Paros is located in the Aegean Sea and is part of the Cyclades. The famous Parian marble is mined in the mountains of the island, from which great buildings were built and many antiquity monuments were carved.
For example, it was used for the sculpture of Aphrodite (Venus) of Milo, the temples of Apollo on Tilos, Hermes at Olympia, for some parts of the Temple of Solomon.
Mountains make up a small part of the landscape, but the island is mostly flat, with palm and olive groves, endless vineyards and kilometers of beautiful beaches with the purest golden sand. Recently, the romantic island of Paros has been wildly popular with tourists.
Climate
Few tourist centers will be able to surprise with bright cloudless skies almost all yea round, and Paros pleases with the sun more than 300 days a year. The peculiarities of the weather of the island of Paros help the tourist season last all year round.
The climate is Mediterranean with dry hot summers, especially in July and August, when the temperature during the day is around +30.
But during this period, the north wind blows over the island, it helps to quit comfortably endure the hot days, and makes Paros an ideal place for windsurfing. Lovers of rain will be disappointed: they are rare here.
Sights
This island in Greece has a huge historical heritage. The city of Parikia, the capital of the island, preserves a large number of architectural and historical monuments. In the city center stands a beautiful Venetian fortress with white houses surrounded by jasmine bushes.
From the center, along a wide asphalt road, you can reach the main attraction of the island, the Church of Ekatontapiliani. It is one of the most important Byzantine monuments in Greece and is the oldest functioning church on its territory. Surprisingly, this is perhaps the only building on the island that is not white.
According to one of the many legends, the church was founded by Saint Helena, mother of Constantine (the first Christian emperor of Byzantium). The church is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin and every year, on August 15, large-scale celebrations with fireworks and festivities are held.
There is an archaeological museum not far from the church, which is also worth a visit. It houses the richest collection of archaic and classical sculptures, archaeological finds from the Neolithic to the Roman
period.
Three kilometers from the capital of the island, there are ancient quarries, where the world’s most beautiful Parian marble was quarried. The stone, bright white with a slight pink tinge of special purity and transparency, once brought great wealth to the inhabitants of the island.
If you wish, you can stroll through the local villages and towns, the shining white small houses are so beautiful that they seem to be illustrations for a book of fairy tales.
One of the most interesting villages is Lefkes, located at the very top of the island.
The village is built in the form of an amphitheater. Almost all houses and churches were built in the 15th-17th centuries. The main attraction of the village is the Holy Trinity Church, made entirely of white marble.
The village of Nausa can be called a truly picturesque place. Its narrow cobbled streets with wonderful arches and churches are so pleasant to stroll through, enjoying the surrounding view. There is a Venetian castle built in the 15th century, today it is half submerged in the sea. The port of Naousa was once a haven for pirates.
The most amazing place – the valley of the butterflies (or, as the Greeks say, Petaloudes) is located near Parikia, on the Psychopiani hill. Throughout the summer, here in a wonderful natural park with various exotic plants and waterfalls, you can see thousands of rare adorable butterflies. Here you need to walk calmly, slowly, so as not to scare these beautiful fragile creatures.
On the island of Paros there are many more interesting things worthy of your attention: the monasteries of the Life-giving source of Logovard and St. Arsenius with the Church of the Savior, the Church of St. Constantine, the ancient cemetery near the city of Parikia, the Frankish castle, the Mycenaean Acropolis, the Sanctuary of Apollo, the stunning cave in Antiparos and more …
Recreation and entertainment
The abundance of beaches allows tourists to relax in a new place at least every day. The Parian beaches are indeed very beautiful and the water in the Aegean is crystal clear. Let’s note some of them. The beaches of Parikia: Livadia, Krios, Marcelo and Kaminia are sandy beaches, clear shallow waters, and therefore ideal for families with young children.
The beaches of the Naousa Bay are amazing: Piperi, Agia Anargiri and, of course, the famous Kolimbithres beach with its bizarre shapes of the surrounding rocks and white sand. Now we move east from Naous, where the magnificent beaches of Langeri, Santa Maria and the quiet secluded Ambelas and Damuli are located. There are even places for lovers of “natural tanning” – the Monasteri nudist beach.
Not far from the village of Marmara, the wonderful Molos Beach is located – this is the most suitable place for windsurfing. Moving further to the east of the island, we meet the beaches of Piso Livadia and Logaras near Marpis.
Our next stop will be the famous Punda Beach. There is a great selection of water activities, sea sports, bungee jumping, loud music, many bars. Mainly carefree youth rest here. Punda is the noisiest and most crowded beach in Paros.
Further we see the beach of Drios. This beach is different from the others, with pebble beaches, deep blue water and beautiful carved rocks.
It is possible to list the beaches of Paros for a long time, they are all different and each tourist can find to his liking.
In addition to swimming in the sea on the island of Paros, there is a lot of entertainment – canoeing, water skiing, sailing, surfing, swimming and diving schools. Various sports competitions are held here. Playgrounds and water slides are installed for children. The Paros water park with 13 water slides, which uses sea water, will be of interest to both children and adults.
The island has tennis courts, a tennis academy and horse riding centers. You can rent a mountain bike or a car to make it easier to move around the island and see everything you want. In the cozy restaurants of Paros, you can enjoy the local Greek cuisine, mainly fish, vegetables, herbs and legumes. The island’s winery is definitely worth a visit.
After the wine tour, you will be invited to a wine tasting, and you can buy any
wine you like in the shop at the factory.
Shoppers will not be disappointed, the island has hundreds of shops and stalls where you can buy souvenirs, Greek art, local handicrafts, ceramics, jewelry and more.
How to get there?
The fastest way to get to the island is by plane from Athens, the flight will take only about 30 minutes.
You can also use a passenger ferry. You will spend about 5 hours on the way. It’s twice as fast to sail on a small speedboat – only 2 hours, but it also costs more.
We suggest you to rent a vehicle in order to enjoy every little part of the island Paros!
Have a nice trip!
