When you think of Greece, Paros is probably not the first island that comes to mind. Maybe you’ve been dreaming of visiting Santorini or Mykonos. They are both extremely popular and for good reasons! The striking white villages perched high up on the edges of those Santorini cliffs overlooking the sea are unmistakable and have attracted steady streams of tourists for many many years. And Mykonos is known for that famous row of windmills and of course – the best party scene in the Cyclades.
But it’s time to add Paros to your Greece itinerary too!
We love finding the next best spot before it starts drowning in tourism and losing its charm. So if you’re like us, you will definitely enjoy this charming little island.
Why You Need To Visit Paros, Greece
Paros is one of the bigger Cycladic islands, located right next to Naxos. It offers the same charming narrow streets freckled with colorful flowers and cute little cafes, delicious Greek food and beautiful rocky virgin beaches you’ll find anywhere else in the Cyclades.
But is also offers something more unique to Paros. This special insider vibe, the feeling that just enough people know about this place that it’s interesting to visit, but not enough to make it too overwhelming.
And last but not least, Paros is the place where Yinon and I went on our first big trip together. He met my parents and we became closer than ever – and what a backdrop to have for your budding love story!
How To Get To Paros
Paros is easily accessible by a quick flight from Athens and a number of ferries. If you prefer to fly, it’s best to fly into Athens first, and then take a local flight from Athens to Paros. The flight is quick and convenient and costs between 50-100 Euro.
For flights we recommend Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air.
One of the most convenient ways to travel within Greece is by ferry, and that’s a great way to get to Paros too. The Greek ferry system is one of the most efficient well-oiled machine that runs close to impeccably on schedule and is very reliable and comfortable. We actually prefer to go by ferry whenever possible.
You can get to Paros from Athens in as little as 3.5 hours from Piraeus port, or you can take a ferry from any of the major islands in the area.
Where To Stay in Paros
The best town to stay in Paros is unquestionably Naoussa. It’s hard to explain why, but there is just a special vibe about this little place that makes us want to come back every year.
There are no big resorts here. Your only option is staying at a small family-owned hotel where everyone knows your name and how you like your coffee. We stayed at Parian Boutique Hotel and loved the staff so much.
As soon as we dropped off our things at our hotel, we received old-fashioned but amazingly accurate directions on how to get to the town center. Just walk up the street until you get to the church, then take a right and walk down the stairs. The church is, of course, located in the most elevated central part of town and visible from any location. If you ask for directions in a Greek town and they do not include a church, you’re most likely not in a real Greek town!!
Once you get to the old central part of Naoussa in the evening you’ll understand why we think it’s the only place to stay in Paros – it’s cute, it’s lively, it feels authentic but it’s also full of trendy little shops and cafes and beautiful young people from all over Europe.
Hotels In Paros Island, Greece
Here are some of our hotel recommendations:
- Parian Boutique Hotel – this is where we stayed and we really enjoyed it. It’s beautiful and modern but with a traditional Greek flare. The downside is the hotel does not have a pool
- Villa Irini features beautiful views and a rooftop pool but is often fully booked
- Yades Suites – another great place for beautiful views and a great value for money
- Joseph Studio – under $100 per night and it still has a pool
- Hassouri Vasso – more on the budget side but a great location
Airbnb is also a great option. Sign up here to get up to $45 off your first booking.
The Charm of Naoussa
Every morning we had breakfast at the same place – a cute little cafe called Sousouro. The food was delicious and healthy, the orange juice – freshly squeezed and the yogurt with nuts and fruits was the best we’ve had. We loved sitting at the outside tables right on the narrow street, people-watching and trying to imagine what it would be like to live here.
After a couple days we started feeling like we got to know the neighbors and became part of the community. There was an old lady that swept the street in front of her house around the same time every day. She stopped and verbally expressed her frustration to herself every time she had to pick up a plastic bottle or some other trace left by Naoussa’s vibrant nightlife.
There was an old man with a very distinct cough who opened up the restaurant across the street every morning. We named him Nikos. I was worried about his health and Yinon about his personal life. We noticed he was nervously pacing back and forth one evening. He was fixing up his shirt and notably did wasn’t smoking. So we started speculating that he might be waiting to meet a lady.
