🪪 The island at a glance
📍 Where they are
Paros lies in the centre of the Cyclades, just west of Naxos, with Syros and Tinos to the north and Ios and Santorini further south. Antiparos lies to its southwest, separated by a narrow, shallow channel. Next to Antiparos is the uninhabited islet of Despotiko, with an ancient sanctuary of Apollo. Parikia is one of the biggest ports in the Aegean and a hub for island hopping.
📍 Where Paros and Antiparos are
Paros and Antiparos lie in the centre of the Cyclades, west of Naxos and south of Syros. In red you can see the shape of the two islands, together with Despotiko. Ferries leave from Piraeus.
🗺️ The map of the two islands
Paros is almost round, with a mountain in the middle and the villages around it. On the west coast is Parikia, the port and main town, and further south Pounta, where the ferry leaves for Antiparos. In the north a large bay opens out with Naoussa and Kolymbithres. In the centre is Lefkes, the old capital, and on the east coast the villages of Prodromos, Marpissa and Piso Livadi with the long sandy beaches. Antiparos is long and narrow, with its village at the northern tip, opposite Pounta.
🗺️ The map of Paros and Antiparos
Parikia is on the west coast, Naoussa in the north, Lefkes in the centre and the long sandy beaches on the east and south coasts. The green dashed line shows the Pounta – Antiparos ferry. Tap each number to see what it is.
Map: Bgabel / Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons
⚖️ Is it worth it? The pros and cons
Paros has become one of the most popular islands in the Cyclades, and that has its good and bad sides. Here is an honest picture.
📊 At a glance, from 1 to 5
👍 The pros
- Two islands in one trip: lively Paros and quiet Antiparos, ten minutes apart.
- Pretty villages: Naoussa, Lefkes, Marpissa, the Kastro of Antiparos.
- Many different beaches, from Kolymbithres to Golden Beach.
- A central port with ferries to almost every island in the Cyclades.
- A lively nightlife in Naoussa, without the excesses of Mykonos.
👎 The cons
- Naoussa and Parikia get very crowded in August.
- Prices rise year after year, especially in Naoussa.
- The meltemi blows hard, especially on the north coast.
- A gentler, less dramatic landscape than Santorini or Milos.
- Parking in Naoussa and Parikia is difficult.
📜 A little history
In antiquity Paros was famous for its marble, white and translucent, among the finest in the world. Some of the best-known statues of antiquity, such as the Venus de Milo, are made of Parian marble. The ancient quarries of Marathi, with their underground galleries, still exist in the centre of the island. The lyric poet Archilochus came from Paros.
In Byzantine times Panagia Ekatontapyliani was built, and in the Middle Ages the islands passed to the Venetians, who built castles in Parikia, Naoussa and Antiparos. Then came the Ottomans and, in the years of the Greek Revolution, Paros gave the struggle Manto Mavrogenous, who spent the last years of her life here.
⛪ Parikia and Ekatontapyliani
Parikia is the port and main town, and the first image of Paros: a windmill, the waterfront with its cafés and, behind it, a maze-like Cycladic village of shops and churches. Here stands Panagia Ekatontapyliani, one of the oldest churches in Greece. Tradition says it was founded by Saint Helen in the 4th century, and it was rebuilt in the 6th century, in the time of Justinian. It is a whole complex of stone, with a baptistery and a small Byzantine museum.
A little further on, on a hill by the sea, is the Kastro of Parikia, built by the Venetians with marble blocks and columns from ancient temples. The pieces are still visible in the walls. The Archaeological Museum of Paros is nearby. At sunset the waterfront cafés look out on the sun going down behind Antiparos.
The port and main town of the island.
One of the oldest churches in Greece.
Built with marble from ancient temples.
The entrance to Parikia from the port.
Photos: Olaf Tausch (CC BY 3.0), Andrant83 (CC BY-SA 4.0), Zde (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
⚓ Naoussa and Kolymbithres
Naoussa, on the northern bay, is the most photographed spot on Paros. A Venetian tower, half sunk in the sea, guards the little harbour with its fishing boats, surrounded by tavernas with octopus drying in the sun. Behind the harbour, the white alleys fill with bars and restaurants in the evening. Naoussa is the liveliest corner of the island, but also the most expensive.
