Lefkes Village Paros

The picturesque Lefkes village, we find it in the center of the beautiful Paros island about ten kilometers from the capital Parikia above a hill just below a lush pine forest.

Lefkes was the first Paros capital in the medieval period, its houses were built amphitheatrically and can only be visited on foot. Upon your arrival, at the entrance of the village there are two large parking lots where you can leave your vehicles and from there you can go into this beautiful mountain village. Its name which means white someone says it derives from the traditional clothing of the population which is in fact total white, others instead attribute it to the very high poplars (Lefki in Greek means poplar). The dialect spoken in this delightful village is very particular, so much so that the inhabitants of other villages sometimes find it hard to understand.

The first inhabitants of the Lefkes village seem to have been the Cretans and the position right on the mountain was desired by the fact that, in addition to having a view of the sea and therefore sighting the enemies, with its mazes it confused pirates or usurpers, discouraging them in 'intent.

Surely the greenest of all the villages on the Paros island with its olive groves and rows of vines that make the whole rural landscape still in time where, the noise of cicadas and crickets will be the sounds that will accompany you most .

On the top of the surrounding hills, there are nine must see windmills in the Cyclades Islands, two of which have been renovated and transformed into bizarre and unusual homes.

It too comes with the classic white houses with blue windows framed by flowers of a thousand colors, which give that typical atmosphere of the Cyclades Islands, winding and narrow streets that at every corner amaze with ancient buildings and postcard views. On your way you will find the characteristic pedestals called pezoules which in the past served as information points concerning everything that happened to the ancestors of the newspapers in the village if we had to make a comparison and still, old washrooms that are still used today from housewives. The main street of the Lefkes village called Ramnos, is full of shops and neoclassical buildings, where there is also the House of Literature which was founded in 2004 to host writers from all over the world for seminars and cultural exchanges. Continuing for Ramnos, you reach the small square in the center of the village with its typical cafés where you can stop for a coffee and admire the war memorial and maybe exchange a chat with the locals. The walk along the main street is priceless, an exceptional panorama on the east part of the island.

Between the small white houses and the cobbled streets, at a certain point you will meet a large marble building, it is the church of Agia Triada (in Greek means Holy Trinity). In an elevated position, the beautiful 19th century Byzantine style basilica has three naves with an even larger central one and two bell towers which demonstrate the undisputed skill of the marble sculptors of the period. Inside there are rare Byzantine icons not to be missed in addition to the frescoes on the central vault of the nineteenth century depicting the classic popular iconography with saints and gospel scenes. Usually it is closed, but the caretaker is the owner of the bar in the square so maybe you might even be lucky enough to see it simply by asking him.

Other beautiful sacred places you can see at the Lefkes village as the church of Panagias Ypapantis or also called Madonna in the cells, the monastery of Agios Ioannis Padromos, the chapel of Agias Kyriakis in Pano Lefkes (Pano means high) and finally the church of Agia Aikaterini of the seventeenth century with a grandiose double bell tower.

As in all the small towns, Lefkes also has its traditional festivals and the most famous one is certainly that of Karavolas which is held at the end of August to celebrate the end of summer and is organized by the MEAS YRIA culture association. An opportunity for all the citizens of Lefkes (there are about eight hundred and fifty stable ones) to get together with music, dancing, food and lots of wine. November 25 is dedicated to Agia Aikaterini with an exciting procession through the country with a big party in honor of the fallen Greek committed against the usurpers.

Being the mountain village par excellence on the Paros island, it offers typical products of the hinterland such as delicious oil, wine, fragrant honey and various types of cheese. A peculiarity linked to the territory is the distillation of ouzo still done with ancient and traditional methods that the inhabitants call Souma. Other delights are figs and grapes which are also used to prepare the classic fig cake (samata in Greek). From a culinary point of view, if you are a guest in the village From a culinary point of view, if you are a guest in the  Lefkes village, do not forget to try the Karavoles (large stewed snails), the baked chickpeas, the myzithropitakia a savory pie made with various types of local cheeses and the lamprokaouloura a typical braided sweet bread recipe.

The last gem of Lefkes is the ancient Byzantine road made of rough marble of about a thousand years ago, about three and a half kilometers long, which connects the village to another one, that of Podromos. A walk with an unforgettable panoramic view and landscapes that look like paintings.

From the main asphalted road, if you have your own vehicle just follow the road signs, if instead you are not autonomous, from the central bus station in Parikia, runs are provided every day. Always check the times that can change according to the season.

Here is another little pearl to be discovered and marked in the things to do in Paros, a parenthesis in the rural and true community of the island where you can also see the real life of the Cyclades inhabitants .