Paros has become the island a lot of people love most. It has the Greek Isles aesthetics we all love: whitewashed lanes, the harbour tavernas and the turquoise water, but without the crowds and the prices of Mykonos or Santorini. The towns are prettier and more varied, the food is some of the best in the islands, and it works just as well for a couple, a family or a group of friends.
This is a slow guide to Paros: where to eat, drink, swim and stay, the beaches and villages worth your time, and the useful stuff at the end, how to get there, how to get around, when to go and how many days you need. Book the popular restaurants ahead in summer, and hire a car if you want to see more than Naoussa.
Where to eat
Siparos
The one to book. A seaside restaurant just outside Naoussa doing modern Greek cooking with the sea right there. Come before sunset for a drink at the bar and stay for a long dinner. Fills up fast in July and August.
Yemeni
A warm, family-run place tucked in the Naoussa alleys, doing classic Greek food well with a proper Greek wine list. A good first dinner on the island. Book ahead in summer.
Sigi Ikthios
Right on the old harbour in Naoussa, good fresh fish and meze with the fishing boats bobbing beside you. You pay for the view, but the portions are generous. Lovely at sunset.
Mario
The well-known chef Marios Tsachpinis, now on the waterfront at Livadia beach near Parikia, with sunset views. One of the island's best for a special dinner.
Soso
A stylish spot down a cobbled Naoussa alley doing Greek fusion, with more meat than the usual seafood-heavy menus. Reservations recommended.
Stou Fred
A little garden restaurant in Parikia run by a French chef, with a five-course set menu that changes weekly around what's in season. The romantic, special-occasion choice.
Barbarossa
The classic table right on Naoussa harbour, going since the sixties. Honest tip: it's more about the setting than the food, but for a drink or a stylish night on the water it's hard to beat.
Kargas
The best gyros and souvlaki on the island, simple and cheap. Take it down to the old port and eat it by the sea.
Coffee or a sundowner
Café Symposium
A lovely little espresso bar in Parikia with outdoor seating, ideal for a quiet morning before the day gets going.
Sante
Naoussa does cocktail bars better than anywhere in Greece, and this is the one to start with, sprawling out under a big tree, drinks served with a side of popcorn.
Zen
Over in Parikia, the spot for a sunset cocktail.
The beaches
Kolymbithres
The famous one, across the bay from Naoussa, with smooth granite rock formations that look like nowhere else in the Cyclades. Go in the morning before the boats arrive and you'll nearly have it to yourself.
Santa Maria
Near Naoussa, calm shallow water and soft sand, the easy family choice, with watersports and a couple of beach bars.
Golden Beach (Chrissi Akti)
On the east coast, where you go for wind. It gets a reliable breeze, so it's the windsurf and kitesurf beach, with a lively beach-club scene to match.
Faragas
On the quieter south coast, naturally sheltered from the summer wind, with a beach bar and loungers but fewer crowds. Good with young children.
Monastiri
In the Naoussa bay next to Paros Park, sheltered and clear, with a beach bar and easy walks around the headland.
One honest thing: Paros is windy. The summer meltemi picks up in July and August, which cools the heat but stirs up the exposed north and east beaches, so on a windy day head for the sheltered south (Faragas, Aliki) and pick your beach by the wind rather than the map.
The villages and things to do
An evening in Naoussa
If you do one thing on Paros, spend an evening in Naoussa. Get a drink along the harbour about an hour before sunset and watch the light turn gold, the fishing boats come in and the tables fill up. Afterwards, skip the tables right on the water and wander the back lanes, where the food is better and cheaper, and the little boutiques are worth a look.
Parikia old town and the Church of 100 Doors
Parikia is more than the ferry port. Walk a few streets back from the water into the old town, whitewashed lanes, bougainvillea and hardly anyone about, and see the Church of Panagia Ekatontapyliani, the Church of 100 Doors, one of the most important Byzantine churches in Greece. Best in the morning.
Lefkes
The old capital, up in the hills in the middle of the island: marble streets, stone houses, flowers and quiet. Have a coffee in the square, and if you want a short walk there's an old Byzantine marble path down to the next village, Prodromos. Most visitors never come up here, which is exactly why you should.
Moraitis Winery
A fourth-generation family winery just outside Naoussa, making wine since 1910 from local Paros grapes. Book a tour and tasting for an easy afternoon.
