Paros: The Perfect Greek Island

Most people rush through Paros on their way to other islands but Paros should by no means be neglected. In fact I'd say if you have time to make it to only one Greek island, you should make it Paros.

Paros has everything you could want on a Greek island: sandy beaches, great food, beautiful Greek Island houses, water sports aplenty, blue-domed Orthodox churches, a healthy nightlife, a bustling port, the remains of a Venetian castle, an old monastery, and a fine Byzantine church.

The fact that Paros is also among the cheapest islands in the cyclades helps secure it as a budget traveller's paradise.

Quick Tips:

Don't miss Lefkes in the island's arid interior. Lefkes' slow pace and glimpses of everyday Greek island life help you understand what these islands are all about away from the tourist crowds.

Best Way To Get Around:

Paros has a great bus system, but rent out scooters/mopeds if you can. You just can't beat zooming around the island roads in search of some secluded beach.

Krios Camping is the nicest campsite I visited in the Aegean. The staff are friendly and helpful, the campsites are well shaded and clean, and Krios is seconds away from a relatively secluded sandy beach. Krios also has an outdoor pool, motor bike rental, mini-market and snack bar, free safe deposit boxes, and 24-hour hot showers. Much nicer, quieter and friendlier then Kuola camping down the road.

The campsite is located just off the sandy beach of Krios across the bay from the main town of Parika,. You’d be forgiven for thinking that Krios is a bit far from the action- it’s a 20 minute walk into town, 10 minute bus ride or 10 minutes by boat (caique). There’s no local trnasportation, but the campsite’s free bus makes regular round-the-clock runs into town. I actually found the distance to be quite a blessing – we were far enough from the late night hustle and bustle of Parika to get some decent kip.

The actual camping area is well shaded by mature trees and the ground isn’t too rocky. When we went at the end of August, there were plenty of spaces to choose from and there was a nice mix of families and partying-minded people.

The easiest way to get to Krios camping is to look for the Krios Camping sign or for the friendly people from Kiros Camping as you step off the boat. They’ll lead you to the camp’s minibus where you can score a free and friendly bus ride into the camp.

Zorbas isn’t gourmet, it isn’t healthy, but it is authentic Greek food and is incredibly satisfying and cheap. Watch the locals line up on Saturday night to get their gyros fix.

Located in the square of Our Lady of a Hundred Doors, this souvlaki and kebab bar is home to the Aegean’s best gyros (grilled chicken, onion, tomatoes, chips and tzatziki warped in a soft pita bread). Zorbas also serves up a variety of tender grilled meats, moist pita concotions, juicy Greek kebabs and other Greek style fast food, including a good vegetarian spread (veggie souvlaki, humus).

You can choose to take your paper-wrapped goodies away and eat them in the nearby garden, or on the cement breakers overlooking the harbor. Or, for a bit of extra money, you can sit at one of the rough wooden tables outside the restaurant and eat your food watching the people milling about the square.

Parika is the main port and largest town on the island. It gets quite busy along the harbor as ferries and hydrofoils come and go, but move away from the docking area and it becomes less crazy.

The real attraction in Parika are the winding streets beyond the harbor. These cobbled streets were designed to keep out ransacking pirates. I really started to appreciate the designer's successful design when I was still getting lost after 4 days in the town.

After you've had your fun playing Captain Hook you should head off toward the Venetian Kastro (fortress) and the 6th-century church of Our Lady of a Hundred Doors. The Kastro is a bit of a steep hike, but it’s worth it to marvel at the way pieces of the original temple of Apollo and Demeter have been stuck into the walls of the kastro, houses, and churches of the area.

For great views over the harbor, you should hike up to the monastery on the mountain over Parika. It takes over an hour but the views of Parika and the harbour are fantastic. There's even a convenient and lovely picnic spot up here surrounded by trees. For directions and information, just ask the Paros Tourist Information, conveniently located inside the windmill on the harbor.

Getting in and out of Parika is quite easy. The main bus stop in Parika is located near the whitewashed church on the harbor front. From here you can also catch caique/boats (summer months only) across the bay to Krios beach, by far the most pleasant sandy stretch in the area.

Landlocked and hilly, Lefkes is a relatively untouched settlement in the middle of Paros' arid interior. Few people come to Lefkes, choosing instead to head to touristy Nassoua, but it's worth a stop if only to get a glimpse at what life on the Greek islands is like away from the tourists. The pace of life in Lefkes is decidedly slow. Older citizens sit outside their typical white-washed houses gossiping and catching up with neighbours. You can see washing hanging up on the lines to dry and people here carry on as normal, with only a very brief nod to tourism. There are a handful of shops, some bars and simple restaurants so you can easily spend a pleasant afternoon walking around the streets and looking in shop windows. If you do come to Lefkes don't miss the beautiful Byzantine road leading south out of the city (ask a local for directions). The cobbled, wanky path leads you to some beautiful views over Paros to Nauossa. For a bit of extra local colour dates and locals’ names have been inscribed on stones underfoot.

As the name suggests, Pirate is a theme bar with overturned barrels, parrots, etc. Small, warren-like, and a bit naff on the whole. We came here to grab some quiet ouzos (anise-flavored Greek liqueurs) before dinner and it was absolutely empty, and the owner looked bored. That said the place is very cozy in a romantic-kind of way, though I bet it would get cramped if there were more than 7 people in there.

Pirate is on the main tourist thoroughfare that runs parallel to the harbor, but it remains quite peaceful due to the fact that the bar is below street level. This peace is Pirate’s main selling point, and possibly also the fact that it doesn’t play twangy Greek music in an attempt to be an ‘authentic’ taverna. As prices go, it is pretty average (an ouzo costs between 3 and 4€), but don’t be lured here dreaming of live jazz -- the place is too small to host any live performances.

I might come again, but I’d certainly not come here with more than 6 people as it would get a bit squishy. I think overall I’d be much better off trying to hunt out someplace where the locals go. And get some real ouzo.