In this post about what to see in Paros, as we did with what we dedicated to what to see in Mykonos and what to see in Naxos, we want to make a compilation and a summary of the aspects that we believe are more important and should be taken into account in The time to organize a trip to Paros, one of the best Greek Islands, which we have to confess, has stolen our hearts on this trip to Greece in 32 days.
As it happened in the previous islands, having been 4 full days, plus the days of transfers and taking into account our circumstances, for which we have to stop every so often to work and spend several hours a day to maintain the blog, we believe that more than doing a guide every day, as we usually do in all our trips, it is much more interesting and practical to make a summary with all the data that we understand are important and necessary to organize the places to see in Paros and enjoy to the maximum of one of the places to see in Greece essential.
What to see in Paros
How to go to Paros
Ferry: The best way to get to Paros, either from another island or from Athens, as well as moving between islands, is undoubtedly the ferry through the Greek Islands.
In this case we took a ferry from Naxos to Paros, which makes the journey between islands in 40 minutes for 40 euros per person and 45 euros for the rental car in Greece, in case you travel with this type of transport. Keep in mind that prices may vary depending on the time you travel.
You can book your ferry to the Greek islands here
Naxos to Paros Ferry
Plane: Another option is to opt for the plane, since there is an airport in Paros. The drawback is that there are no direct flights from Spain, so you must stop in Athens and the prices are usually higher than the ferry.
Excursion from Naxos: Although you can reach Paros perfectly for free, if you want to know more about the island and its history, a good option may be to book this Excursion to Paros from Naxos.
Ferry to Paros
As we mentioned before, the best option according to our experience in this Greece for free, the most comfortable and recommended option to go from Naxos to Paros, is undoubtedly to opt for the ferry through the Greek Islands.
You can find much more information about this specific transfer in the post we wrote about the Naxos to Paros ferry.
Keep in mind that if you arrive in Paros by ferry you will arrive at the port of Parikia, located in the same capital, so if you do not have a rental car in Paros, you can manage it directly in the city, since there are multiple companies.
Best time to travel to Paros
As in the rest of the Greek islands that we have visited on this trip, the best time to travel to Paros would include, according to our experience, the months of spring and autumn, although we understand that the months of June, July and August are also a good time since Paros does not usually receive as much tourism as its neighbors Mykonos or Santorini.
Taking this into account, what is interesting is, if you come in summer, book early, both accommodation in Paros and the rental car and even the ferry, since during these months availability is usually more limited.
Parikia
How many days are needed to meet Paros
Always taking into account our experience on the island and especially considering the places to see in ParosWe believe that a couple of days would be the minimum to know the most tourist places on the island, including Parikia, its capital, some of the most prominent villages such as Naoussa and even some of its beaches.
If you have an extra day, do not hesitate to spend it in Paros, since it is an island with incredible places, which we are sure, will not disappoint you and will remain forever as one of the most incredible places in Greece.
More practical information to prepare your trip to Greece
- 10 essential places to see in Greece
- The best tips for traveling to Greece
- The 10 best Greek Islands
- 10 tips for traveling to the Greek Islands
Best hotel in Paros. Where do i stay?
Something to keep in mind when organizing a trip to Paros is the place to stay, since although the distances are short, being in one place or another, it can be decisive when visiting and knowing the places that Visit in Paros.
- Parikia: Capital of Paros, staying in Parikia is undoubtedly a success, since in addition to having many infrastructures, both hotel and catering, you will be a short walk from the ferry.
We stayed at the Hotel Oasis, right next to the port, overlooking the sea and the truth is that we can not be happier with the quality / price ratio.
Parikia
- Naoussa: For us one of the most charming villages we have been lucky enough to meet on the trip to Greece. If we returned to Paros, we would probably stay in Naoussa, since it is also only 10 kilometers from Parikia and also very close to the other places to see in Paros more essential.