A day on Antiparos
Take the short ferry across from Pounta to the smaller, quieter island of Antiparos for the day, a laid-back main town, good beaches and a big cave to climb down into, then come back to Naoussa for dinner. Some boat trips also run from Paros through the sea caves along the way.
Where to stay
Most people base themselves in Naoussa, and that's the recommendation: it's the prettiest town, walkable, with the best restaurants and bars. Parikia, the capital and main ferry port, is the more practical and cheaper base if you're island-hopping or watching the budget, and it has its own old town. For a first trip, Naoussa wins.
Parilio
A calm, design-led hotel near Kolymbithres, all stone, wood and clean Cycladic lines. The most style-conscious stay on the island.
Cosme
A polished modern resort on a quiet bay near Naoussa, good if you want a pool, a spa and to be looked after.
Cove Paros
A design boutique hotel on Agioi Anargyroi beach just outside Naoussa, with a good restaurant (Rada) on the sand.
Rent a house
If you'd rather have your own place, Paros has good design-led villas. One we like is Maison Kamari, a modern Cycladic house by React Architects with the pool facing the sea, in our directory. Browse more design homes to rent in the Slow Casa directory.
Getting there and around
Paros is easy to reach. In summer there are direct flights to Mykonos and Santorini, and Paros is a short ferry hop from either. Coming through Athens, ferries run from Piraeus in about three to four hours, or there are quick 40-minute flights from Athens to Paros's small airport. Naxos is only about 25 minutes away by ferry, which is why Paros makes such a good island-hopping base.
On the island, a hire car makes the biggest difference if you want to see more than Naoussa, book ahead in peak season. A scooter is fine and fun if you're mainly beach-hopping from Naoussa, at around 20 to 25 euros a day. The KTEL bus network is reliable and cheap (a couple of euros a ride, with a day pass around 10 euros), running from Parikia port out to Naoussa, Lefkes, Aliki, the beaches and the Pounta ferry for Antiparos. Check the KTEL Paros timetables before you travel, as they change through the season.
When to go and how many days
June is the sweet spot, warm enough to swim, reliably sunny, and lovely before the August heat and crowds. September is a close second, quieter and cheaper, though the meltemi wind can still stir up the ferries. July and August are hot, busy and breezy.
Give it at least three days, four is better. That's enough to do Naoussa properly, spend a morning in Parikia, get up to Lefkes, take the ferry to Antiparos and still have real beach days. If Paros is one stop on a longer Cyclades trip, four nights here with three each on Mykonos and Naxos makes a good ten-day route.
Paros FAQ
Is Paros worth visiting?
Yes. It has the classic Cycladic beauty, whitewashed towns, harbour tavernas, turquoise water, with more variety and fewer crowds than Mykonos or Santorini, and some of the best food in the islands. It's a great first Greek island and an easy base for island-hopping.
Is Paros better than Mykonos?
It depends what you want. Mykonos has better beaches and the bigger party scene. Paros has prettier, more varied towns, a calmer atmosphere and lower prices for the same quality. If you want beauty and real Greece over intensity, Paros.
Paros or Naxos?
They're a 25-minute ferry apart and easy to combine, so ideally do both. Naxos is bigger, greener and better for families and hiking; Paros has the prettier towns and the better restaurant and bar scene. Many people base on Paros and day-trip to Naxos.
Is Paros windy?
Yes, the meltemi wind blows through July and August. It keeps the heat bearable but churns up the exposed north and east beaches and can disrupt ferries, so build a little flexibility into island-hopping plans and head to the sheltered south coast on windy days.
What is the best time to visit Paros?
Early June or September. Warm sea, good weather and a nice atmosphere without the peak-summer heat, prices and crowds.
How many days do you need in Paros?
Three at a minimum, four or more ideally. Three works if Paros is one stop on a longer trip; four lets you see the whole island without rushing.
Where should I stay in Paros?
Naoussa for most people, the prettiest town, walkable, with the best food and bars. Parikia if you want something cheaper or more convenient for ferries.
Paros rewards taking it slowly: a base in Naoussa, a few good dinners booked, and days that drift between the beaches, a mountain village and the harbour at sunset.
Looking for a beautiful place to stay? Browse our design-led homes to rent across Europe in the Slow Casa directory.