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The white houses of Lefkes, the highest village on Paros, seen from the church of Agia Triada

Things to do in Paros: 12 experiences

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Photo: Zde, CC BY-SA 4.0

Paros is the island whose marble went into some of the most famous statues of antiquity: the Ephorate of Antiquities traces the Hermes of Praxiteles and the Aphrodite of Melos to its quarries. Today it is a ferry crossroads in the middle of the Cyclades, one mountain with villages on its slopes and beaches all round, and Parikia, the capital, is usually where you step off the boat.

The island splits clearly. Parikia, on the west coast, has the Church of a Hundred Doors, the museum and a castle built of temple marble. The north belongs to Naoussa, its fishing harbour and a bay of granite coves. The interior is Marathi, Lefkes and Prodromos, linked by a Byzantine marble path. The south-east coast, from Marpissa to Golden Beach and Drios, belongs to the wind, and Pounda, on the west, faces Antiparos across a narrow channel.

The Greece page covers two things that start here: the ouzeri lunch on Naoussa's harbour and island hopping by ferry. Naxos is the next island east, and Mykonos and Santorini are both within a few hours by ferry.

12 things to do in Paros

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The arched stone porch and west front of Panagia Ekatontapyliani in Parikia

Count the doors of Ekatontapyliani, the Church of a Hundred Doors

Parikia, a short walk from the port

1 hourNo booking needed

A church of 99 visible doors and a hidden hundredth, said to open when the Greeks take back Constantinople.

The winged Gorgo and Archaic sculpture in the first hall of the Archaeological Museum of Paros

Meet the winged Gorgo at the Archaeological Museum of Paros

Parikia, a few metres from Ekatontapyliani

1 to 1.5 hoursNo booking needed

A winged Gorgo from an Archaic pediment, a Nike of about 480 BC and a slab of the Parian Chronicle.

Sunset over the bay of Parikia

Watch the sunset from Parikia's marble Kastro, then stay out

Kastro hill and seafront, Parikia

An eveningFree

Watch the sunset from a castle hill whose walls are built of column drums and blocks taken from ancient temples.

The marble-paved Byzantine road between Prodromos and Lefkes, with the sea in the distance

Walk down the marble Byzantine road from Lefkes to Prodromos

Lefkes to Prodromos

About 1 hour on the path, plus time in LefkesFree

Walk a marble-paved road said to be about 1,000 years old, downhill through olive groves and vineyards, over a three-arched bridge.

The rock-cut entrance to an ancient underground marble quarry at Marathi on Paros

Step into the ancient marble quarries at Marathi

Marathi, on the road from Parikia to Lefkes

1 hourFree

Step into the quarries the Ephorate credits with the marble of the Hermes of Praxiteles and the Aphrodite of Melos.

Smooth granite boulders and shallow water at Kolymbithres, across the bay from Naoussa

Cross Naoussa bay to the granite coves of Kolymbithres and Paros Park

Kolymbithres and Paros Park, Naoussa bay

Half a dayNo booking needed

Swim between granite boulders worn smooth by wind and salt, then walk on to coves you reach only on foot or by sea.

Windsurfers in the strong summer wind off the east coast of Paros, with Naxos behind

Windsurf at New Golden Beach or kitesurf the Pounda channel

Golden Beach, New Golden Beach and Pounda

Half a day per sessionBook ahead

Windsurf where the sport took off in Greece, in a meltemi that gives planing wind on more than 70% of midsummer days.

A hand-painted sign in the Valley of the Butterflies asking visitors not to disturb the moths

See the Jersey tiger moths of the Valley of the Butterflies

Petaloudes, about 7 km from Parikia

1 hourNo booking needed

A pocket of dense green on a dry island, where Jersey tiger moths with bright red hind wings rest on the tree trunks.

The bay of Molos and the east coast of Paros seen from the monastery of Agios Antonios on Kefalos hill

Climb Kefalos hill to the monastery that replaced a Venetian castle

Kefalos hill, above Marpissa

45 minutes to 1 hour from MarpissaFree

Climb an extinct volcano past the ruins of a castle that Barbarossa took in 1537, to a monastery church with two domes.

Stalactites and the visitors' staircase inside the Cave of Antiparos

Cross to Antiparos and climb down into its cave

Antiparos, by ferry from Pounda or Parikia

A full day with Antiparos townNo booking needed

Cross to Antiparos and climb down 411 steps into a cave where Christmas Mass was said in 1673.

Taste PDO Paros and sweet Malvasia at the Moraitis winery

Moraitis winery, Naoussa

Book ahead

Taste PDO Paros wines and a naturally sweet Malvasia from a family that has made wine in Naoussa since 1910.