Accommodation in Naoussa
Naoussa
- Beaches: Another option to stay in Paros is to opt for one of its best known beaches, which we will talk about later. We would only opt for this option if your trip is focused on relaxing and enjoying the beach, since although they are still a short distance from the points of interest for being a relatively small island, they do not have as many infrastructures as Parikia or Naoussa.
Accommodation in Naxos beaches
Car rental in Paros
Although in Paros, as in the rest of the islands there is public transport, having a rental car is undoubtedly a success, since in this way you can enjoy total freedom of schedules and movements.
Also, as in the rest of the islands, you can opt for a motorcycle or quad, very extended options in the Greek islands that can also be a very good alternative.
Car rental in Paros
What to see in Paros
Although below we will detail several routes recommended by Paros, according to the days you have to know the island, before we want to leave you a selection of things to see and do in Parikia, so that you can know the capital in a calm way.
Parikia, the capital of Paros
Gateway of travelers to Paros, the capital of the island is a quiet and charming place, in which to make base to know all the places to see in Paros more recommended.
Port of Parikia
This will be the first place you see in Parikia and probably the one you pass on more than one occasion, as we could say it is the center of the city, with its windmill roundabout as a symbol of the most prominent place.
We advise you to enjoy the place not only staying in the most central area, but strolling north, towards the beach of Livadia, where you will find some more tranquility, especially on days when there is a cruise on the island and the Parikia center is busier.
Port of Parikia
Panagia Ekatondapyliani
This church, a few steps from the Old Quarter is one of the places to see in Paros more essential, as it is considered one of the most impressive churches in the Cyclades Islands, which stands out for being formed by 3 temples, in addition to the columns of one of them, Agios Nikolaos, which are impressive.
Panagia Ekatondapyliani
Old Town
Probably the busiest place in Parikia and where you will spend more time, since although without having the charm of Kastro, one of the places to see in Naxos, or Chora, one of the places to see in Mykonos, it is without place to doubts, a charming corner of Parikia, to which you spend several hours to get lost in its streets.
Parikia
What to see in Paros
As in the other historical districts of other islands, in this one we advise you to forget the map and enjoy only the whitewashed streets, full of charming places, sometimes dotted with bougainvillea and flowers, which make this place a scene of Postcard or travel catalog.
Parikia
Kastro
In addition to visiting the known as Barrio Viejo de Parikia, we advise you to go to the Kastro, in the highest part, from which in addition to having fantastic views of the surroundings, you can see the few remaining remains of the place.
Parikia Beaches
If you want to enjoy some beach near Parikia, you can choose the one of the town, which is in the area of the City Hall and from where you can enjoy a unique sunset or the Livadia Beach, in the opposite direction, somewhat larger and also less busy, since it is somewhat further from the most central area of Parikia.
Parikia
Villages and places to see in Paros
In addition to Parikia, the capital, there are many places to see in Paros, among which some towns and beaches stand out, which we recommend you visit to get a more global idea of the island and all the places it offers.
Naoussa
Located just 8 kilometers from Parikia, this small coastal town, is for us one of the places to see in essential Paros, as it is one of the most charming towns we have known throughout the trip to Greece.
Naoussa
Fishing village, little by little it has become one of the most valued holiday destinations in this area of Greece, although it still retains that charm of yesteryear, which incredibly continues to remain between craft shops and boutiques that make their way into the whitewashed whitewashed streets The rose of the bougainvillea and the eternal smell of the sea.
Naoussa
Although Naoussa has several remarkable museums, such as the Byzantine or Folklore, for us the most interesting thing is, as in other towns, to get lost in the lattice of streets of its historic center, in search of those surprises and details that you make of this, one of the most beautiful places in Greece.
Naoussa
Octopus in the sun in Naoussa
Keep in mind that at the entrance of the town you have a free parking lot, in which there is usually space since there is a lot of vehicle rotation throughout the day. Being a relatively small population, you can leave the car there and walk to the most tourist area.
Marathi
Marathi is known in Paros for being the best known marble quarry in this area of the country, as well as being the place where the marble of Venus de Milo and Napoleon's Tomb came out.
