Things to do in Paros
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Paros
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months: warm sea, everything open, meltemi manageable and prices a step below August.
May and early October: value and hiking sweet spot, swimming fine by late May, some seasonal places closed at edges.
Full island, hottest, windiest, most expensive and most crowded: go only with bookings locked.
Winter local island: Parikia and inland villages stay alive, ferries thin out and beach infrastructure closes.
What's on
- Easter / Holy Week spring, dates vary
Good Friday processions and Holy Saturday in Parikia and the villages, a light and local atmosphere.
- Paros Festival July
Multi day cultural festival in Parikia dedicated to the island heritage, with concerts and events.
- Naoussa Fish Festival first Sunday of July
Fresh fish, seafood, wine and dancing in Naoussa harbour.
- Feast of the Assumption 15 August
Island biggest day, centred on Panagia Ekatontapiliani with procession, dances, music, food and fireworks.
- Pirates' Night 23 August
Costumed pirates land at the Venetian port in Naoussa, re enacting the raids with singing and dancing.
- Routes in Marpissa late August, three days
Volunteer run village festival through Marpissa lanes around architecture, folklore, music, art and environment.
- Paros Park summer festival through summer
Open air theatre, cinema and concerts on the Ai Yiannis Detis peninsula at Monastiri.
- Feast of the Trawl early September
Smaller food centred local feast in Parikia.
- Wine harvest season September
Harvest activity at island wineries, with cheesemakers and family tavernas a reason to come then.
- Agios Georgios panigiri, Aliki 23 April
Village saints day in Aliki with music, dancing and food in the square.
Best things to do in Paros
Naoussa Old Port
Working fishing harbour ringed by tavernas, with octopus on lines and white lanes behind the Venetian castle.
Venetian Castle of Naoussa
Half submerged Venetian fort at the harbour entrance, best seen as part of an evening port walk.
Kolymbithres Beach
Granite coves and natural pools with sheltered, shallow, clear water for swimming and snorkelling.
Lefkes
Former island capital of marble lanes, neoclassical houses and kafeneia in olive groves and pines.
Byzantine Road
Marble paved Byzantine era path, about an hour of easy downhill walking from Lefkes to Prodromos.
Panagia Ekatontapiliani
Early Christian church complex in continuous use, with a 4th century baptistery and a small Byzantine museum.
Moraitis Winery
Fourth generation family winery pouring Monemvasia and Mandilaria after a short, relaxed cellar tour.
Paros Park
Protected peninsula with marked trails, small beaches, a monastery and an open air theatre and cinema.
Where to stay in Paros
Naoussa
couples, food and nightlife, best overall base
Prettiest base with the best restaurants and bars, and northern beaches close, but priciest and crowded in peak.
Parikia
value, short stays, ferries and no car trips
Capital and port with the bus station, better value hotels, old town, great church and west facing sunsets.
Piso Livadi and Logaras
east coast compromise and families
Small fishing harbour with waterfront tavernas and a calm beach at Logaras, close to Golden Beach and Lefkes.
Golden Beach / Chrissi Akti
windsurfers and beach resort families
Stay on the sand and walk to windsurf centres, but you will drive or bus for dinners out.
Aliki and Drios
low key, local, family value
South coast villages with sheltered swimming, good tavernas and prices noticeably below the north.
Lefkes and the inland villages
quiet and hiking
Marble village base with kafeneia and the Byzantine Road at your door, few properties and a car is essential.
Think twice about
- Livadia-Kolymbithres resort strip
Hotels marketed as near Naoussa that need a car or shuttle for every dinner, with little village life outside the gate.
- Dead centre Naoussa in August
Avoid for fit, not safety: crowded and noisy at night in peak weeks if you want quiet nights and early sleep.
- Golden Beach as a nightlife base
Avoid for fit, not safety: if your trip is about restaurants and nightlife you will drive every evening.
Best restaurants in Paros
Stou Fred
French chef cooking a set, multi plate menu in a hidden Parikia garden, the island gastronomic dinner.
Siparos Seaside Restaurant
Refined seaside dining near Naoussa since 2009, built for long lunches that run into sunset.
Soso
Tiny Naoussa lane restaurant for modern Greek cooking, the first name locals give for quality in town.
Yemeni Wine Restaurant
Rustic family run Naoussa institution cooking pure Parian food, with garden vegetables and local wine.
Taverna Glafkos
Harbour area seafood taverna by Agios Dimitrios beach, for fish by the water without the worst mark up.
Mario Restaurant
Waterfront fish taverna in Ambelas, the move when Naoussa centre feels too polished.
