Paros is exactly how you picture the Greek islands to be. But this place was so much better than I imagined it to be. The Greek locals on the island were so incredibly kind. The beaches were the thing you have only dreamed of. The food is unbelievable and so good you literally can’t replicate it. There were multiple times where we would go out to dinner and then the restaurant owner would bring out dessert, too. Xenia is the Greek word for hospitality and it permeates through Greek culture. This is such a big part of Greek culture and one of the things I really respect about there culture.

Paros’s main attractions are the heavenly beaches, cute villages, and a couple different monasteries you can see across the island. We mainly visited the beaches and the villages. We also visited one of the churches that had a long history in Paros. Paros is the perfect family-friendly vacation or the best girls trip location. It isn’t a very big partying island, but there is some nightlife. They have an amazing restaurant scene there and so many great, local places with fresh food and affordable prices. I found Paros pretty budget friendly. You could get a Freddo Cappuccino (instant coffee and cold frothed milk slightly sweetened) for 2 euros and a gyro for around 5 euros.

Beaches in Paros

Golden Beach

Golden Beach has crystal clear waters and golden sand. The hot sun hits you during the summer, but a cool dip in the water will cool you right down. Golden Beach can be gotten to on the bus from Paroikia. The bus ride will take around 50 minutes or you can hire a car or an ATV and get there in much less. You can bring lunch from one of the grocery stores or bakeries to make it more affordable or go to one of the numerous bars on the beach for lunch. We just picked up sandwiches and cake from the grocery and it was a perfect day on the beach. There is some shade on this beach but you might not get a shady spot. You can bring an umbrella if you have a car if you would like some shade. We just layed under a tree and it was quite lovely.

Kolimbithres beach

Kolimbithres beach with its crystal clear waters and gentle waves is the perfect place to swim on the island of Paros. It has large, magnificent rock formations on either side of large white rock. When you look out into the water you can see the boats in the water. This beach is much more calm than some of the other beaches because it is in a bay. There are restaurants and bakeries close by on the main road if you need a break from swimming and laying in the sun. You can get to Kolimbithres beach by taking a car, ATV, or scooter to the beach.

Monastiri beach

Monastiri beach has a cute beach club with lots of colorful umbrellas on it. If you don’t want to pay you can also just bring a beach blanket and lay out on the beach. This beach has crystal clear water and wasn’t too windy on the day that we went. You can snorkel here and do other water sports. This beach is located close to a monastery which is on the hill close to the beach. We didn’t visit there during our time at the beach. This beach can easily be reached by car or four wheeler from any of the villages.

Kalogeros beach

If you want a free spa day, Kalogeros beach is the place to go. We took the four wheeler out to the beach. The wind was so strong this day and it whipped around us as we walked to the beach. We put our stuff down and then a wave crashed over the rocks and took our stuff with it. We had to run out to get our stuff and some electrolyte tablets were lost to the ocean forever. After rescuing our things from the ocean we layed our stuff down and put rocks on it to hold it down. The beach felt like heaven here. You could just float here forever even though the water would lap over you with the waves on windy days like the day we were here. On the far side of the beach there are rocks where the clay is. You dig at the clay rock with a rock and the clay comes off. Then you can mix it with water and make a clay paste that is so nourishing to your skin. We let ours dry and then ran into the water to wash it all off. You can even put it in your hair if you want but it might take a while to wash off.

Places to Stay

Stunning Cycladic home in Paroikia

We stayed at this beautiful Cycladic home in Paroikia that was so beautiful and had fruit trees and beautiful flowers throughout. Dimitris, our host was so kind and picked us up at the port so we wouldn’t have to take our luggage up to the house. This house is only a 10-15 easy walk from the city center. The gardens here look they were plucked out of Eden. The local cats would come and visit and sit with us in the morning on the patio. The sunset here is one of the most stunning that I’ve ever seen. You can see everything from here.

Acoya Residences

I didn’t stay at Acoya Residences but I walked past it and it was so lovely. It is located in one of the most beautiful villages in Paros, Aliki. This place is only around 150 meters from the beach. This place starts at 120 euros per night and also has offers that can make it cheaper. There is a bus station right next to these suites. This is the perfect place to relax and unwind and enjoy the beautiful beaches.