She showed up minutes later, of course, and “Nikos” became visibly more excited than we’ve seen him in the past few days. We moved our attention back to our own table before we started feeling too nosy though. It was fun pretending to be gossipy locals for a bit. Funny how this place draws you in so quickly!
Something For Everyone
The best thing about Paros (and Greece in general) is that it can suit many vacation styles. If you want to travel with your family, there are great family-friendly hotels and beaches for the kids. If you want to go out with your friends to trendy places, there’s plenty of exciting nightlife. And if you want to have a relaxing romantic trip but with still enough places to eat out and drink, this is your place. This was our first big trip as a couple and also a meet-the-parents trip for Yinon so we really appreciated the versatility of this place. No one was ever bored or left with nothing to do.
Some of my favorite spots in Naoussa were Linardo, bar Kosmos, Come Back and any of the tavernas by the marina. We also loved walking along the same little street with bright white stairs lined with contrasting orange floral pots.
There are a couple of beaches in Naoussa. They are not the most amazing greek beaches but the water is clear and blue and they are not too busy. But we ended up going off the beaten path and exploring some areas beyond the public beaches. We ended up finding some beautiful rock formations and our own little puddles to bathe in. The exact location doesn’t even matter because you’ll find lagoons like these pretty much anywhere around Paros.
Explore The Island Beyond Naoussa
Naoussa was by far our favorite town so we spent most of our time there. We left the last day of our trip open as we wanted to visit at least one other town. So we decided on Lefkes. We rented a car in Naoussa and it was easy to reserve it for the following day. There were a few rental places in the central part of town near the marina.
Lefkes is a quaint little mountain town, about a 20 min drive from Naoussa. Its streets are narrow, blindingly white and there is not a living soul around. There is a big church in the central part of town with amazing views of the area. But we were more interested in exploring the off streets around town. This is not a town you’d want to stay in. It’s not near the beach and there are not a lot of restaurants or hotels. But it’s still worth exploring if you want to see a more authentic Greek town and how people in this area really live.
There is an endless supply of beautiful and under-explored islands in Greece, and Paros is just one of them. If you are debating between Santorini/Mykonos and trying out something different, I would encourage you to go with the latter. The main draw of Paros for me is that special Naoussa vibe. You won’t know what I mean until you experience it yourself. If you end up going be sure to drop me a line and let me know your thoughts!!
Do A Day Trip To Another Island
AND you can still do a day trip to one of the most popular islands from Paros. There are regular ferries from Paros to Santorini and Mykonos that will take you there in just a few hours:
- Paros to Santorini – duration is between 2-3 hours
- Paros to Mykonos – duration is about 45min
- Paros to Naxos – duration is about 25min
We highly recommend doing at least Santorini, especially if you’ve never been. Read more about our thoughts on Santorini here.
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Wow!! I absolutely love this post!! I would love to visit with my husband and children. Thanks for sharing. I have to say also, I am ABSOLUTELY in love with all your photos. Not only the beautiful places but the art and perfection behind them, and the editing just blows my mind!!!! I aspire to edit photos like this! Do you have anything else with editing tips here on your blog? I found your IG page and your mini tutorials have taught me so much! We went to Aruba last month and tried to put all the tips to “work” and it’s so much harder than it looks!! Well can’t wait to see more posts and thanks for sharing!
Author
So glad to hear that!! Nothing on editing here yet, but I will be writing more about that soon :)) It can be overwhelming but all I can say is keep practicing! It took me a few years to figure out all of those little tricks and tips to make my photos better. But at the end of the day, if you stick to it and keep trying, eventually you’ll get there
Hello Katerina! First of all your pictures are incredibly amazing!! I’m planning a trip to Greece next summer. I will be spending my time island hoping and Paros is definitely on my list. Would you happen to remember, more or less, how to get to the location where you took the first picture (thumbnail pic of this blog post) with you and Yinon sitting on the small white wall underneath the bougainvillea tree? I’m aware it’s in Lefkes. I can’t wait to go. Keep up the great work!
-René
Author
Hi René, to be honest I don’t remember exactly but Lefkes is so tiny you won’t have a problem finding it. We just wandered around the streets aimlessly. If you walk around the main streets you’ll stumble across this spot pretty quickly 🙂
Hi Katerina!