Keep in mind that the access to the marble quarry, although easy, in the last 500 meters approximately, is done through a very narrow and unpaved path, for which if you travel with a tourism, it is worth going carefully .
In our case, we only do a circular route, to see the views, since we did not find the mine, that after arriving here and having made the orientation error, we discovered that it is really a mine, a hole in which You can enter and see how the marble was extracted, although it is not a place enabled for tourism as such.
As in the end we do not arrive, we leave you this link so you can assess whether it is interesting or not.
Road to Marathi
Prodromes
This small traditional village of the interior, we advise you to visit them together with Lefkes, in what could be a perfect one-day route, together with the rest of the interior populations or some beach in the area, making an ideal itinerary of places to see in Paros essential.
Keep in mind that if you come by car, you can park right at the entrance of the town, in a parking lot enabled for it or on the shoulder, in case it is complete, always respecting private and passing spaces.
Prodromes
Being so small, the visit will not take you more than an hour and although it practically does not appear in the guides, we dare to say that it is one of the most beautiful places we have seen not only in Paros, but throughout Greece.
You will probably have read that it is less spectacular than Naoussa or Lefkes, but if you are making a route through the interior of Paros, it is very worthwhile to come and discover it by losing yourself in its charming streets until you find the supermarket and the small cafeteria of the town, in which You can see more local life.
Also very close is Marmara, another of the places to see in Paros, so this stop is perfect to complement a route through the interior of the island.
Prodromes
Marmara
Marmara is another small inland town located just a couple of kilometers from Prodromos, being a perfect complement to the visit of these inland villages, as we mentioned earlier.
As in the other small towns of Paros, you can park in the town square without problems or in the small parking lot enabled at the entrance of the town, if you want to take a walk to the most central area.
Marmara
Although it is better known than the previous one, we find it the least photogenic of those we have visited in Paros, although there are some locations, such as a mill that is right at the entrance of the town, which deserves a stop and a walk in the area .
Marmara
Marpissa
Together with Prodromos, Marmara and Lefkes, Marpissa is another of the inland villages that we recommend visiting on a route through this area of Paros.
Located just a couple of kilometers from Marmara, this small town competes in beauty with other inland villages and as in the previous ones we recommend you spend at least one hour here, to know some of its most scenic corners, enjoying a walk between whitewashed houses and bugamvillas.
Marpissa
Marpissa
You can park in the parking lot at the entrance of the town or directly in one of its most central streets, since it usually does not receive much tourism and there is usually room even in the most central areas.
Like the previous ones, we recommend losing you without a map and looking for some of the most photographic locations, in addition to seeing the daytime of these Greek islands.
Marpissa
Livadi floor
This small coastal town a few kilometers from Marpissa, is an excellent option to get close to the beach after a tour of the interior of the island of Paros.
Although we had read that it was not very worth it, we have to say that we found it charming, in addition to having a small beach, from which the relief of the town is seen in the background, something that gives it a special charm, especially taking into account It has no hammocks and sunbeds, like the rest of many of the beaches in the area.
Livadi floor
There are also several restaurants on the beach where you can eat or drink, to enjoy one of the most charming areas of the island.
Livadi floor
Lefkes
This small town of the interior, is another of the places to see in Paros essential, in addition to being one of the most tourist and visited of the island and although it is somewhat larger than the rest, we recommend you visit it together with the rest of the towns of inside, on the same route, since they are very close to each other.
Lefkes
In this case, we recommend parking on the outskirts of the town, to begin to know it through its most distant streets, and even, if you want to have broader perspectives, it is highly recommended to surround it, since from the highest area, you They have spectacular views of the town, which is incredibly located between hills.
Lefkes
Lefkes
Beaches to see in Paros
Another of the things to see in Paros, in addition to the charming towns, are its beaches, which always according to our experience, are more wild than in the rest of the islands we have visited on this trip.
Katholiko Beach
This beach located in a bay very close to Naoussa just 6 kilometers away, although highly recommended, is taken by sunbeds and umbrellas, which we understand are from one of the local area, so we have not just found the charm.
