Paros

As if spontaneously dabbed into the turquoise Aegean Sea with a paintbrush - that's how they lie, the "circular" Cyclades. Over 200 uninhabited and 24 inhabited islands are grouped in a ring around the former center of Delos with its important Apollo sanctuary. A little further south is Paros, from where boat trips to Delos or Mykonos are also offered. The Cyclades embody the glowing ideal of a Greek island par excellence. Bathed in radiant light, they are mountainous isles with golden sandy beaches, dreamy bays, lively harbors and traditional villages. This is exactly how Paros presents itself, the third largest Cyclades island after Naxos and Andros.

Typical here are the unique sunsets, especially on the west coast, and the often strong Meltemi winds, which bring welcome cooling in midsummer. Equally characteristic are the cozy tavernas by the sea and the restaurants at the harbour and in the narrow streets of Naoussa or Lefkes. The island's main town, where the ferries from Piraeus dock and depart for the other islands, is Parikia on the west coast. The small town is surrounded by mountains and lies on a beautiful, sheltered bay. Life mainly takes place on the long waterfront promenade, in the winding alleyways of the old town and on the popular Agora market street. It begins at the harbor square, which was redesigned a few years ago. Many restaurants and cafés are located south of the harbor, whose entrance is marked by a characteristic windmill.

Naoussa - from fishing village to island hotspot Probably the most popular destination on Paros is Naoussa in the northwest of the island. This is also where the majority of luxury hotels are located. Like Parikia, the former fishing village with many beautiful sandy beaches in the surrounding area is located in a sheltered bay, has developed considerably in recent years and cannot be described as anything other than picturesque. There are numerous excellent restaurants, bars and cafés, boutiques and stores around the harbor and in the narrow streets of the old town. It is correspondingly lively here, especially in the evenings.





A tip: Boats run all day from the port in Naoussa to the fine sandy beaches of the Santa Maria peninsula or to the bathing bays on Kolimbithres beach. This is one of the most popular beaches on Paros. Located in the large bay of Naoussa, the beach is particularly impressive with its granite rocks, which have taken on bizarre shapes due to the influence of the sea and wind. With a bit of luck, you may even discover a secluded spot in the sand in the early or late season. There are several bars and tavernas scattered around the beach. If you don't want to rely on a boat, you can also reach Kolimbithres beach by road. Monastiri Beach, the "monastery beach", can also be reached by road or boat and is located a few kilometers further on in a small, rocky bay surrounded by stony hills.





The east coast is wilder, more rugged and rockier, but there are still beautiful beaches here, such as Logaras Beach or Punda Beach. This side of the island is also the territory of windsurfers and kiters. Marpissa is a pretty village that is popular with holidaymakers, nestled almost like an amphitheater on the slope of Kefalos hill. It was built in the classic Cycladic style with whitewashed houses and churches and narrow alleyways. Some of the island's most spectacular sandy beaches are in the immediate vicinity - e.g. the large Golden Beach, the Mecca of windsurfing and kitesurfing par excellence, with plenty of accommodation, bars and tavernas. Next door is the New Golden Beach and not far away is the famous Punda Beach, overlooked by the small luxury hotel Summer Senses. The Punda Beach Club is a popular party location in the high season from June to August, and there is also a surf and kite school here. Surfing and partying on Golden Beach The closest beach to Marpissa is the small harbor town of Piso Livadi with its pretty tavernas where you can enjoy excellent food.

In the far south of the island is Aliki, a rather quiet, less well-known village with a 150-metre-long main beach and several bays in the surrounding area. You can enjoy the evening here with a good bottle of local wine on the pier or in the small village center. Opposite the south coast of Paros, only about two kilometers away, is the small sister island of Antiparos, where wine is also grown. Speaking of wine: alongside Santorini, Paros is probably the best "wine island" in the Cyclades, with several ambitious wineries such as Moraitis, Ktima Roussos, Louridis and Domaine Myrsini. We even liked the white wines a little better than the reds and rosés. In any case, the island wines with a protected designation of origin are a discovery and you should try them at every meal, whether at the port of Naoussa or at a dinner in the picturesque mountain village of Lefke, the former capital of the island. Just like the local craft beer "56 Isles".

Arrival

By plane

The small national airport of Paros is located in the south of the island. An international airport is under construction. The flight to the island therefore still involves changing planes in Athens. From there, the Greek airlines Aegean Airlines, Olympic and Sky Express fly to Paros several times a day. The flight takes around 25 minutes.

" By plane + ship "

An alternative option is to fly via Mykonos or Santorini. There are numerous direct flights to both islands from Germany during the summer season. From the islands you can then take the ferry to Paros. The journey between Mykonos and Paros takes 35 to 60 minutes and from Santorini to Paros around 90 minutes.

" By boat "

Ferries run from Piraeus to Paros all year round, once or twice a day in winter and up to eight times a day in high season. Depending on the ferry, the journey takes between 45 minutes and 4.5 hours. The trips are operated by the four ferry companies Blue Star Ferries, Seajets, Hellenic Seaways and Fast Ferries. In very strong winds, the services may well be suspended.

Climate & travel time

The season on Paros lasts from around the beginning of May to the beginning of October. In July and August, daytime temperatures are usually above 30 degrees and the water temperature is 25 degrees. In June and September, the average temperatures are 27 degrees during the day and around 21 degrees at night - these two months are therefore also considered the ideal time to visit. Most of the rain falls from November to March, in midsummer it practically never rains. July has the most hours of sunshine with twelve hours a day. The Cyclades are known for being very windy - the Meltemi blows regularly.