Fishing boats moored along the quay of Naoussa harbour on Paros

Share meze at an ouzeri on Naoussa harbour, Paros

Naoussa, Paros (Cyclades)

2 to 3 hours at the tableNo booking needed

On Naoussa's Venetian harbour the ouzeries set tables at the water's edge: a good place on Paros for a long round of meze.

Plan your trip

  • Getting there

    Ferries from Piraeus reach Parikia, the main port, in about 4 hours on Blue Star's conventional ships and about 3 hours 20 minutes on the high-speed boats; Rafina, close to Athens airport, also has sailings. Paros airport, about 10 km from Parikia in the south-west of the island, takes domestic flights from Athens only, about 40 minutes with Aegean/Olympic or Sky Express. Paros is also a ferry hub for the central Cyclades, with links to Naxos, Mykonos, Santorini and the smaller islands. Timetables change with the season, so check the operator a few days before you sail.

  • Getting around

    KTEL Paros runs every bus on the island from its station next to the port in Parikia. Fares are paid by bank card only; the minimum fare is €2.20 and a day ticket for the whole island costs €12. Even in the reduced timetable of 19 to 30 October 2026 there were 14 departures a day from Parikia to Naoussa, 11 to Pounda for the Antiparos ferry and 6 on the inland line through Marathi, Lefkes, Prodromos and Marpissa to Golden Beach and Drios. In summer, buses to Naoussa run into the early hours. Rent a car or scooter for Kefalos hill, the Paros Park lighthouse and the emptier beaches.

  • How many days

    In must30's view, four: one in Parikia for Ekatontapyliani, the museum and the sunset from the Kastro; one inland for the quarries at Marathi, Lefkes, the Byzantine road and Kefalos; one on Naoussa bay for Kolymbithres, Paros Park and a winery visit; and one on Antiparos. Windsurfers and kitesurfers should add days, because the wind does not blow to order. With three days, drop the winery and see Kefalos on the way back from the beach.

  • When to go

    The Ephorate keeps summer hours from 1 April to 31 October; in late October 2026 it had not yet announced the museum's winter hours. The passenger boat from Parikia to Antiparos runs only from Easter to October, and the moths at Petaloudes are out in June and July. The meltemi, the north wind, blows hardest in midsummer, which is what windsurfers come for. August is the busiest month, with the feast of the Virgin at Ekatontapyliani on 15 August. In must30's view, June and September balance warm sea, open services and fewer people.

  • Where to base yourself

    Parikia has the port, the bus station and the museum, and almost every bus line starts there, which makes it the practical base without a car. Naoussa is the livelier choice, with the fishing harbour, the bay beaches, the boats to Kolymbithres and frequent buses to Parikia. Windsurfers stay by their spot, at Golden Beach, New Golden Beach or Drios on the south-east coast, and kitesurfers at Pounda. Lefkes is the quiet inland choice for walkers, but you will need a car for the beaches.

Questions travellers ask

Do I need a car in Paros?

Not for the main sights. KTEL buses from Parikia reach Naoussa, Marathi, Lefkes, Marpissa, Golden Beach and Pounda all year, paid by bank card, and a €12 day ticket covers the whole island. A car or scooter helps for Kefalos hill, the Paros Park lighthouse and the emptier beaches, and outside the peak months, when the timetable thins out.

How many days do you need in Paros?

must30 suggests four: Parikia, the inland villages, Naoussa bay and a day on Antiparos. Three days work if you skip Antiparos or the winery. Add days for windsurfing or kitesurfing, since the wind sets the schedule.

Is Paros worth visiting in October?

Early in the month, yes: the museum keeps summer hours until 31 October and the villages are quiet. By late October buses run a reduced timetable, the passenger boat from Parikia to Antiparos ends its season and the moths at Petaloudes are long gone. The car ferry from Pounda to Antiparos runs all year.

How do you get from Paros to Antiparos?

Take the KTEL bus or drive from Parikia to Pounda, where a car ferry crosses in about 7 minutes every day of the year; you pay on board, as booking is not possible. From Easter to October a passenger boat also sails from Parikia port in about 30 minutes. Day cruises from Paros add Despotiko and the smaller islets.

Should I stay in Parikia or Naoussa?

Parikia if you travel without a car: the port and the bus station are there, almost every bus line starts from it and its seafront faces the sunset. Naoussa if you want livelier evenings, the fishing harbour and the beaches of Naoussa bay, with frequent buses to Parikia. Both fill up in August, so book early.

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