Villages of Paros
Here’s our own mini travel guide for Paros: Made so that we can share our love for the island and make you fall in love with it too!
In this guide we will walk through different sets of information for making your stay more enjoyable while on Paros. The guide contains several topics so feel free to click on the sections of interest and read more about them.
We will cover the following sections:
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Villages - Which ones are definitely worth a visit and why?
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Archaeological sites and museums - What are the must see sites?
Villages - Which ones are definitely worth a visit and why?
There are around 16 traditional settlements within the island, ranging from 100 people to nearly 5,000 in Parikia. Among them, Naoussa with its picturesque alleys and the Venetian castle on the beach, illuminated at night, add a magical note to the scenery, in combination with the marina and the small traditional boats. Entertainment in Naoussa lasts till the small hours since there are all kinds of places to go. Another notable village and the first capital of Paros is Lefkes. It is the most mountainous village of Paros and the most green. The village is located under a pinewood on the hill. A walk around its beautiful narrow streets with the white joints will impress you. Smaller villages such as Prodromos, Marpissa and Marmara in the south east showcase the original raw and traditional small settlements of Paros with the locals living simple island lives.
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1) Parikia
Parikia is the capital and the main port of Paros island. It is one of the most typical Cycladic settlements as it is distinguished by its narrow cobbled paths, the old churches, the small shops and the houses in blue and white. Parikia is today one of the most popular and busiest spot of the island, as its cafeterias and restaurants along the waterfront attract many visitors. Parikia is also famous for its vivid nightlife, which makes it along with Naoussa village (on the northern side of the island) the two busiest tourist resorts of Paros.
Why visit? Walking in the traditional streets and exploring every single of them is so much fun. The architecture is beautiful with plenty of colours. Heart of Paros Apartments is a 2 minute walk from the main streets of Parikia and you can easily explore all shops, a large variety of highly reviewed restaurants, the nearby beaches etc. Parikia is central and if you want to experience the Parian lifestyle, you can easily observe it throughout the day!
Distance and time from Tonia Apartments : 23 km, 30 mins drive (port town)
2) Naousa
The beautiful picturesque fishing village of Naousa is located in a huge bay in the northern part of Paros, 10 kilometres east from the capital, Parikia. Naousa is considered to be one of the prettiest villages in the Cyclades and, despite the tourism development, this lovely village has manage to keep its authenticity, its traditional character and its charm, with its whitewashed and flowered little houses and its tiny whitewashed churches and chapels, surrounded by labyrinth-like narrow, stone paved streets. Naousa is also famous for its very vivid nightlife making it the island’s most popular destination in the evenings together with Parikia.
Why visit? Naousa is a village that is famous all around Greece. The views you get while walking through the village are just spectacular. From perfectly white houses and shops to glimpses of the sea through tiny corridors. Nightlife here is very active and people love spending a nice evening/night in Naousa. The selection of bars is large and the quality high. Naousa is a must during your visit.
Distance and time from Tonia Apartments : 18 km, about a 25 min drive
3) Lefkes
Lefkes is situated in the central part of Paros, 11 km south east of Parikia. Lefkes has 500 inhabitants and is built at an altitude of 300 metres above the sea level, on a verdant hill covered with olive trees and pine trees and offers a breathtaking view of Naxos Island.
This beautiful village used to be the capital of Paros during the Middle Ages and is full of little traditional whitewashed houses, mixed with Venetian architecture, wonderful churches dating from the 15th century, whitewashed windmills and beautiful dovecotes. The houses are built amphitheatrically. The first residents were immigrants that came from Crete and locals who chose to built their village on the mountain, in order to be protected from the pirates. The charm and the beauty of Lefkes are still untouched by mass tourism, which help it maintain its authenticity.
Why visit? Lefkes has a unique character, being the most mountainous village on Paros. The people in Lefkes are very traditional and keep their customs strongly. The cobbled stoned streets of Lefkes often have big inclinations which means that while walking you suddenly get breathtaking views of the sea between Paros and Naxos and also of Agioi Pantes (the island’s peak at 763m). Lefkes has fewer shops than Parikia and Naousa however these few are very well kept and offer mainly locally made goods. Lefkes is also a central point of the Byzantine path which starts in Prodromos (we will discover Prodomos further down) and goes all the way to Parikia.
