Why you should add Paros to your Greek island itinerary

Greece has been on my travel list for years but with an Italian husband who always wants to go to Italy in summer (I mean, can you blame him?), it’s taken me many years to finally visit this beautiful country. For our first visit to Greece together, we opted for 4 nights in Paros followed by 4 nights in Mykonos – both similar islands but also very different! Read on for why you should add the stunning island of Paros to your Greek island itinerary.

How to get to Paros

We flew into Mykonos with British Airways and then got the bus right outside the airport to take us to the New Port, where the ferries leave from. The bus was really inexpensive (I think it was less than €3 for the two of us) but note that they only take cash. It’s also a pretty short journey at around 15 to 20 minutes.

We had booked our ferry to Paros from Mykonos in advance through FerryHopper. I’d chosen a later ferry to give us enough time to get through passport control, get our luggage and get to the port – plus to account for any delays – but we ended up getting there two hours before our ferry! Luckily, for just €3 each at the ticket office we could change our booking to the earlier ferry. The ferry then took less than an hour to get to Paros.

If you’re considering visiting Athens and combining it with a Greek island, you can fly direct from Athens to Paros.

Where to stay in Paros

Most people, when visiting Paros, choose to stay in either Parikia, where the port is, or in the picturesque village of Naousa – which is where we chose to stay. We stayed in a gorgeous holiday apartment called Sivanis, which was just a short walk to the centre of Naousa. There are tons of options for accommodation in Naousa to suit every budget.

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Getting around Paros

As my husband has been driving a scooter since he was a teenager, we hired a scooter to get around Paros. Many tourists also hire a RTV (rough terrain vehicle), which you only need a drivers licence for as it has four wheels. There are buses that drive all around the island, which are inexpensive but they are not very frequent. The ones that are, are the buses that go to and from the port in Parikia. Of course, you could also get taxis but they are quite expensive. If you’re beach hopping then you can get the water taxis.

My top tip to make the most of seeing the whole island is to hire a car (you can choose several pick-up locations in Paros), scooter or a RTV rather than to rely on public transport or taxis. Hiring a vehicle is pretty affordable – we paid €30 a day for our scooter, which included insurance and taxes.

The top things to do in Paros

So, what is there to do in Paros? Loads! Here are my recommendations of the top things to do in Paros.

Go hiking

There are lots of hikes that you can do around Paros, even between beaches. As we had a scooter, we only did one small hike which was in Paros Park. There are three different routes that you can take, two of which go to the lighthouse, which is what we wanted to see. As we were hiking, I was reminded of my home country South Africa, where the terrain looks quite similar!

It was a pretty easy hike but not particularly well signposted. Despite following one of the routes, we never ended up at the lighthouse! Still, we got to swim in Perikopetra beach, which is along the route and is just stunning. The colour of the water was crystal clear. From time to time a water taxi would arrive to offload and on-load people but it was never crowded. We did visit in early September though, so I’m not sure what the height of summer is like.

And if you’re visiting this beach or going for a hike, be sure to stop by the Church of Agios Ioannis Detis or Monastery of St. John’s of Deti as it’s also known. It’s located in Monastiri, which is right by Paros Park. It dates back to the 16th century and overlooks the sea, with a view of Naousa.

Visit the beaches

Paros is an island so of course there are lots of beaches! We visited quite a few of the beaches and our favourite was definitely Perikopetra beach. There is a managed beach but we preferred to just lie on the rocks.

Another beach we liked was Santa Maria, which is about a 10 minute drive from the centre of Naousa. It’s a really big stretch of sand so I can’t imagine it ever being very crowded. There are a few restaurants and places to get food and drinks. You can also hire sunbeds here.

If you’re staying in Naousa and you don’t have transport, Piperi beach is right in Naousa so an easy walk from the town.

Another beach we really liked was Golden Beach, which is about a 20 minute drive from Naousa or 30 minutes from Parikia on the southeast side of the island. There are managed parts of the beach where you can hire sunbeds as well as restaurants and bars.

We visited Paros in early September and whilst the weather was pretty hot during the day at between 26 and 28 degrees, the water was a bit chilly!

Explore Naousa

Naousa is a fishing village and is just postcard picture perfect! Its beautiful white buildings and paved streets are just so iconic and exactly what you expect when visiting the Cyclades. There are lots of shops, churches, cafes, bars and restaurants in Naousa so plenty to see during the day and night.

But of course, at night is when Naousa really comes alive! It’s bustling and full of people enjoying sunset drinks, dinner or just having a stroll. We visited at the beginning of September and it was busy but not crowded.

The area by the old port is the busiest – packed with restaurants and bars (and people). It’s oh-so-pretty though so no wonder it’s pretty crowded. The walkways are quite narrow though, and they can be slippery from the water, so you have to watch your step when you’re walking!

The light at sunset in Naousa is just magical. And if you walk just past the square where the bars are by the old port, this stunning view awaits you!

A fun thing to do is to walk the wall of the Venetian Castle of Paros and try not get splashed by the waves! It’s also fun watching other people cross it – I saw someone get fairly drenched!