Places To See

Visit Aliki

Aliki is a beautiful white washed fishing village with blue roofs in Paros. It’s right on the water and has lots of great restaurants with fantastic seafood, cute shops, and picturesque hotels. Aliki is popular with windsurfers during the summer. You can walk through the Skorpios Folklore Museum which has lots of handmade exhibits. You can also take a cruise with Rofos Boat tours around the island.

Visit Lefkes

Lefkes is the former capitol of Paros. This village was built in the 17th century. This beautiful village is the perfect place to get lost in. We wandered around and did some shopping and got some coffee from a cute coffee shop towards the front of the village. We visited Lefkes after a day at the beach and it’s a perfect place to spend an afternoon at. You can take a car, ATV, or a bus to Lefkes. At times, when walking through this town it felt like you were the only one there. You can take the historic Byzantine path to Podromos from Lefkes. We went to the Agia Triada church here which offers a fantastic view of the village. This church is a 19th century Byzantine church that you can go into. We didn’t get to go in because it was closed when we went. After visiting the church, wander through the cemetery there. Lefkes is a perfect place to shop for local souvenirs that are affordable. We ended the night in Lefkes at Klarionos Tavern.

Walk through Marpissa

Marpissa is a charming, calm village in Paros with beautiful streets, whitewashed homes, and beautiful blue shutters and roofs. We stopped by a cafe for some freddo cappuccinos then visited some shops. There was this hidden gem of a shop where the artist sold her work. She made homemade crochet bikinis and cover ups, handmade jewelry, stunning mixed media paintings, and the cutest magnets. After that, we wandered through the streets and petted some of the village cats.

Explore Naoussa

Naoussa is a beautiful fishing village in Paros that has so much history. You can wander through the streets of Naoussa and step inside some of the cute shops. There are so many great restaurants here that you can get some great seafood or small plates at. It has some nightlife here with a couple bars and clubs. You can visit the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. You can also visit a Byzantine museum in a 13th century church called the Church of the Agios Nikolaos.

Wander through Paroikia

Paroikia is the main village in Paros and has a port which you will arrive in if you come in on the ferry. Paroikia has so many cool shops, bakeries, cafes, and delicious restaurants. You can wander through the whole main area and see lots of beautiful shops with great jewelry and handmade items. There are also some art galleries here that are stunning. My favorite thing to do here was walk through the winding stone paths and see the beautiful architecture of the village. You can also people watch by the port at one of the cafes.

Restaurants

Lefkes

Klarionos Tavern

Klarionos tavern is in Lefkes; one of my favorite villages in Paros. To get to the tavern you go up the stairs and walk into this beautiful covered deck with lots of tables and bright pink flowers. The staff are so incredibly welcoming and helpful. I got their Greek salad and enjoyed some olive oil and bread with it and it was one of the best Greek salads I have had. The salad is a perfect blend of feta, cucumbers, tomatos, capers, onions, and olives. The capers bring that nice burst of flavor. The salad was perfectly flavored with spices. Our server was so kind and friendly. He brought out some honey cake at the end topped with this delicious whipped cream.

Paroikia

Ouzeri Apostolis

This restaurant has a cute blue and white patio to sit under. You can hear the waves gently crashing on the surf nearby. You can see the beach from here and look at the ships sailing by. The restaurant owner was so friendly and super helpful. In the islands they’re really great about giving good recommendations. My friend and I split a few appetizers here. We split the local cheese that came with bread and olive oil, tzatziki, and the stuffed grape leaves. The stuffed grape leaves were probably the best I have had. The local cheese was perfectly creamy, soft, and slightly tangy. They grilled the bread in olive oil. Our meal was around 8 euros each. The owner was so kind and brought out these mini ice cream bars that were so refreshing in the heat.

Bougatsa bakery

Bougatsa Bakery is right next to the port and is nestled in a little window. It sells exactly what the name is: bougatsa. This bakery has been running since 1982 so you know they know what they’re doing. Bougatsa is a Greek cream filled pastry They have fresh baked pastries that go so quickly in the morning. Definitely get there relatively close to the opening time. We went around 9 am and there was some stuff that were sold out at that time. When you bite into the pastry, the phyllo dough is perfectly crunchy and the filling is warm and tastes lightly of vanilla. The cream is creamy and smooth and perfect. It is sprinkled with powdered sugar, and the warm pastry melts in your mouth.