holiday reading—a testament to prior experience and well-packed sea legs.
Finally arriving on Paxos, battered but upright, the couple were met by Lionel from the Purple Apricot hotel. Within minutes, they were whisked away to their boutique hideaway, where life immediately contracted to the island's intimate scale. Measuring just seven miles from end to end, nowhere on Paxos is more than fifteen minutes by car, with a single tank of petrol sufficing for the entire holiday.
Discovering Sanctuary at the Purple Apricot
The Purple Apricot hotel embodies understated elegance—a cool, boho-chic retreat with seven individually curated suites, nestled among ancient olive groves a short drive from Gaios harbour. The couple's room, named Purple Rain, featured a glorious sea-view balcony, a compact bathroom, and notably, no bath—a reminder that on Paxos, water conservation shapes luxury into different, more sustainable forms.
At the welcome drinks by the pool, they mingled with other guests: fellow empty-nesters, second-time honeymooners, and early-retired Gen-Xers. Veteran visitors eagerly shared island tips, including tales of sore heads from an unexpected DJ party at a nearby hillside restaurant—an early indication that Paxos, despite its tranquil reputation, held delightful surprises.
Rediscovering Connection Through Simple Pleasures
That first evening, a short walk downhill led to a local taverna where they dined on carpaccio, sea bass, and feta pie with honey. Overordering mattered little; the true significance lay in sitting opposite each other, finally exhaling the accumulated tension of the past year. Soothed by the Mediterranean's blue-green hues and the evening chorus of crickets, their bodies surrendered to the deep rest they desperately needed.
Mornings acquired a sacred quality. Breakfast under the olive trees—the island's true economic backbone—offered tables spaced for privacy yet close enough for friendly waves to fellow guests. Hosts Aline and Lionel served a simple yet perfect menu: daily eggs, fresh Greek yoghurt, granola, nuts, honey, lemon curd, and fruit salad—a quietly ceremonial start to each day.
With a hired car, they explored Paxos's compact landscape, where the only traffic might be a heat-seeking cat. Days melted into a blissful rhythm of beach visits and lazy lunches, expertly guided by their hosts' recommendations. Levrechio beach became an instant favourite—a tiny, rocky cove where early morning swims preceded leisurely lunches at the neighbouring Marmari beach taverna, feasting on calamari, Greek salad, grilled sea bream, and chilled local wine.
Island Charms and Celebrity Encounters
Paxos attracts a stylish, linen-clad crowd, from groups of friends in hired villas to unexpected celebrity visitors. The island has hosted Nicole Kidman, Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, and reportedly Morgan Freeman and Demi Moore the previous year. During their stay, Victoria spotted Katherine Parkinson from The IT Crowd on their flight and a delighted Paloma Faith on Marmari beach—yet the island remains refreshingly unfazed by fame, its true allure lying in olive-clad hills and leisurely paced living.
Evenings brought exploration of charming harbour villages like Gaios, with its seafood orzo and lone guitarist serenades, and Loggos, where fairy-lit stone restaurants hosted yacht guests. A standout meal at Averto, a traditional-looking taverna with a stunning interior terrace, featured lamb for two (though realistically for four) enjoyed under a starry sky—a moment where the couple felt their next chapter would indeed be okay.
Embracing Imperfection and Island Magic
Not every plan unfolded perfectly. Wrong turns en route to Lakka meant missing lunch service, leading to gyros and chips instead—a happily accepted alternative. Choppy currents cancelled a boat trip to Antipaxos, prompting a pivot to Kipos beach for swimming and snorkelling with picnic provisions from a local bakery. When they finally secured a boat later in the week, they spent a glorious day exploring blue caves and secret harbours accessible only by sea.
For their penultimate night, they dined at Erimitus, a hillside restaurant with a sunset-facing terrace overlooking the sea. From their front-row seats, they enjoyed crab salad, sea bream, and perfectly crafted chilli margaritas, later joined by a DJ and a mixed crowd of locals and tourists dancing without inhibition.
A Farewell to Remember
On their final evening, sitting on their balcony overlooking olive groves and the Ionian Sea, they raised a glass to those they had lost and to navigating life's choppy waters together. Though the 6am wake-up and airport routine attempted to break the spell, the magic of Paxos endured. This beautiful island provided the space to remember their foundational connection as a couple and to realise that many warm seas and meaningful conversations still awaited them.
Victoria travelled to Paxos as a guest of Simpson Travel.
How to Plan Your Own Paxos Escape
A week's stay at the adult-only Purple Apricot Hotel with specialist operator Simpson Travel costs from £986 per person based on two sharing. This includes flights, transfers from Corfu Airport to Paxos port, car hire, seven nights' bed and breakfast accommodation, and comprehensive concierge services both before departure and overseas.