Across the bay from Naoussa is Kolymbithres: granite rocks carved by wind and sea into round, strange shapes, with small sandy coves in between. Boats also go there from Naoussa. A little further on is Monastiri, a sheltered bay with a beach.
A Venetian tower at the entrance of the harbour.
Fishing boats, tavernas and bars.
Granite carved by wind and sea.
Small coves between the rocks.
Photos: Tommybee89 (CC BY-SA 4.0), Zde (CC BY-SA 4.0), Demetria pl (CC BY-SA 4.0), rene boulay (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons
🏡 Lefkes, the Byzantine path and the villages
Lefkes, high in the centre of the island, was the capital of Paros when the islanders hid from pirates. It is a quiet village with marble alleys, mansions, a big church and a view over the whole plain, as far as Naxos. From Lefkes starts the Byzantine path, a marble-paved trail that runs down between olive trees and dry-stone walls to Prodromos, in about an hour on foot.
From Prodromos, a small village with old houses, it is a few minutes to Marpissa, a white village on a hill with windmills and squares, and from there down to the sea at Piso Livadi, a fishing village with tavernas. The Longovarda Monastery, near Parikia, is also worth a visit, a monastery with an important library and an icon-painting workshop.
The old capital, in the centre of the island.
Marble, whitewash and flowers.
Coffee with a view of the plain.
A village with windmills, above the east coast.
Photos: Kondephy (CC BY-SA 4.0), Zde (CC BY-SA 4.0), MauveTardigrade (CC BY-SA 4.0), C messier (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
🏖️ The beaches
Paros has beaches on every side, so every day you can find one sheltered from the wind. When the meltemi blows, choose the south or west coast.
- Kolymbithres and Monastiri: in the bay of Naoussa, with granite rocks and calm water when the wind is not too strong.
- Santa Maria: a sandy beach with shallow water and dunes at the northeastern tip, with beach bars.
- Logaras and Piso Livadi: organised sandy beaches on the east coast, with tavernas, good for families.
- Golden Beach and New Golden Beach: long sandy beaches on the southeast coast, a favourite for windsurfing and kitesurfing.
- Faragas: on the south coast, with turquoise water, for when the meltemi makes the north impossible.
- Beaches of Antiparos: shallow sandy beaches near the village and quieter bays further south, as far as Agios Georgios.
The windsurfers’ favourite.
A sandy beach on the south coast.
Shallow water and peace.
Photos: brunobarbato (CC BY 3.0), Olaf Tausch (CC BY 3.0), SNappa2006 (CC BY 2.0) · Wikimedia Commons
🏝️ Antiparos
Antiparos is the quieter sister of Paros. The ferry from Pounta crosses the strait in about ten minutes and carries cars too. Its village has a main pedestrian street with shops and tavernas that leads to the Kastro: a 15th-century Venetian settlement where the outer houses form the walls themselves and you enter through a stone gate.
In the south of the island is the Antiparos cave, with stalactites and stalagmites reaching a great depth. You go down hundreds of steps inside the mountain. In the 18th century Russian officers cut off stalactites and took them away. Further south, from Agios Georgios, boats leave for Despotiko, where excavations have uncovered an archaic sanctuary of Apollo with more than twenty buildings.
The village and the little harbour from above.
Ten minutes by ferry.
The houses form the walls.
The entrance to the Venetian settlement.
Stalactites at great depth.
Hundreds of steps going down.
Paros, Antiparos and the strait between them.
Photos: Nobility of Europe (CC BY-SA 4.0), Olaf Tausch (CC BY 3.0), Zde (CC BY-SA 4.0), Geraki (CC BY-SA 2.5), Kondephy (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
🍷 What to eat
Paros has its own PDO wine, made from the local Monemvasia and Mandilaria grapes, and a few wineries that offer tastings. In the tavernas of Naoussa and Piso Livadi try fresh fish and grilled octopus. Try gouna too, mackerel split open and sun-dried, then grilled over charcoal, and local cheeses such as xinomyzithra. In Lefkes and Marpissa you will find simpler family tavernas.
