Cyclades · Secrets under marble
Paros
Paros sits with Antiparos at the epicentre of the Cyclades, an island of bright marble lanes, amphitheatre harbours and easy grace. In 1958 Cecil Beaton described life here as sleep, swim, eat and read, and sixty years on the description still holds.
Paros has been quarrying marble since the Bronze Age, and its stone won the ancient world’s argument about quality. It is estimated that most of the sculpture excavated across the Aegean islands is Parian marble; the Venus de Milo is carved from it, and it served the Acropolis, the Temple of Zeus at Olympia and the sanctuary at Delphi. The island’s secrets sit quite literally under the shine.
Sun, sea and serenity
Geography placed Paros and Antiparos at the centre of the archipelago, and temperament kept them serene. Wander winding cobbled streets of bright white marble, walk out through rural villages, and hit the water for windsurfing, kitesurfing and diving when the meltemi calls.
Explore Paros
Naoussa
Regarded as one of the most beautiful villages in the Cyclades, built amphitheatrically around a small fishing port where the caiques moor under the ruins of a Venetian castle. Behind the harbour, a labyrinth of paved lanes hides boutiques and quietly excellent bars.
Parikia
The capital and main harbour, and a fine base: great beaches within walking distance, serious eateries, easy nightlife. Between swims, find the Frankish castle, the open-air cinema and the Byzantine church of Panagia Ekatontapiliani, whose story begins in the 4th century.
Lefkes
The soul of Paros hides inland, in its medieval villages. Lefkes, the island’s former capital, sits between the mountains: narrow stone streets, traditional tavernas, a Byzantine church from the 15th century, and a sunset that drops behind the ridgeline rather than the sea. Come up after a beach day and let the island change register.
Pairing Paros
Paros threads easily into a sailing route with Naxos and Mykonos, and its harbours make it the natural pivot of the journeys we run under sail.
Known first-hand
Our best picks on Paros
- Best Wine Moraitis Winery
Founded in Naoussa in 1910 and passed down the Moraitis family since: around 300,000 bottles a year, a third of it exported, the rest thankfully kept in Greece. Taste it at tables across the island or at the winery itself.
- Best Bar Yaya
Parikia does relaxed bars exceptionally well. Yaya is our first stop, with Nemo, Pirate and Koukoutsi Zen close behind. Locals will tell you the calm is in the marble; we suspect it is the company.
- Best Local Specialty 56 Isles Pilsner
Brewed by Paros Microbrewery in the heart of the Cyclades with barley grown on the island. Salt air, island sun and local grain in a glass, made for sunset.
- Best Dining Siparos & Nick's Burgers
Siparos in Naoussa and Levantis in Parikia serve Parian flavours with a creative, contemporary twist. For the treat lunch, Nick's Burgers in Parikia: one man, one grill, thirty years of doing one thing perfectly.
- Best Beach Kolymbithres & Chrissi Akti
Kolymbithres in the north is famous for rock formations rubbed almost lunar by sand and time. Chrissi Akti in the south-east is the kitesurfing haven, worth hours even if you only watch the sails.
- Best Daytrip Kokou sunrise ride
The Kokou riding school's sunrise tour explores Paros in the quiet of first light, before the island wakes. The best part is taking the horses into the sea for a swim.
A short flight from Athens or the fast ferry from Piraeus; Paros is also the ferry crossroads of the Cyclades.
Design
Design your experience
Tell us the occasion, the season and who is coming. One of our Epicureans will come back with a first sketch of Paros, and will tell you if another island suits your dates better.