The Venetians occupied Paros from 1207 until 1537 when the island was captured by the Ottoman pirate Barbarossa. It’s believed the castle was built as a fortress at the end of the 13th century or the beginning of the 14th century. All that remains now is a sea wall and a fairly ruined watchtower. You can go inside but there’s not that much to see.

Do a day trip to Antiparos

If you’re staying in Paros then you definitely need to visit Antiparos! Apparently Tom Hanks has a house there so if it’s good enough for him…

It’s very easy to get to by ferry and inexpensive. You can either get a ferry from Parikia, which takes about 30 mins to get to Antiparos or you can go from Pounta, which takes about 8 mins – which is where we went from. The ferries are really regular and there’s no need to book in advance. You can either go as a pedestrian or you can take your vehicle. It cost us €5 each way to take our scooter and I believe a car was €10.

Antiparos is pretty big! The capital, Chora, has loads of shops and restaurants so there is plenty to keep you occupied. And of course, it’s stunningly pretty! I was quite surprised how trendy the shops were. There were lots of gorgeous homeware and decor stores that I could’ve bought loads from. Also some great clothing stores and cool coffee bars.

And of course, everywhere you looked there were gorgeous, traditional Greek buildings with their white walls, blue shutters and pop of pink from the bougainvillea.

We chose a traditional taverna called Taverna Yorgis for lunch, which was family run. I think, as it was coming to the end of the summer season, there was a fair amount on the menu that they didn’t have. Still, the food was great and the setting was lovely. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re eating in Antiparos.

After lunch, we headed to explore the beaches. Apparently Antiparos is well known for its laid back vibe and sandy beaches. To be honest, we didn’t think the beaches were amazing but we did stop at a couple of them to have a swim before heading back to Paros on the ferry.

We loved our day trip to Antiparos and would definitely recommend it.

Wander the streets of Parikia

Parikia is the main port of Paros and the capital. At first glance, when you arrive by ferry, it’s not particularly pretty. But head in to the village and it’s stunning! Parikia is one of the most typical Cycladic settlements with its white and blue buildings, narrow paved streets and white churches.

There are loads of shops, restaurants and bars in Parikia so plenty to do to occupy you for a morning or afternoon. Apparently it’s very lively at night but as we were staying in Naousa, we never ventured to Parikia in the evening.

We just walked around, exploring the alleyways, which is one of my favourite things to do when travelling. We stumbled upon this absolutely gorgeous church with stunning views over the Aegean.

Explore the little villages

There are so many lovely little villages around Paros. One that is definitely worth a trip is the village of Lefkés, which is about as traditional as it gets. Oddly it’s not packed with tourists – which is also a good thing! It was pretty quiet when we visited and I’ve heard the same from friends who have been.

Buses to Lefkés are quite limited so it’s easier to make your own way here. The limited public transport may be the reason it’s not packed with tourists! From Naousa it’s about a 20 minute drive and around 40 minutes from Parikia. It was built in the 17th century, as a protected town from the rampant piracy that was happening at that time and at one point in history it was the capital of Paros.

It’s a typical Cycladic village with its white buildings, bright bougainvillea, narrow stone walkways and its tavernas. Walking around Lefkés is a delight because it’s completely pedestrianised.

The houses here are just so cute and there are also a few shops and art galleries that you can visit. Also plenty of photographic opportunities! Honestly, every corner is a delight for the senses. And of course there are cute cats lying around everywhere!

There are some traditional tavernas to enjoy lunch at or a bite to eat. We opted for Lefkiano, which had tables outside at street level, as well as a rooftop, and looked a bit more modern than the others. The food was traditional and delicious! I’d definitely recommend it. They even serve Greek sparkling wine!

Lefkés is also famous for the historic Byzantine Road, which runs between Lefkés and Prodromos. It’s about 3.7km (or 2.3 miles) and is 1,000 years old! It was once fully paved in marble but only some sections with marble remain.

Another landmark you should see in Lefkés is the Church of Agia Triada, which is a Byzantine church dedicated to the Holy Trinity. It was built in 1830 and completed in 1835. Unfortunately it was closed the day we visited. But it’s still beautiful to see from the outside.

Another little village I highly recommend visiting – especially if you’re staying in Naousa as it’s just a short drive away – is Kostos. It’s pretty tiny with limited things to do but it’s absolutely gorgeous. I highly recommend going for a drink in the square at dusk. It cost us €4 for two glasses of Greek rosé wine and they even gave us a small plate of delicious chicken pieces in tomato sauce.

Kostos has only around 200 residents and is very much off the beaten track. While we were enjoying our drink there were local families chatting whilst their children rode around the square on their bicycles. You won’t find many tourists here unless it’s during one of their festivals.

Walking around there were so many pretty corners with white buildings or churches with bright pink bougainvillea – like a postcard. It’s definitely worth exploring some of the smaller villages to get a glimpse of local life.

So those are my suggestions for things to do in Paros and why you should absolutely add this stunning island to your Greek island itinerary!

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