Katsunas
Simple taverna above Mini Santa Maria cooking generous Greek food at lunch, paired with the best swim.
Souvlakia Kargas
Cheap eats fixture in expensive Naoussa, for gyros, souvlaki and Greek salads at local prices.
Best coffee in Paros
Kallitechniko Kafeneio
Traditional kafeneio in Prodromos, open all year and the village stop on the interior loop.
Outdoor things to do in Paros
Panteronisia
Islets called the Blue Lagoon, with water reviewers describe in Caribbean terms on boat days.
Despotiko Island
Uninhabited island beside its ancient sanctuary of Apollo, a swim stop on the round Antiparos boat route.
Faneromeni Bay
Quiet bay on southern Antiparos, included as a swim stop on the established boat circuit.
Regaki Boat Trips
Local boat operator running a closely related Antiparos circuit with swim stops and lunch on board.
Antiparos Town
Bougainvillea lanes of the sister island town, best in the morning and again after day trippers leave.
Cave of Antiparos
Large, deep stalactite cave known since antiquity, descended by staircase and loved by older children.
Psaraliki Beach
Easy swimming beach on Antiparos for the afternoon part of a DIY day trip from Paros.
Soros Beach
Popular Antiparos swimming beach to pair with the cave and the main town in one day.
Best hotels in Paros
Cosme, a Luxury Collection Resort, Paros
Consensus top hotel in Naoussa: on Agioi Anargyroi Beach, still walkable to the harbour and restaurants.
Parilio, a Member of Design Hotels
Design led all suite retreat near Kolymbithres, with a cross shaped pool, restaurant and spa, not beachfront.
Summer Senses Luxury Resort
East coast luxury resort with gardens, freeform pools, spa and private pool suites near Piso Livadi.
Mythic Paros
Adults only 5 star above the west coast near Parikia, known for sunset views and its restaurant.
Poseidon of Paros
Family hotel pick on Golden Beach itself, for a stay built around sand and windsurf centres.
Stelia Mare Boutique Hotel
Small boutique hotel with pool and sea views, five minutes to the beach and ten to Naoussa harbour.
Argonauta Hotel
Parikia benchmark in the pedestrian old town, five minutes from the port and known for excellent breakfasts.
Opal Paros
4 star pick on Piperi Beach, about 600 metres from the centre of Naoussa.
Is Paros expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €95 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €270 a person |
| Splurge | €550 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Moraitis Winery: a few days ahead
- Panteronisia: a few days ahead
- Despotiko Island: a few days ahead
- Faneromeni Bay: a few days ahead
- Regaki Boat Trips: a few days ahead
- Cave of Antiparos: a few days ahead
- Paros Windsurf Center: a few days ahead
- Paros Kite Center: a few days ahead
- Hotels for July and August: book best properties 4 to 6 months ahead, with about three months as a floor in peak.
- Stou Fred and Soso need reservations days to weeks ahead in season, and Siparos for sunset likewise.
- Beach club sunbeds run about 30 to 50 euros per person per day in peak and the best spots fill, so reserve.
- Windsurf and kite lessons, private boats and the Antiparos cave in August all reward advance booking.
Is Paros safe?
- Road risk is the main risk: scooter and quad accidents, meltemi gusts and drink driving after beach clubs.
- No lifeguard culture on quiet coves, strong sun off white granite, and spiky plants on some Paros Park trails: wear shoes.
- Petty theft is low but not zero: do not leave valuables visible on free beach sections or in a rental car.
- Crowding and noise, not danger, in central Naoussa and on the Parikia port front in August.
Paros travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Naoussa harbour front fish by the kilo is the priciest way to eat fish: confirm per kilo price and weight before cooking.
- Hotels marketed as near Naoussa that are not: check walking distance on a map before paying centre prices.
- Livadia Beach in Parikia is convenient, not spectacular: do not judge Paros beaches by it.
- Big Santa Maria is social and serviced: if you wanted a quiet cove, you wanted Mini Santa Maria, Lageri or Faragas.
Getting around Paros: public transport and more
- Ferry is the default: Parikia links Piraeus in about 3 to 4 hours and connects Naxos, Mykonos, Santorini and Milos.
- Rent a car for the real Paros: southern beaches, inland villages and wind based beach choice all need wheels.
- KTEL buses hub in Parikia and Naoussa, Parikia to Naoussa takes about 25 minutes and a typical ride is about 2 euros.
- Water taxis from Naoussa port run in season to Kolymbithres, Monastiri and other Naoussa Bay beaches for a few euros.
- Plan by wind: windy days suit sheltered north coves or south beaches, calm days suit Golden Beach, Santa Maria and boats.
Who Paros suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Paros your trip
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