Paros – A Perfect Paradise in the Cyclades

While island hopping around the Cyclades in Greece with my friend Kelli, the second stop was Paros. In building the itinerary, Mykonos and Santorini felt obligatory, but Paros was a well-researched decision. With its bougainvillea-draped walkways, beautiful views and easy pace, it was my favorite stop of all!

Leaving Mykonos

As promised in the last post, I’ll start with the ugly – the ferry terminal in Mykonos. It was horrible! We had booked a mid-morning ferry to Paros but it was running late (like they tend to do). This part was not a big deal, but we got to the ferry terminal and there were swarms of people. We surely hadn’t seen these crowds during our short stay on the island so I don’t know where they had been hiding!

As the ferry was ready to board, utter chaos ensued. It was every person for themselves! People were crowding up the ramp and into the cargo area trying to store their luggage. There was a bottleneck at the stairwells where tickets were scanned before you could get to the passenger areas on the upper decks. We were maybe 20 or 30 minutes underway before we were able to get upstairs.

We did manage to get a great standing room only spot at the back of the ship for what remained of our 45 minute trip. The weather and the view really made up for the earlier hassle. We were able to put that behind us and look forward to Paros.

Arriving in Paros

We arrived at Paros at the ferry terminal in Parikia. Paros is the second largest of the Cyclades by area (behind Naxos) and third most popular in tourism (behind Santorini and Mykonos). This fact surprised me a little – we met very few people in our travels that had been or were going to Paros. Neighboring islands of Naxos and Ios seemed to be the most popular destinations for tourists we talked to. At one point, we were questioning ourselves for not choosing Naxos instead.

With fewer guests disembarking at Paros, the process was smooth. Our transfer, arranged by the hotel, was waiting to take us to Villa Isabella in Naousa (or Naoussa, I will use both).

Naousa is a charming fishing village on the Northeastern corner of Paros, about 15-20 minutes from Parikia. I’m not going to lie, I mostly selected Naousa based on the idyllic social media pictures with very little research. We had a lot of activity planned for our other stops, this one was meant to relax and go with the flow.

There was a couple on the van with us that was staying in an Airbnb in Naoussa. As we drove into town, the driver kept winding uphill, further and further. I swear, I looked at Kelli and said, “oh, hell no”. No way I am walking up this hill from the waterfront area of town. Luckily, it was for the other people!!

Villa Isabella

The driver took us to our adorable Villa Isabella where Isabella greeted us out front with hugs and warm welcomes. She made us feel like old friends. Isabella introduced us to her mom, who offered to take our bags. She was the sweetest, but there was no chance we would have let her do that.

This accommodation was almost too good to be true. The room itself had everything we could have needed but the impressive part was the private patio area and the spectacular view.

Isabella gave us directions to town along with a list of recommended restaurants and bars. We dropped our things and off we went.

Naoussa

Down some stairs and maybe 5 minutes away was the central part of town and the marina. The town has a mix of boat tours and working fishing vessels, outdoor dining and winding alleys filled with charming shops and restaurants. The ruins of a 15th century Venetian fortress, Kastelli of Paros, sits on a jetty at the marina and makes an interesting spot to explore.

Naousa is definitely not your authentic, traditional, Greek village. It is tourism-focused but not overrun with people. It is a little bougie, posh and absolutely captivating. And I loved every bit of it!

I would apologize in advance for all the photos, but I wouldn’t mean it. I just couldn’t narrow it down!

Sunset at Villa Isabella

After exploring the town, grabbing dinner at one of Isabella’s recommended spots (a seafood platter, to die for!), we bought some wine from the local wine shop and headed back to the hotel. That patio was calling out to be enjoyed. The sunset views did not disappoint. This level of contentment is what all vacations should aspire to!

Paros – Day 2

Our stay came with breakfast included, we only had to let Isabella know when we were ready. After ordering breakfast, we headed out to the patio – it was nearly impossible to stay away from that view! Breakfast was brought down and set out on the patio table. This breakfast!! It seems simple, but it goes down as one of the best hotel breakfasts EVER! Coffee, Greek yogurt with honey, fruit and granola, pastries and grilled cheese sandwiches. Yes, grilled cheese sandwiches for breakfast. I’m hooked, who knew?

Exploring the Island

We headed to town with no real plans although we were hoping to rent a side-by-side ATV. The first rental shop that we found had one available. It was $100 cash, no credit card needed, just my US drivers license. There may have been a waiver, but I don’t recall; there was certainly none of the typical rental paperwork. After a very brief instruction, the owner told us to have it back the next morning. What?? The next morning? He seemed surprisingly unconcerned, probably because he hadn’t seen me drive.

The rental owner assured we could drive on any road, paved or not, unless otherwise posted. We took off with no real agenda. Road signs, in English, were everywhere so getting lost did not seem like a possibility. There is just something so carefree about driving around, wind blowing, island views and no place to be.

Lefkes

After a quick stop at the Tower of Hellenistic Period ruins (not much to see here), we headed towards the center of the island.

The first town we came to was Lefkes. Lefkes is the highest village on the island and is quite mountainous. The town was picturesque with a few cafes and tavernas plus views in all directions.

Piso Livadi

We came down from the mountains and followed the east coast of the island to the small seaside village of Piso Livadi. It was laid back and felt like a sleepy beach town. We wandered the shops and along the marina and sea wall.

A short distance from town, we took a quick detour to Punda beach just to walk in the sand and stick our feet in the water. In now our fifth day in Greece, our feet had barely touched the Aegean.

Krotiri

Unaware of time or distance, we headed back towards the west side of the island. Beyond Krotiri, to the little peninsula that sits to the north of Parikia. There are some interesting sites, including caves that have impossibly beautiful views to the sea (Cave of Archilochos), along with the Church of Agios Fokos. Sadly, we never found the cave trail but take a look at that link, you will not be disappointed!

We never found a way over the crest to see the water.

Back to Naousa

Running low on fuel and daylight, we headed back to Naousa. We dropped the ATV off and walked to town for some amazing gyros, gelato and a last wander around our beautiful town before we left the next morning.

Obviously, we were not leaving without another patio breakfast. But soon after we had a ferry to catch. First, we were lucky enough to meet up with Steven (The Thorough Tripper) and Mrs. TT for a coffee in Parikia before we caught the ferry. How great is it that they were there at the same time? Meeting up with travel friends is so much fun!

From there we were on the Blue Star Ferry, the best of the ferry options. We ignored our assigned seats and found a great spot on the covered deck with snacks and drinks and lively people all around us. Our next stop was our last, Santorini.

Paros was hard to leave. This island infuses relaxation with a bit of adventure and stunning beauty. In fact, it is the one place that Kelli and I continually talk about going back to on the next trip to Greece.

Other Greece Adventures

• Athens
• Mykonos