My boyfriend and I just booked our trip to Paros and your post helped confirm that we made the right decision. Would you recommend doing a day trip to Mykonos or Santorini if we are staying in Paros for a week?
Author
Ahhh that’s so exciting, you’re going to have so much fun! We really love Paros so much 😀 Make sure you stay in Naoussa!
We didn’t do a day trip while we were there but I think there are some pretty fast ferries to Santorini so if you get the chance definitely do a trip there. Especially if you haven’t been before, it’s really worth the hassle, it’s such a special place. Can’t really speak about Mykonos because we’ve never been but I hear it’s more of a party scene so I doubt there’s much to see there that you can’t find in Paros.
Enjoy 🙂
Our Airbnb is UNREAL and in Naoussa, we hit the jackpot! I think Santorini will be our day trip over Mykonos. Thanks so much for your help!
Could you please share your Airbnb spot? I’m planning our holiday so good suggestions are welcome! 😀
Ashley
Could you send a link to the Airbnb you stayed at on Paros?
Great post! My family will be visiting in late August, this is going to be very helpful! Thank you
Which hotel did you stay in Paros? 🙂
Author
Just updated the article with where we stayed + a few more recommendations
Hi Katerina, your pictures are so amazing it’s truly a pleasure!
Paros is a pretty nice island, charmful and peaceful even in full season it’s still delightful. I love walking in those pretty streets such quiet, even after a few years living here it’s still a real emotion.
Thanks for your article, It made my day!
Author
Ahhh so glad to hear that love! thank you so much for the kind words 🙂
Hi Katerina,
Your pictures are truly spectacular!!! I’m just wondering how you take photos with your boyfriend if its just the two of you? Do you use a tripod or just ask who ever is around to take the picture?
I’ve heard of cameras getting stolen in more touristy spots so I just want to be safe! Thanks and I love your posts 🙂
Author
Hi Taylor, we wrote a post on this with exact details on how we set up our camera etc. You can read it here:
https://stayclosetravelfar.com/5-tips-for-taking-great-travel-couple-pictures/
Hope that helps :))
Dear Katerina, your photos and stories are very beautiful. I am very thrilled! Me and my friends are going to Paros, Naoussa on end of June. Our hotel is very near to Naoussa beach. Do you recommend Naoussa beach? or we should search hotels somewhere else? Also what do you recommend to visit in Naoussa? You will help me and my friend a lot! Thank you in advance. Best, best wishes to you from Georgia!
Author
Hi Ana, I don’t remember a beach called Naoussa so I’m not sure. But as long as you’re staying near the old town in Naoussa you should be fine, it’s such a small place anyway. The beaches in Paros are like any other beaches in Greece – nothing amazing but nice and chill. And here at least you have sand, which can be rare in Greece haha
Hi Katerina, I’m in love with your blog and your photos. Absolutely stunning! We will be in Naxos in August and after reading your post about Paros, I realize that we absolutely can’t miss it. I have two questions: one about those 30-min ferries (seajets) – are they too bumpy? Or should we stick with the heavier blue star ferries that take 45 min to get there to avoid getting seasick? And would you recommend a car? And my other question is about your fashion 🙂 would you mind sharing what designers you are wearing? The dresses are so gorgeous. Thank you in advance~
Author
Thank you Masha! We’ve been on Seajets ferries, they are a little bumpy but we didn’t get seasick. Not sure how sensitive you are to that. It was fine for us.
If you are planning on being in Naoussa (and that’s enough really 🙂 only then you probably don’t need a car. If you want to go to other small villages on the island, then you can just rent a car for the day from Naoussa. That’s what we did!
My dresses are from Tularosa, Chicwish and Lovers + Friends
Hi! I just have found your site while looking for info about Santorini (my next Greek island). I also have seen this post about Paros (one of my Greek islands last summer) and I would like to add Parikia as a nice place to stay (and much cheaper than Naoussa). We stayed at Apollon Boutique Hotel and it’s a charming option for budgets under 80 EUR per night (mid.September price). Some other nice and picturesque places in the island (besides Lefkes) are Marpissa and Marmara. Thanks for sharing all this info, guys!!