However, 100 meters before, there is a small shipyard, with boats on a small beach, which although we believe it is the ideal place to bathe, yes the less it is very scenic at a photographic level, since Naoussa is also seen right in front and it is A highly recommended perspective if you come through this area.
Katholiko Beach
Kolympethres
This beach, also located very close to Naoussa, just 4 kilometers away, is for us the best on the island by far and one of the essential places to see in Paros, although we must bear in mind that it is usually quite crowded, especially On weekends, so if you want to be calm, it is worth coming early in the morning and opting for one of the small coves that are next to the main beach.
Famous for its rock formations and transparent waters, you can park approximately 100 meters from the beach, in a free public sand parking lot.
Katholiko Beach
Once you arrive at the main beach, you will see that practically all the sand is covered with umbrellas and sunbeds, although you can get on the front line with your towel without problems, but if you want to be more calm, we advise you to go to one of the coves that are on the sides, much smaller, where there are fewer sunbeds and are much quieter.
The sunbed and umbrella service is 7 euros per day per person and they have restaurant service, both in the hammocks and on the top of the beach, where they also have showers and bathrooms.
Katholiko Beach
Langeri
This beach also located very close to Naoussa, is the only one where you can not park at the foot of the beach, having to do it if you come by car at the end of a path, where there are four parking spaces. If you are all busy, you can leave the car on the shoulder, well attached, so as not to disturb and travel the 200 meters approximately from there to the beach.
Langeri
Keep in mind that there are no services on this beach, something to keep in mind, although nearby you can find supermarkets, cafes and taverns, because it is not a problem, if you can get there by car.
Although we have not liked it very much, it is remarkable that it is a beach that is sheltered from the wind by its location and it is also the least crowded of Paros next to Kolympethres.
Santa Maria
This beach, known for the wind and the practice of surfing, is another of the places to see in Paros, which you can reach directly by car since there is a parking lot of land right on the stretch where the beach begins.
In the parking area there is a restaurant and cafeteria service, although they are a bit far from the parking lot and also an ATM.
Santa Maria
Keep in mind that the beach is quite wide and there is an area where there are sun loungers and hammocks and another area, where these services do not exist, but it is much quieter.
These four beaches that we mentioned, being close to Naoussa, can be perfectly combined with a visit to this fantastic and charming fishing village.
Antiparos
Special mention deserves the island of Antiparos, neighbor of Paros and one of the places to see in Paros most essential, provided you have an extra day or a morning. extra.
How to get from Paros to Antiparos
- Keep in mind that there are several ways to go from Paros to Antiparos, depending on whether you take a car or not. If you do not have it, you can choose to go on a bus tour from Parikia, with which you will also take a ferry and that will leave you in Antiparos. Once there, you must take a bus to go to the different points of interest or stay in Antiparos, the main town.
Another option is to take a bus that takes you to Pounta, the place where the ferries are and cross without a vehicle to the town of Antiparos.
- If you go by rental car, you must go to the port of Pounta, 8 kilometers from Parikia, from where ferries depart to cross to Antiparos.
- Antiparos - Paros ferry tickets cost 1.30 euros per person, 6.30 euros per vehicle (4.25m long).
- Paros (Pounta) schedules are every 30 minutes from 8 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. and 6:15 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. From Antiparos it is every 30 minutes from 7: 45h until 2:15 in the morning and at 6 and 7 in the morning.
- When you arrive at the port, you just have to wait until they tell you that you can climb, either on foot or by vehicle and once parked go to pay.
- The journey is 7 minutes.
Paros to Antiparos Ferry
Route to go from Paros to Antiparos
What to see in Antiparos
Although it may be an idea place to spend several days, if you make a trip from Paros, which is the most common, we leave you a series of places to see in Antiparos that we believe are the most essential in a first contact with the island.
Antiparos
The main town of the island, which you will arrive by ferry, is also called Antiparos and is the busiest place on the island, so much that even many tourists only visit this place on the island.
