Paros and Antiparos Travel Guide - the Summer Holiday of a Lifetime
Last August I spent my 11-day-long summer vacation in Greece. The main destination of our trip was Paros, so my friend and I planned to spend at least a week on this upcoming Greek island. Since there were no direct flights from Munich and fares from Munich to Paros were skyrocketing, we just booked a one-way flight to Athens. This way we were able to stay three days in the capital and embrace a bit of Greek mainland culture plus visit the ancient temples in the old town of Athens. Even though Influencers highly discourage from taking the ferry, we found it the easiest way to commute between Athens and Parikia, the capital of Paros. Once finally arrived, our week-long adventure was about to begin and honestly, it was the best summer holiday of my life plus Paros & Antiparos being a total highlight. It’s definitely one of the Top 10 most beautiful destinations I have ever been to.
The Pretty: Naoussa
Everyone told us to go see Naoussa and while it looked alright when driving through during the day, the real game-changer was the atmosphere at night. We got dressed up at our hotel, headed towards Naoussa, and booked a table at one of the most fashionable restaurants (Stilvi) just to have another post-dinner al fresco meal seaside at Fotis Bar (not because we weren’t full but rather because the ambience at Fotis made us order some sushi to accompany the Espresso Martinis). The views kept getting better the later it became and the more people were around. I can’t remember any other city in the world that was so busy at midnight with people from all age groups (and there is less nightlife than in Mykonos). Children were playing until late, tourists strolling and shopping in the pretty stores and us just looking for a place to have one last drink to fully enjoy this unique setting and the one-of-a-kind view. I can’t decide what impressed me more, the atmosphere and vibes or the stunning views…. Well, you better find out and share your experiences in Naoussa.
EAT
Stilvi / light Mediterranean food / al fresco dining with a sophisticated crowd / €€€
Fotis / cool bar directly on the beach in the old town / great espresso martini / €€
Barbarossa / the place to be and be seen on the harbour with great seafood / €€€€
Daverona / casual diner with a cozy atmosphere / great for people-watching / €€
Our Hideaway: Parocks Luxury Resort
The place to stay is as essentially important as the right travel partner. If any of the two is not right, you may not be able to enjoy a destination to the fullest. This time I went for the full adventure and decided to buy “a pig in a poke”. I convinced my very good friend to book a hotel that didn’t have any reviews yet and was set to open just a month before we were about to arrive. Well, from my expertise and experience I can say that in 9 out of 10 cases, this is a very bad idea. Hotels are never opening on time and service is a disaster right after opening. Well, just 9 out of 10 cases. With Parocks Luxury Resort & Spa we made a real deal and even got an upgrade to a sea-view room with a private pool. The design couldn’t have been matching our taste any better and the service was excellent for a recently opened hotel. As hard as I am reviewing hotels, I always treat employees with respect and also respect general principles. A hotel that is open for just a month can’t be better than Four Seasons in terms of service, it is clearly impossible. But we did expect worse and therefore were blown away by our home for the majority of our time on Paros. Right next to the hotel was a public untouched beach and a little further down the road, in Ampelas, were two serviced beach clubs with cool music and tasty food offerings.
EAT
Blue Oyster / chic interior design and good food / elegant beach club with sun beds / €€€
Aspro / more casual beach club option to have lunch when spending a day on the beach / €€
SLEEP
Parocks Luxury Hotel & Spa / amazing design / chic bathrooms / great breakfast / €€€€
The Untouched: East & South of Paros
Having had a few spare days, we were up for randomly driving around and booking dinner outside our hotel. This way we experienced the pretty town of Marpissa and the lovely harbour of Piso Livadi. Both were located a twenty-minute ride south of Naoussa and we found them by chance when we headed towards our next restaurant surprise. We were lucky to score a table at Galazia Hytra which is an outpost of Michelin-starred Hytra restaurant in Athens. Situated within the Summer Senses Hotel, we enjoyed wonderful views of Naxos when the sky turned from red to pink. Food wise it was very European with little Greek influence though the service was very dedicated and the desserts were among the best we have had on the Greek islands.
After Parocks, our next stop was a small boutique hotel in Parikia. We actually had three route options and went for the longest one as we wanted to see the south of Paros as well. I would say we made the right choice as I found it more interesting to visit Golden Beach and enjoy spectacular views of Antiparos en route, rather than passing through another mountain village which would have been the route via Lefkes. We stopped by Aliki, another stunning fisher port with lovely al fresco dining options such as Saline where they serve the best seafood in a contemporary atmosphere.
