Paros: marble, windsurfers and two harbour towns

About Paros: marble, windsurfers and two harbour towns

By the ULTIMATE Greek Islands Editorial Team

Paros is the island many people fall for first: big enough for variety, small enough to feel relaxed, and right in the middle of the Cyclades ferry network.

An island of marble

Ancient Paros was famous for its fine, translucent marble, used by the great sculptors of the classical world; the old quarries can still be seen inland at Marathi. The marble reappears everywhere, in the Venetian Kastro of Parikia, in the lanes of Lefkes and in the Byzantine church of Ekatontapiliani, one of the oldest in Greece.

Parikia and Naoussa

Parikia, the capital and main port, is lively and real, with a market street, bakeries, bars facing the sunset and ferries coming and going. Naoussa, on the north coast, is the stylish one: a fishing harbour with a ruined Venetian fort, chic restaurants and the island’s best nightlife, busy but more relaxed than Mykonos.

Paros gives you two islands in one: lively Parikia and stylish Naoussa.

Wind and water

The summer meltemi makes the east coast one of the great windsurfing and kitesurfing areas of the Mediterranean, while sheltered beaches such as Kolymbithres, Monastiri and Faragas stay calm.

Our advice: stay in Naoussa for nightlife and dining or Parikia for convenience and ferries, walk the Byzantine path from Lefkes, and use Paros as a base for day trips to Antiparos and Naxos.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Paros: marble, windsurfers and two harbour towns before you go.