Paros

Paros island is located in the middle of the Cyclades Islands archipelago just in front of the Naxos and below Mykonos.

Fourth in size, it extends for almost two hundred square kilometers offering around one hundred and twenty kilometers of coastline made up of splendid beaches of light sand bathed by a clean and clear sea with colors that vary from blue to turquoise. With an oval shape, it is not very rich in vegetation, it is mainly rocky with granite and marble, the latter famous throughout the world and exported since ancient times for the construction of prestigious works such as the Parthenon in Athens, the Nike of Samothrace and the Venus of Milos. The central part, however, is the most fertile and where agriculture is dedicated. It is mostly flat with some gentle hills while the highest peak is Profiti Elias with its almost eight hundred meters of height in the middle of the island where you can enjoy a breathtaking view.

According to mythology, in 1000 BC Paros was conquered by the Arcadians, a people of the Peloponnese whose leader was Parios, from whom the island then took its name. It is also said that Alcaeus, son of Minos, the King of Crete, was the first ruler of the island where he built the first citadel right where the capital Parikia is located today. It is assumed that life was already present in 3000 BC as can be seen from the archaeological sites of Saliagos (between the island of Paros and the small island of Antiparos where it is not excluded that they were once attacked). In the Minoan period its name was Minoa and then changed to Paros with the Arcadians. Then there was the period of Venetian domination and the darkest period under the Ottomans until it achieved total independence and was annexed to Greece.

You choose a holiday in Paros for its wonderful beaches, for its history with the ruins of past civilizations, for its folklore and its traditions still rooted and carried forward by its inhabitants who do not want to lose their roots. It is a favorite destination for families with children as it is very organized and safe, for couples who want a beautiful seaside and a romantic holiday, for young people who in recent years are choosing it as a destination for the legendary "high school graduation trip", in short a solution with peculiarities that can satisfy any taste.

Don't miss an excursion to Antiparos. An islet of 35 square kilometers and a real oasis of relaxation with uncontaminated nature and which, given its small size, can accommodate not many tourists so as to remain peaceful and quiet. The classic Greek picture with low, white houses, blue windows and narrow, winding streets. The almost deserted beaches are extremely wild, thus offering entire days of pure idleness in close contact with Mother Earth.

Parikia is the capital where you arrive coming from the sea, a lively tourist resort that offers its visitors the typical atmosphere of Greece but with all modern comforts. Worth visiting is the church of Panagia Ekatontapyliani, the church with a hundred doors commissioned by Helena, mother of the emperor Constantine, the Archaeological Museum founded in 1960 which preserves precious finds from the Neolithic and Christian periods where the Nike of Paros is exhibited. Or the ancient Agora or the Venetian castle of 1260 wanted by Duke Marco Sanudo, Venetian governor of the island for a very long time.

Also worth seeing is the valley of butterflies, the little sister of the larger one on the island of Rhodes, a natural area with a habitat rich in vegetation where a species of moth, the Jersey Tiger, gathers in swarms of millions of specimens from May to July.

Then move to Marathi with its marble quarries up to the village of Lekfes and the village of Marpissa along the mountainside, two enchanting villages frozen in time.

And finally Naoussa to the south with its amphitheater shape and a Byzantine-era port with imposing walls. Despite its popularity which grows from year to year it still manages to preserve its traditions and atmosphere of the past. You will see many boats docked in the gulf, the classic fishermen's caiques, an activity that is still very strong in Paros, so much so that in its typical taverns you can savor an infinite number of delicacies from the local and Greek cuisine. The old warehouses once used as boat storage have been converted into trendy restaurants or ouzeries where you can indulge in exquisite meze (appetizers in Greek) and a good glass of ouzo or tspiporo, the national liqueurs. On the Koukounaria hill a Mincena acropolis dating back to 1200 BC is a very interesting site to view.

Speaking instead of pure relaxation you will be spoiled for choice when it comes to beaches. A trip is absolutely worth making to Kolimbithres beach with its imaginative rocks shaped by atmospheric events, or Monastiri beach with its clear waters and where you can have fun with your family or friends in water activities.

Even in this case there is no problem with how to spend the day during your holiday in Greece, Paros is perfect from all points of view.

​

​