Travel Guide: Paros, Greece
- Feb 20, 2023
- 5 min read
When traveling to Greece, many people are likely to go to the more touristy and well-known islands such as Santorini or Mykonos. While absolutely beautiful, they are sadly very overpopulated with tourists during the good seasons. I was searching for a less tourist-heavy & smaller, more authentically Greek island, I came across beautiful Paros.
HOW TO GET THERE:
From the USA, you have to fly into the Athens airport (ATH) before being able to connect to any of the islands.
There are 2 options on how to get to each island after getting into Athens
Connecting flight from Athens (ATH) to Paros island (PAS)
After landing in Athens, you can book an additional flight that will get you directly onto the island of Paros. The flight is only around 30 minutes, and they usually accommodate flights until early afternoon, this option is also relatively inexpensive, we paid around 30 euros for each ticket. But keep in mind, if flying into the very small airport, there are very few taxis unless you book them in advance, there is no uber, so I would highly suggest booking a rental car/moped in advance to get around the island or at least to your accommodation.
2. Take the Ferry from Athens
The Ferry is a great and memorable experience if you have time! There are multiple dock options to leave from out of Athens, all around 30 mins from the Athens airport. The trip can vary from 2-5 hours depending on which route you choose and the speed of the ferry. These have shops and restaurants on board and end up being around 25-50 euros a ticket. Athens has Uber, so it is easy to find non-pre-arranged transport from the airport to the dock.
WHERE TO STAY: Naoussa Villiage
At the very top of the island is the fishing village of Naoussa, here you will get the breathtaking white stone streets and buildings as you would in Mykonos & Santorini. This town has winding stone streets full of boutiques, shops, and many incredible restaurants. Although there are a few luxury hotels on Paros, none are in the heart of Naoussa, so we chose an Airbnb. We found the Airbnb's were more cost-friendly overall, with ours being only a 2-minute walk into the main part of the village, which quickly became a highlight to our mornings in Naoussa.
Our Airbnb: This Airbnb was a dream, so close to everything and a great short walk into the village every morning. In comparison to others, a great price too, we paid $185 a night!
WHERE TO EAT
Calypso
This spot was right by the harbor, nestled into the same building side as many other restaurants. Calypso had a broad range of cuisines so it is likely to have something for everyone! In terms of pricing, it was on the pricier side of spots on the island for lunchtime. For daytime, no reservation is needed, walk on in!
Taverna Glafkos
If you are wanting an oceanside spot, this is the one for you! Incredible family-owned authentic Greek-style food and on the pricing scale, very fair pricing. We had a baked feta dip, that was covered in honey & it was easily one of the best apps we have ever had. In my opinion, this is a must-go-to spot in Naoussa. I recommend making a reservation by calling before your trip!
DECK Paros
This restaurant was BREATHTAKING. Raised off of the water right above the beach, the entire place is lined with glass railings, perfect for a sunset date. This spot was probably the most expensive place we went to, but it was worth it. This spot is known to have the best gourmet chef on the island. I went out of my comfort zone and tried the squid ink truffle spaghetti and it was so delicious and unlike anything I've ever tried! You can book this spot in advance here.
Almond
A great breakfast spot, it was easily about a 2 minute walk from our Airbnb. Known for their Smoothies and Smoothie bowls. We also had the greatest scrambled Greek eggs here that we have worked into our normal recipes and tried to re-create at home.
Giacomo
THE Italian spot on the island. Right on the water next to Taverna Glafkos. We were completely blown away by how incredible the food was, moderately priced aswell. Absolutley try the risotto and the incredible selection of wine. This spot requires a pretty far in advance reservation, which I was able to make online here.
Walk-in spots in the villiage
Naoussa is full of incredible food, you are able to walk up to a table almost anywhere and I highly suggest it! For a full meal or a quick drink before a reservation, there are so many options.
WHAT TO DO
Lefkes Villiage & Parikia Port
The town of Lefkes is full of hills, white streets and perfect if you are looking for a good hike. We spent a few hours here wandering around the streets and shops and visiting The Church of Agia Triada. Is about a 15 minute drive from Naoussa! Parikia is a shopping hub and also the Port for the all the ferries. It is full of food spots and great shopping.
Rent a 4-wheeler and explore the island
Renting a scooter or 4 wheeler is a great alternative to renting a car to get around. We ended up renting a 4-wheeler for around 40euro a day and drove it all over the island exploring. Is such a unique way to explore the island to see everything. There are a bunch of rental vendors scattered along the streets of the village in Naoussa, your normal USA drivers license is enough to rent!
Kolymbithres Beach
One of the coolest spots on the island, this beach is made up of granite formations in the water that have been around for centuries. You are able to walk up and rent chairs for around 25euro a chair. There are also bartenders that will come to serve you at your chair, and a few restaurants right at the top of the hill. About a 8 minute drive from Naoussa!
Rent a private boat for the day
This was our favorite thing we did on the trip. You are able to rent a smaller private boat without a boating license and just your regular USA drivers license for around $200 for 6 hours. We drove around to other close islands like antiparos and got to experience "the blue lagoon" which is a patch of the bluest water we have ever seen. Getting to dive and eat our packed lunch on the boat was beyond an experience! We used parosrentaboat as our vendor.
& Dont forget to take as many photos as you can!
xo -Lyd
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