Paros

Multilayered, multidimensional Paros will offer you whatever you desire, leaving you free to choose the holiday of your dreams. In the most popular cluster of islands in the Aegean, the Cyclades, Paros gives you the chance to enjoy the holiday of your dreams. If you want to spend your days swimming, you’ll find beaches large and small, secret and well-known. If you chase the wind, you’ll rejoice in the plentiful world- famous beaches for kitesurfing and windsurfing.

If you’re after a Cycladic fairy tale, you’ll be intoxicated by the smell of jasmine and bougainvillea, the maze of hidden alleyways in Parikia, and leisurely afternoons in Naoussa’s tiny and charming marinas. If you’re looking to turn up the volume, you’ll enjoy exotic cocktails and loud music at lively beach bars and clubs, day or night.

If you want to travel in time, you’ll visit the most significant early church in the Aegean, and the most important attraction of the island, and stand awestruck in Panagia Ekatontapiliani (Church of 100 Doors). You’ll climb up to the Venetian castle at the port and visit the Byzantine Road at Lefkes. However you get here, whatever your heart desires, one thing is certain: Paros has it all!

What to do on Paros

‘Paria Lithos’, world-renowned marble of Paros

Hard and ductile at the same time, Parian marble is one of a kind, unsurpassed thanks to its unique transparency and purity. Just a few of the most famous works sculpted in this fabulous medium include the Venus de Milo,  Hermes of Praxiteles, Nike of Delos, the Temple of Apollo and the Treasury of Sifnos in Delphi.

Sculptures of the wind and sea: Kolymbithres

Golden sand embroidered around granite rocks, smoothed  by the wind and sea into incredible shapes. The seawater sculptures that locals have named Kolymbithres look as if they were dreamed up by an artist.

Naoussa: from pirates to parties

No one can believe that the marina of Naoussa was once a pirate’s den. The music echoing from the bars, the perpetual motion of restaurant tables and chairs, young crowds that want to live every night to the full, all combine to create a cinematic ambience.

Water sports with strong wind

The wind blows, strong and steady. Games with the wind in the strait that divides Paros with Antiparos and Naxos have no end. It’s an ideal destination for those who love sea sports, especially kitesurfing and windsurfing. Paros has been home to international tournaments for years. If you aren’t already a pro, take a wind or kite-surfing lesson at Chrysi Akti or Pounta.

One-of-a-kind beaches

Infinite, golden, hidden coves and  organized; Paros has many unique beaches. Chrysi Akti, Santa Maria, Pounta, Kalogeros, Kolymbithres: You’ll find it difficult to choose, but you’re sure to find many that will stay in your heart.

Hidden gems of Paros

Ai Yiannis Detis

At Ai Yianni Detis time slows down and the tranquility and charm of the white monastery permeate this entire bay on Paros. Here you can swim, walk and contemplate.

Lefkes: A peaceful courtyard

Whitewash and marble. A symphony in white. Homes with pretty patios sloping upwards, like an amphitheatre. Cycladic architecture, neoclassical buildings, boutique accommodation all coexist harmoniously. Park your car and walk, wandering through its peaceful alleys. Don’t forget to see the Byzantine road, a 1,000-year-old marble paved path, which was built to connect Marpissa with Parikia.

Off the beaten track: Marpissa and Prodromos

Two inland villages that are worth a visit. At Prodromos the entrance to the village is a vaulted roof and steeple. Walk in the streets and admire the small traditional Cycladic homes. Then make your way to Marpissa, a 16th-century village with traditional windmills and churches rich in history.