📅 When to go
The best time is June and September: the sea is warm, everything is open and there are fewer people. In July and August Naoussa and Parikia fill up, prices rise and the meltemi blows hard. May and October are ideal for the Byzantine path and the villages. In winter Paros has permanent residents and open tavernas, but most hotels close.
Ferries leave Parikia for Naxos, Ios, Santorini, Mykonos, Syros, Milos and many other islands. If you want to see more than one island, Paros is an ideal first stop. Naxos in particular is very close.
⛴️ How to get there from Athens
| How | Duration | From | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🚤 Fast ferry | 3–4 hours | Piraeus | Faster, but rolls when it’s windy. |
| ⛴️ Conventional ferry | 4–5 hours | Piraeus | Cheaper and more stable, with many sailings in summer. |
| ✈️ Plane | Less than an hour | Athens airport | The airport is in the south of Paros. |
| ⛴️ Ferry to Antiparos | About 10 minutes | Pounta | Frequent sailings, it carries cars too. |
From Ioulianou 50, Piraeus is easy: Line 1 from Victoria to the end of the line, no changes. For the airport, take Line 1 to Monastiraki and then Line 3 towards the Airport. Ferries dock in Parikia. For Antiparos, take a bus or taxi to Pounta and the ferry from there. In summer there is also a boat directly from Parikia. See our guide to ferries from Piraeus.
🚌 Getting around the islands
- KTEL buses: from Parikia to Naoussa, Lefkes, Marpissa, Piso Livadi, Golden Beach and Pounta. Frequent services in summer.
- Boats: from Naoussa to Kolymbithres and Monastiri, and from Parikia to Antiparos.
- Car or scooter: handy for the villages and the more distant beaches. Parking in Naoussa and Parikia is difficult.
- On Antiparos: the village is easy to explore on foot, and a small bus goes to the cave and Agios Georgios.
🛏️ Where to stay
| Region | For whom | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Parikia | No car, island hopping | Port and buses, but crowded on the waterfront. |
| Naousa | Couples, groups of friends, nights out | The prettiest and liveliest, but also the most expensive. |
| Piso Livadi, Logaras | Families, peace and quiet | Sandy beaches and tavernas, close to the villages. |
| Golden Beach | Windsurfing, beach | Far from Parikia, you need transport. |
| Antiparos | Peace and quiet, couples | More relaxed, but fewer options for every budget. |
🗓️ A three-day itinerary
Parikia, Ekatontapyliani and Naoussa
Morning at Ekatontapyliani and the Kastro of Parikia. Swim at Kolymbithres. In the evening, Naoussa: a stroll around the little harbour, dinner and a drink next to the castle.
Lefkes, the Byzantine path and the east coast
Go up to Lefkes and walk the Byzantine path down to Prodromos. Then Marpissa, a swim at Logaras or Golden Beach, and lunch in Piso Livadi.
Antiparos
Ferry from Pounta, a walk around the Kastro and the main street. Visit the cave and, if you have time, take a boat to Despotiko from Agios Georgios. Sunset on Antiparos.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do I need?
Four to five days for Paros and one or two for Antiparos. With three days you see the essentials, as in the plan above.
Should I stay on Paros or Antiparos?
If you want choice, nightlife and buses, stay on Paros and do Antiparos as a day trip. If you want peace and a village feel, stay on Antiparos and cross to Paros whenever you like.
Paros or Naxos?
Paros is more fashionable and easier, with a livelier nightlife. Naxos is bigger, with better sandy beaches and a more rural feel. They are an hour apart by ferry, so many people do both. See also our guide to Naxos.
Do I need a car?
Not necessarily. Buses cover most villages and beaches. A car or scooter for a day or two helps for the more remote beaches.
Is it good for children?
Yes. Santa Maria, Logaras and the beaches of Antiparos have shallow water, and the villages are safe to stroll around.
— Kathy