In addition to getting lost in the main streets of the town, very touristy for our liking, we recommend you get lost in the adjacent streets, where you can see the real life of this small coastal town.
Antiparos
Antiparos
Agios Georgios
Although this name refers to a small church, in addition to this, it is interesting to highlight its location, on foot of one of the most beautiful beaches we have seen in Greece.
Being the furthest point of Antiparos, we recommend that this be the first of the points to visit, and then know the rest of the recommended places, back to the town of Antiparos.
Keep in mind that the last section is a dirt road is not paved, but by which you can access perfectly with a tourism and you can leave the car directly on the road, next to the church, and then walk the area on foot .
Agios Georgios
In this area there is no service, so you should bring everything you need, although the nearest town is only 2 kilometers away, so there is no problem if you forget something.
Once you have visited the main cove, we recommend you to walk a few meters along the road, until you reach a smaller calla with rocks, which although less scenic, is a perfect corner to enjoy the tranquility of the area.
Agios Georgios
Soros
We could say that Soros is another of the beaches to be marked on the route by Antiparos, although this is less photogenic than the previous one, since it has a catering service, sun loungers and umbrellas, it can be much more suitable if you come to spend a family day and You want to have this kind of services nearby.
Soros Beach
You can park in a parking lot enabled for this, although parking on the road parallel to the beach is prohibited.
Cave of Antiparos
This could be said to be one of the great attractions of Antiparos and one of the reasons why travelers arrived in Antiparos. Although you can get here by bus Antiparos, as in the rest of the islands, having a rental car will give you total freedom of movement and schedules, being able to make a wider route through the island, so it is highly recommended to opt for this option or for renting a quad or motorcycle.
Cave of Antiparos
Tips to visit the Cave of Antiparos
- The schedule is from 10 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon (3:30 last access) and the price is 6 euros per person.
- At the entrance of the cave there is a parking lot enabled for both bus and cars, where you can leave the vehicle and then walk up the last meters to the access.
- Keep in mind that the visit to the cave is done for free and access is through hundreds of stairs. Although it can be done well if you take it easy, it should be taken into account for accessibility issues.
- It is not necessary to wear closed shoes, although it is advisable to go down and climb carefully, since the stairs slide a lot, especially when the humidity is very high.
- Keep in mind that there is no service, not even at the ticket booths, so it is worth bringing water.
Cave of Antiparos
Psaraliki II
This beach, located very close to Antiparos, is one of the best known of the island, where you must travel the last stretch of access through a dirt road, from which you can access to the beach itself.
They have sunbeds and umbrellas service, in addition to a couple of restaurants and although it is quiet and familiar, in addition to having incredible transparent waters, right next to it there is a kind of reservoir, with stagnant water with a very unpleasant smell, which at least At the time of our visit, it makes it an undesirable option.
Psaraliki II
Psaraliki
Located next to Psaraliki II, this beach passes exactly the same as the previous one, although we would even dare to say that the smell is more acute, since the water reservoir is closer.
Due to this and without knowing if it is something habitual or not, we would discard them as beach options in Antiparos.
Water raft in Psaraliki
Tips for visiting Antiparos
- Keep in mind that the visit Antiparos can be done perfectly from the island of Paros in one day, so it can be a perfect option as an extra of the selection of places to see in Paros that we did previously.
- It is not necessary to book the ferry, since they leave on a regular basis every half hour and throughout practically all day, especially during the summer months.
- It is for this reason that we recommend you not to organize the visit in advance, being able to perfectly wait for that free time or a day in which the weather is good and you feel like spending a morning or a day in Antiparos.
Antiparos
- If you go by car, there are gas stations in Antiparos, so you won't have problems, although gasoline is usually a bit more expensive than in Paros.
- If you make a route to Agios Giorgios, the furthest point of Antiparos, we advise you to go along the road that borders the coast, but on the way back pass through the Cave of Antiparos and make the journey through the interior road, since Although longer, the road is perfectly enabled and so you can get to know the inner part and the views that you have from the highest area of the island.