Author
Yes, we heard Parikia is nice to stay in as well 🙂 On our second visit to Paros we also visited Kostos village, which was really cute too.
Glad you enjoyed our favorite island!
Paros is a great place to be. That’s why I came here 15 years ago and I am still here.
Author
Wow, we are jealous 😀
Wow! This is such a beautiful article, Once any read this article, thet can’t control to visit these places. thank you for this one….
Hi Katerina,
What time of year did you visit?
Author
We were there in June 🙂
Reading this made me so happy! I LOVE Paros! My mom and I went a couple years ago and I had never heard of it before so I didn’t really have any expectations and was actually kind of wishing we were going to Mykonos instead, but after staying there I would go back 1 million times. It was just as you described it. I loved that it didn’t feel touristy and that you felt like you were just a local. Definitely one of my favorite places I’ve been so far!
Hi Guys !! You guys are a saviour when I was searching how to cover Oia, as I didnot want to stay there. Please tell me which transportation to take from Paros to Oia ?
Author
It’s best to take a ferry – I think there are fast ones that only take 3-4 hours 🙂
Hi Katerina, your pictures are so amazing it’s truly a pleasure!
Paros is a pretty nice island, charmful and peaceful even in full season it’s still delightful. I love walking in those pretty streets such quiet, even after a few years living here it’s still a real emotion.
Thanks for your article, It made my day!
Author
Glad you liked it Antonis 🙂 It’s our favorite Greek island
helpful loved your tips about paros It’s great thank you so much, greetings from Morocco
So helpful!!!! My friends and I are planning a beach week trip to Paros and Mykonos and cannot wait! I am interested in the hotel you stayed at in Paros. Would you say it had good access to the beach? We’re looking for really any hotel but especially one walking distance to the beach.
A fresh of breath air…..Paros!
We are going to Paros this summer July 2020 and we can’t wait! I also enjoyed all of your travel expressions! You are a delight!
Could you kindly let me know the ID # or e-cards description of where you got your summer dresses from? I LOVE the blue & white off the shoulder dress! Wowwwwzerrrs!
Thank you for your kind attention
Vasso
Author
Hey, the white/blue one was from Chicwish and the pink is from Tularosa 🙂 Enjoy Paros!
Oh no! I’m assuming your trip got canceled, ours did.
Hi. In Paros now, can you let me know where those beautiful lagoons are at?
Author
Hi Jessica, look for the Thinking Rocks on the map near Naoussa and it’s around there 🙂
Dear Katerina one of my travel dreams is to visit New Zealand. I hope very soon covid go away and people all over the world be able to return to normal life.I live in Athens and when the summer begins I be I’m patient to visit my summer house near the sea in Paros island.Good bye Katerina!
Hello Katerina
I am from New Zealand the best place to live right now with the current Covid crisis. I have been to Greece 4 times, my Dad was born on the island of Ithaca …… very beautiful. We would have been traveling to Greece in 4 days time but sadly have postponed until things return to some normality. I am in awe of your blog, It is fascinating to read all your tips and suggestions. Just love it all. I will continue to follow you.
Take Care
Alison from Auckland, NZ 🙂
Author
Thank you Alison 🙂 Hope you make it to Greece soon!
Wow… that’s really impressive article. Paros is as beautiful as your pair guys. Lovely !!! After reading this article I have added Paros along with Santorini in my bucket list. I will definitely visit that place within a couple of years. I must tell you that your photography skills are amazing. The way you have captured photographs make this article even more eye-catching. Keep posting such amazing work and keep inspiring thousands like me. Thanks…
Hello,
My husband and I are planning a trip to Greece for next month in October. We wanted to know what places besides Mykonos and Santorini you recommend for a 2 1/2 week vacation? We are in our early 50’s, no kids, we like history and sightseeing. I like to shop and my husband doesn’t like to lay by the beach. Also, would you recommend visiting Meteora? Thanks for your help, MR
Wow… that’s really impressive article. Paros is as beautiful as your pair guys. Lovely !!! After reading this article I have added Paros along with Santorini in my bucket list. I will definitely visit that place within a couple of years. I must tell you that your photography skills are amazing. The way you have captured photographs make this article even more eye-catching. Keep posting such amazing work and keep inspiring thousands like me. Thanks…best beaches near orlando