Click for my page of all Greek islands
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PAROS INTRODUCTION
 This is an island where we have been many times, in the beginning usually just to catch the small ferry to Antiparos, or on the way to another island. This is where almost every ferry in the Cyclades make a stop, and where you can find connections to most other islands. It's central station. Untill recently it was however not very high on my list of Islands I like to visit, but this changed when I started to explore the island. My first encounter was with the tourist center Naoussa, which is on all the postcards, but can also get pretty busy in high season. The island has got a good amount of 'hidden treasures'. Personally I loved the southcoast. If you want to meet some authentic Greece, and want to get some rest during your holiday as well than go there. If you want life and action and some good (but more crowded) beaches close at hand you can for instance stay in Parikia and maybe rent a scooter or a car to see some more of the island. |
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With lots of thanx for the pictures from Ikia Studios
IKIA STUDIOS AND APARTMENTS
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| If you have questions for Ikia Studios or want to ask about availabilities you can do that here. More pictures of Paros and Ikia Studios are below this form. |
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FOR THOSE THAT LOVE TO COOK...
One of the nicest things I have ever done on Paros is visiting Eddy and Louisa. The have a cooking course on top of a mountain in the south of Paros, close to the village of Aliki with it's beautiful beaches. Louisa is a charming, hospitable lady with a big charisma, and Eddy is the the type of guy with a "rough" appearance, but with a big heart with plenty of space for everybody. We were welcomed so very warm and enthousiastic, and their place on the mountain is just fabulous. On two sides you look over the sea, and in the distance you can see the opposite island of Paros and several other islands. The sunset is unforgetable, and is much more beautiful than my picture can show. There is a serene silence, because there are no cars, and there are no people in the immediate suroundings. It's a place to relax and enjoy. Eddy and Louisa have singlehandedly rebuild and refurbished an old dilapedated traditional cycladic house and and turned it into a dreamhouse. On this spot Eddy gives cooking lessons: he takes the guests on a trip over the island to find wild herbs, takes them to the market to buy fresh ingredients, and he teaches them to make special Greek dishes in a simple way. I have had the privelige to have dinner at their place, so I can honestly say that Eddy is a wonderful cook, and that I can't remember having eaten such wonderful Greek food in years: really awesome. And the spot where they are situated is really unique! If you like peace and quiet, adventure, cozyness, and if you like the nature and like to cook, I can truly recommend this. Eddy has his own website, and he gives 3-day and 5-day courses. |
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ALIKI
Aliki is really just a pretty, small village on the southcoast of Paros: a few houses, some hotels, a souvernir-shop or two, a harbour front with restaurants and two supermarkets. Off course there's also the kaiks and the boats in the cristalclear water, and the little white church with the blue dome. It is actually quite nice. For me this is the sort of quiet Greek village that I enjoy and that I would return to. The beach is big, good and not too crowded. And around every corner you will find a new beach. You can take the bus to Aliki from the main town Parikia, or a (cheap) taxi. We always enjoy the walk from the small ferry harbour Punta along the coast to Aliki. |
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THE BEACHES OF PAROS
There are so many beaches on Paros, it's hard to mention them all. A big part of the southcoast and the south eastcoast consists of beaches, but also in the west between the cliffs you find some beaches (one of them with palmtrees even). In the north are the beaches of Santa Maria and Kolybithres (with a beautiful rock in the sea). Chrissi Akti is a small coast-village with a big beach. There are a few hotels and some restaurants. It's not very big. Chrissi Akti means 'Golden Beach'. They say it's the best beach in Paros, and it's populair with windsurfers, because of the high waves and the wind. Allthough it is indeed a very good beach, personally I prefer the more quiet small beaches. According to the guides the best beaches are all to be found in this area, but in the south there are just as many, just as good, and they are more quiet. Besides the big main beach of Chrissi Akti you will find plenty of more beaches in the direct surroundings. The coastline between Piso Livadi and Chrissi Akti is very beautiful. We visited in may when it was still quiet and there were lots of flowers everywhere. On the walk you will find all kinds of beaches, some very quiet, some with beachchairs and more commercial like the beach at Punta (not to be confused with Punta the ferry-harbour in the southwest of Paros). Some beaches have almost no waves and around the corner you will find another that does. |
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PARIKIA
We liked the harbour and main-village Parikia, allthough the beach is not very inviting with ferries sailing in all the time. It has plenty of sights, some nice shopping streets and lots of terraces overlooking the sea. The only problem is pherhaps the waiters in the restaurants, that are so pushy to get you in when you are not hungry. A friendly terrace I found was at the end of the boulevard in a café called Latte. After all these negative words about Naoussa (terrible) and less strong about Parikia also some very positive news about the beautiful and much more quiet eastcoast with the village of Piso Livadi and the beach at Chrissi Akti. And not to forget there is the amazing and almost deserted southcoast with endless beaches, beautiful rockformations, views over other islands (amongst them Antiparos), the small ferry harbour Punta and the delightful small village of Aliki with its whithewashed houses and a bunch of fishingboats. |
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THE CHURCH OF EKATONTTAPYLIANI
Better known as the church of a hundred doors. It is a major Byzantine monument 200 metres from the port. Tradition and history state that the church began life in the reign of Constantine the Great (280-337 AD). It consists of three parts build in different periods, and its name derives from the one hundred doors of which only 99 doors have been counted. It is said that the last door will reveal itself when the Greeks take Constantinople back from the Turks. The church was ruined in a 1773 earthquake, and rebuild again after that. Only the beltower has not been restored. This is why you can see the bels hanging outside the church beside the entrance in a big tree. |
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HOW TO GET TO PAROS?
Paros can be easily reached from Rafina (near Athens) or from Piraeus, where there are daily ferries going to the Cycladic islands. The journey takes three hours or more depending on the speed of the boat you take and the schedule it follows. On the airport of Athens there are regulair busses going to Rafina, and you don't have to drive through Athens itself. Off course you can also take a taxi. The ride takes about half an hour. It's also possible to fly to the island of Mykonos. From there it's only one and a half hours by ferry. |
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THE HISTORY OF PAROS
The island of Paros has been inhabited since 3200 BC as are proving the excavations made on the islet of Saliagos, located between Paros and Antiparos. It probably formed one single island during ancient times, and seperated during an earthquake. Mythology tells us that King Alkaios of Crete was the first king, and that he build a city on the site of which is today known as the capital Parikia . Then fertile Paros was strategically positioned in the middle of the Cyclades. The Cretans turned it into a naval basis. In 1100 BC the Ionians defeated the Cretan Minoans and took over the rule of the island. In 1000 BC, Paros was taken by the Arcadians, that were lead by Parios, from who the island took its definitive name. After that the island became a maritime power. Part of the army of Paros army fought with the Persians, during the Persian wars, and were defeated by the Athenian army. In 338 BC, like all the Greek islands, Paros came under the rule of Philippe of Macedonia and became part of the Macedonian empire. When Alexander the Great (Philippe’s son) died, Paros came under the control of the Egyptian Ptolemies, Alexander’s successors. The faith of the Greek islands is pretty much the same on each of them. The Romans took over the island, and after them the Byzantines. They brought Christianity to the island and build many churches, amongst which the most important monument from that period in Greece: the Church of Ekatontapiliani in Parikia. Between 1207 and 1389 Paros was ruled by the Venetians and after them by the Ottoman Turks. After de Greek revolution in 1821 Paros became part of the new Greek State. |
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