Distance and time from Tonia Apartments : 10 km, about a 15 min drive
4) Marpissa
The picturesque village of Marpissa stands on the hill of Kefalos, just above Piso Livadi, 18 km south-east of Parikia. Built amphitheatrically (like most of the Cycladic villages) around the hill, Marpissa is a traditional Cycladic village with whitewashed cubic houses, standing among narrow streets, churches and windmills.
It is one of the few authentic villages of Paros and Marpissa doesn't offer a lot of touristic accommodation and it is a constitutive element of its incredible charm and unspoiled beauty. Ruins of an old castle and of the Monastery of Agios Antonios (Monastery of Saint Antoine) can be found on the top of the hill of Kefalos.
Why visit? Marpissa is located close to the beaches of Logaras, Punda, Piso Livadi, Golden Beach and Drios which are among the island’s best. Marpissa is very authentic and untouched. Also a hike to Agios Antonios is a must for unforgettable views of East Paros from a hill. The traditional settlement is mainly composed of small houses that belong to locals and when exploring the village, you can easily understand the way of life and laid back rhythm. Marpissa has very few shops inside the traditional settlement consisting of a traditional taverna, a couple of mini markets and cafes.
Distance and time from Tonia Apartments : 5 km, about a 9 min drive
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5) Prodromos
South-east of Parikia and 7 kilometres south of Naoussa one can find the picturesque small village of Prodromos built in the traditional Cycladic way, full of whitewashed cube houses, tiny white chapels and beautiful churches. The village of Prodromos, together with the village of Marmara, form the community of Archilohos which took its name from an ancient poet of the island. The name Prodromos was given to the village after the 17th century church of Agios Ioannis Prodromos which interior is entirely decorated with beautiful icons.
Why visit? You enter the village of Prodromos through a gateway. As you pass beneath arch after arch, you will be struck by the blazes of color from the well-tended courtyards full of geraniums, bougainvilleas and basil plants; you will encounter countless cats that will rub against your legs purring; you will hear the twittering of birds, the roll of dice on backgammon boards, and the voices of children playing in the car-free streets. You may also try the byzantine path from Prodromos to Lefkes - it is less than 3km of a hike that takes about 45 min to 1h depending on your pace.
Prodromos has less approximately 300 permanent residents. This is the village where we grew up and love it from all sides. It’s quiet, warm, friendly, it has an impressive architecture and it feels the safest you will ever feel.
Distance and time from Tonia Apartments: 6 km, about a 10 min drive
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6) Piso Livadi & Aliki
Piso Livadi and Aliki are both small fishing villages by the sea. They both have ports and are together 2 of the best sea-side spots to have meals on the island.
Piso Livadi is a beautiful coastal village located a couple of km south of Marpissa and 17 km south-east of Parikia. It is famous for its fine Greek cuisine and for its fresh sea food from the local fishermen. Gialos restaurant is particularly impressive offering modern Greek cuisine but with traditional and local ingredients as much as possible.
Aliki is the definition of a proper fishing village with a picturesque port, located 13km south of Parikia. This is one of the places that has known an increase of tourist arrival during the past few years. Most of the tourists seek the peacefulness and the warmness that Aliki offers. Even during the high season where the tourist number is highly increased, the village keeps its traditional character and locals are friendly and ready to serve you delicious food!
Why visit? In Piso Livadi & Aliki, you will get amazing and fresh seafood while eating literally as close as 0.5m from the sea. The combination of the high quality food with the phenomenal views and the sea breeze make these two small villages a must for lunch or dinner! You can perfectly combine it with the nearby beaches.
Distance and time from Tonia Apartments : 4 km, about an 8 min drive
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7) Kostos & Marmara
Kostos is a nice village located 7 km from Parikia, the capital of the island and accessible on the way from Parikia to Lefkes. Built at an altitude of 160 meters, the first house of the village was constructed in the Venetian times. Today, it has a population of about 235 permanent residents and most of them are involved in farming.
Marmara is a small agricultural village located on the eastern side of Paros, 15 km from Parikia. The marbles scattered around the village witness the origin of its name (the name of the village means marbles in Greek), as they were used for the construction of mansions and Byzantine churches in the village.
Why visit? Authenticity is present everywhere here. Tourism is not the moving wheel of the local economy and people are still active in agriculture and many have their own farms. Life is simple in Kostos and Marmara. These two villages are very interesting to walk through and you could see them in less than 30 mins each as they are small.
Distance and time from Tonia Apartments : 6-14 km, about a 10-20 min drive