EAT
Saline / cool atmosphere also al fresco with views of the harbour / fresh seafood and nice wines / €€€
Galazia Hytra / elegant dining option with great Greek wines / delicious seafood and desserts / €€€€
SLEEP
Summer Senses Hotel / elegant hotel with a nice pool area and a selection of F&B outlets / €€€
The Hub: Parikia
After having toured the entire island once, we finally reached the port town of Parikia again where we settled for the last two nights of our time in Paros. Having invested much of the Budget in Parocks, we opted for a more affordable boutique hotel which turned out to be a great deal. Parea is an adults-only hotel led by a really cool bunch that even offered Nespresso coffee along with some bites before leaving the hotel first thing in the morning. For about 150 euros for a double room and a pool in front of our basement room, this was all we needed since we were planning to spend a full day on a private boat and explore Antiparos the rest of the time. Even though I kind of underestimated the old town of Parikia, I wouldn’t recommend spending more than two nights in the capital of Paros. Though we need to mention that we had one of the best dinners here, at the rooftop terrace of Salair Restaurant - make sure to reserve a front-row table and come before the sunset. This has been the most fashionable restaurant in Paros with the best cocktails and the most advanced food presentation. After dinner take a stroll through the old town and finish off with a drink on the famous promenade watching the ferries load for the night rides. Let’s be honest, Parikia is not Naoussa and if your time is limited, go and see Naoussa. However, for us, Parikia was perfect to end our time in Paros in the most relaxing way.
EAT
Salair / stunning views with great design / superb service along delicious meals and drinks / €€€
Bountaraki / mouth-watering taverna as you would imagine it / make sure to queue / €€
DRINK
Kafepotopoleio Pinoklis / great for after-dinner drinks on the promenade with live music / €€
Kialoa Bar / this is where the young people mingle after-hours with cool music and drinks / €€
Our Ultimate Quad Adventure
Being young, wild and free, plus this being our main summer adventure there was no way I couldn’t opt for booking us two 4x4 quads for our time in Paros. Did we ever ride a quad before? Not at all but we were up for the adventure and honestly, after a few hours, we were absolutely getting used to it. It is to say that it’s not really luxurious or convenient renting such quads, but it is the full adventure experience. You definitely should be aware of driving the roads and know the island and your routes (at least make sure to inform yourself about the routes before you go as there are no GPS in the quads). For the price of 70 euros a day, our quad was slightly cheaper than the entry-level rental car in Paros, however as we took two of them, you may also consider getting a car. We loved driving around the island with the feeling of the wind breezing in our faces, and the fact that we could take any sandy piste and pass roads that were normally closed to cars. Parking was also no issue, however as brave German & Austrians we of course also bought parking tickets for the quads - even though there was no proper place to put the ticket. All in all, the quad experience was a lot of fun and definitely contributed its part that this trip became one of the best in our lives.
DO
Stratos Rentals / we had an excellent experience with friendly and very helpful staff / €€
The Gem: Antiparos
Undoubtedly, Paros is nice. But you have to visit Antiparos. This is where the magic happens. It very much reminded me of Saint Tropez before the real glitz arrived. Down-to-earth fishermen sitting on the harbour, casual but chic F&B offers, elegant boutiques with cool products and a fashionable crowd cruising through the pedestrian area of Antiparos town before midnight. The perfect day starts with lunch at Captain Pipinos where fresh seafood is served, later you head towards Soros Beach for a bit of afternoon sun and lounge music at one of the prettiest beaches in Antiparos. When the sun sets, it is time to change your outfit and start exploring the old town before sitting down at one of the several upscale dining venues. Al fresco dining is best at Vassilenas Blue (an outpost of another Athens-based F&B legend) which is best enjoyed with a bottle of Assyrtiko from the neighbouring island of Santorini. To end off the evening, grab a seat at Bougainvilles and enjoy another round of people-watching while sipping local beer or tasty cocktails. If you can’t score a villa at The Rooster and the other accommodation options in Antiparos aren’t your cup of tea, you may be happy to hear that the ferries connecting Antiparos with Paros are running up till 1.30 am.
EAT
Vassilenas Blue / elegant restaurant by Athens-based F&B institution / amazing seafood & wines / €€€
Captain Pipinos / the most famous seaside lunch spot / come here for the laid-back vibes / €€
DRINK
Soros Beach / place to be and be seen / perfect for an afternoon at the beach / €€€
Bougainvilles / perfectly located bar for people-watching and inhaling the atmosphere / €
The Rooster / much-talked-about hotel with a bar to enjoy the prettiest sunset on the island / €€€€
The Highlight: Antiparos by Private Boat
You have seen everything on Paros, been all over the island of Antiparos and still have some adventure time left? Then you should go for a private boat experience in Aliki. Make sure to book your boat ahead of your stay so that you have the right size available for the day you want. There is no need for a boat license here as the boats are just 5-6 meters long, however still have a lot of power, so no need to worry if you were planning to speed up a bit. Since we had no clue how long we shall rent the boat at all, we went for a full-day rental starting at 10 am and returning it at 5 pm. The pick-up and drop-off point is situated at the harbour of Aliki, which is one of the closest points of Paros to Antiparos. Therefore we could directly head towards Antiparos where the sea is even prettier than around Paros. As you have about seven hours, you can also stop by Captain Pipinos for lunch and definitely make sure to stop at the Grotte Marine where you can jump into the Mediterranean Sea from about ten meters in height. Overall there are great spots around the Southern end of Antiparos and you won’t need long to find a perfect spot to moor the boat.
DO
The Sailor’s Ride / perfectly managed company with friendly staff and modern boats / €€€