Views from inside Antiparos
Recommended restaurant in Antiparos
If you stay to eat in Antiparos, we recommend Kalokeri, a small place in the center of the town, which is the number 1 on TripAdvisor and which highlights, in addition to its gastronomy, a personalized service and a love for the cuisine that is Breathe in every beach.
We ordered two starters, an eggplant caviar with mackerel, saganaki and tartar, plus dessert, a glass of wine and soda with coffees, for 57 euros.
Spectacular!
Kalokeri
Route through Antiparos
Paros Routes
The most important thing to organize a route through Paros, is to know how many days are necessary or would be adequate to enjoy the places to see in Paros, in a relaxed way. As we mentioned earlier, according to our experience, we would recommend 2-3 days, to combine a cultural and also relaxing route, in which to intersperse a visit to inland villages, with a day at the beach or a trip to the neighbor Antiparos
If it is not possible to have 3 days, with two days you can also see the most important and interesting of the island, in addition to taking some quieter hours on one of the beaches.
1 day route in Paros
If you only have one day to see Paros, without a doubt, our choice of visits for that day would be Parikia and Naoussa, being able, if you get up early, you extend the day and have a vehicle, make a visit from a couple of hours to some nearby beach
2 day route in Paros
If you have two days to know all the places to see in Paros, we would advise you to do a first day in Parikia and Naoussa, following the proposed route of 1 day and the second day to make a route through the interior of the island, visiting towns such as Lefkes, Prodromos, Marmara, Marpissa and Piso Livadi, adding some of the most recommended beach.
3-day route in Paros
With three days to visit Paros, we would follow the previous 2-day route and add a third day in Antiparos.
4 day route in Paros
Having 4 days to see Paros, will allow you to follow the recommended route for 3 days and have an extra day to devote to enjoying a full day on one of the beaches that you liked or even repeat the visit to Parikia or Naoussa, Depending on where you stay.
Naoussa
Best tours / excursions from the island of Paros
Although you can visit the island perfectly and know all the places to see in Paros for free, if you want to know more about the island and its history, you can opt for this Excursion to Paros from Naxos.
Naoussa Harbor
Recommended restaurants in Paros
Little Green Rocket: This restaurant, about 900 meters from the most central area of Parikia, is the most recommended restaurant in the town and has a somewhat different menu, which does not include practically any dish of gastronomy Traditional Greek, highlighting dishes in which the protagonist is the hamburger, Japanese and even Mexican varieties.
We ordered a chicken bath plus salmon skewer, glass of wine, soda and two desserts for 41 euros.
Little green rocket
To Takimi: Restaurant a little away from the center of Naoussa, but very good, to which we recommend you come, since it is the perfect example of traditional Greek cuisine and dishes made with top quality product.
We ordered a spicy cheese salad, eggplant salad, feta cheese with sesame and honey puff pastry and a smoked mackerel plus a glass of water and two coffees for 31 euros.
To Takimi
Klarinos: This restaurant, located in the area closest to the Lefkes road, is a great option for lunch or dinner if you are in this small inland town, where you can also enjoy spectacular views of the surroundings from its terrace from town.
We ordered saganaki, moussaka and kolokithoke you, more water and wine for 23 euros. Highly recommended!
Klarinos
Symposium Cafe: This small cafe-restaurant located in the center of Paros, is also one of the best places to have breakfast or lunch, one of the most charming places you can find in the town and that for us, it has practically been become another place to see in essential Paros.
Tienen una carta con diferentes entrantes, sándwich y baggels, además unos postres realmente buenos y un café excelente, por lo que es una de las opciones más recomendadas de Paros.
Symposium Cafe
Cuore Rosso:
Esta pizzería del centro de Paros es uno de los restaurantes italianos más recomendados de la isla y si bien las pizzas no son especialmente económicas, ya que la mayoría tienen un precio entre 15 y 17 euros, son excelentes, por lo que si quieres huir de la gastronomía griega y probar una pizza bien hecha, esta es una excelente opción.
Cuore Rosso
Día 27: Ferry de Paros a Santorini
