Πάρος · The marble island, with a fishing harbour that glows at dusk
Eat octopus by the boats under a Venetian fort in Naoussa, walk a marble path between mountain villages, swim among granite rocks and light a candle in a church of a hundred doors.
Greetings from Paros
Paros
We spent the morning walking an old marble path down through the hills from Lefkes, past chapels and olive trees, with Naxos floating on the sea ahead of us. A swim at the bottom, a cold beer in a fishing harbour, and a nap. Tonight we are in Naoussa, at a table so close to the water we could touch the boats, eating octopus while the little Venetian fort turns pink in the last light.
Hour by hour
A marble path through the hills in the morning, a swim on the east coast, and dinner by the fishing boats of Naoussa.
Drive up to the white village of Lefkes while it is still cool, and have coffee on a little square among the marble lanes.
Walk the old marble-paved road from Lefkes down the valley to Prodromos, about an hour, past chapels, terraces and olive trees, with Naxos ahead of you.
Go on to the sea at Piso Livadi or Logaras for a swim, then lunch by the boats in the little harbour.
In Parikia, step into the cool of Panagia Ekatontapiliani, one of the oldest churches in Greece, then climb the lanes to the marble walls of the Venetian Kastro.
Drive north to Naoussa and walk out to the little Venetian fort as the boats come back and the light turns gold.
Dinner on the little old harbour under the fort, Aegean fish and a glass of island wine, then a walk through the white lanes.
Where to stay
Naoussa
Lilly Residence · Adults-only boutique hotel · €€€€
Naoussa
Kanale's Rooms & Suites · Boutique hotel · €€€
Kolymbithres
Astir of Paros · Luxury beach hotel · €€€€
Only on Paros
What makes Paros different from every other island in the Cyclades.
Parian marble was the most prized in the ancient world for its fine grain and the way light sinks into it. Sculptors used it for the Venus de Milo and many other famous works, and the ancient galleries cut deep into the hill at Marathi can still be seen.
Panagia Ekatontapiliani in Parikia is one of the oldest churches in Greece still in use, founded, tradition says, by Saint Helena and rebuilt under the emperor Justinian in the 6th century. Legend says only 99 of its doors can be seen, and the hundredth is hidden.
When the Venetians built their kastro on the hill of Parikia in the 13th century, they took the marble from the ancient temples. Columns and carved blocks still show in its walls, laid in rows among the houses.
An old paved path, known as the Byzantine road, runs for about 3.5 km from Lefkes down the valley to Prodromos, one of the loveliest walks in the Cyclades.
Towns & villages
A fishing harbour under a Venetian fort, with octopus drying in the sun
The prettiest village on Paros, built around a little harbour in a deep bay on the north coast. Fishing boats tie up beneath the half-sunken walls of a small Venetian fortress, octopus hang drying outside the tavernas, and behind the waterfront a maze of white lanes, arches and blue doors fills with people in the evening. The beaches of Kolymbithres and Monastiri are just across the bay.
The port and capital, with a church of a hundred doors
The island's capital and port, where the ferries come in beside an old windmill. Behind the harbour is Panagia Ekatontapiliani, one of the oldest churches in Greece still in use, and the Archaeological Museum. Inland, the lanes of the old town wind up to the Venetian Kastro, whose walls were built from the marble of ancient temples. In the evening the bars along the seafront face one of the best sunsets in the Cyclades.
Things to do
Hike
Follow the old marble-paved road down the valley from Lefkes to Prodromos, about an hour, past chapels and olive groves. Go in the morning and carry on to the sea at Piso Livadi.
Lefkes to Prodromos
Beach
Small sandy coves between huge granite boulders smoothed by the wind, with calm, shallow water. Take the little boat from Naoussa harbour and arrive early.
Across the bay from Naoussa
Food & wine
Eat grilled octopus and drink ouzo at a table on the old harbour, under the walls of the Venetian fort, as the lights come on.
Naoussa
Good to know
Paros lies in the middle of the Cyclades, about 196 km² of gentle hills rising to 776 m, with sandy bays all around the coast and Naxos across the strait. In antiquity its marble, the finest and most translucent in Greece, was carved into some of the most famous statues in the world, and the old quarries can still be seen at Marathi. Its port, Parikia, keeps one of the oldest churches in Greece and a Venetian kastro built of temple stones. On the north coast, Naoussa is a fishing harbour beneath a little fort, and in the hills the white village of Lefkes looks down on olive groves. Paros has all the beauty of the Cyclades, the lanes, the chapels, the light, with a softer pace than its famous neighbours.
When to go
June and September are ideal: warm sea, open tavernas, lively but not packed. July and August are the busiest months, with the meltemi wind, full harbours and late nights. May and October are calm and green.
Getting around
Buses link Parikia with Naoussa, Lefkes and the main beaches. A car or scooter lets you reach the villages and quiet coves; book one ahead in summer.
How long
Four to six days gives you Naoussa, Parikia, the mountain villages and a day on Antiparos. Paros is also the best base for hopping on to Naxos, Mykonos and the Small Cyclades.
Getting there
Fly from Athens to Paros airport in about 40 minutes, or take the ferry from Piraeus or Rafina in about 3–5 hours.
Flights & ferries
Cycladic figurines, a warrior poet, the marble of the great sculptors, a church of a hundred doors, Venetian lords and a heroine of the Greek revolution.
Walk through the story