Views of Paros 🇬🇷🏖️

We absolutely LOVE Paros. We’ve been twice, in 2019 and 2024, and it’s one of those islands I would happily keep going back to. Paros has definitely become more popular and more touristy over the years, but it still has that beautiful Greek-island feeling I love: whitewashed villages, little winding alleys, gorgeous water, beach clubs, fabulous restaurants, fishing boats and people wandering the streets late-night.

If I had to describe the difference between the islands, Santorini is where I want you to stare at the view and be romantic, Naxos is where I want you to settle in, enjoy the town  and live a little, and Paros is where I want you to beach, nap, wander, shop, eat and PLAY. 😂 It has a little bit of everything.

Where to Stay — Naousa or Parikia? 🤍💙

The two main town areas you'll hear about are Naousa and Parikia. Parikia is the island’s main port town, so if you arrive by ferry, this is where you'll land. It has the waterfront, restaurants, shops, nightlife and those little winding Greek streets you want to get lost in.

But Naousa is my favorite. ❤️ This is the beautiful Greek town you’ve been picturing in your head. There's a little harbor filled with fishing boats, white buildings, blue doors, bougainvillea, restaurants, boutiques and bars tucked into tiny pedestrian alleys. You have no vehicle access through it because that's the whole point. Turn down the little streets. Go into the shops. Stop for wine or coffee. Find another street. Get lost. You will eventually find your way back. Probably. 😂

Naousa is gorgeous during the day, but I really love it at night. My perfect Paros schedule is beach during the day → home → shower → take a nap → head into town before sunset. That way you get to see Naousa while it's still light, watch the whole town change as the sun goes down, have dinner, shop and then stay for the nightlife. The Greeks go out late, so don't think you need to eat dinner at 6 PM.  At 6 PM, they are getting ready. 😂

Villas Are Amazing on Paros 🏡

Both times we went to Paros, we rented villas, it's great with a group. In 2019 we used Airbnb, but now I also recommend checkingBooking.com and then searching for the actual villa or property name to see if they take direct reservations. Sometimes you can get a better deal booking directly, and the owner gets more of the money too. Just compare cancellation policies and what's included before booking.

In 2024, because we needed several villas for our family wedding, we stayed atAcron Villas Paros and booked directly. It worked really well for a large group, but you definitely want a car if you stay there because you're up in the hills. That's something to remember when choosing a villa in Paros: the beautiful house with the ridiculous view may also be nowhere near the place you want to go for dinner. 😂

Lots of our guests stayed in the main town areas and loved that too. So decide what kind of vacation you want. If you want to walk out your door and be near restaurants, shopping and nightlife, stay closer to Naousa or Parikia. If you want space, privacy, a pool and views, look at the villas and rent a car.

Rent a Car 🚗

We've found having a car incredibly useful on Paros. It gives you the freedom to try different beaches, go into the villages and not spend your vacation trying to locate a taxi during the busiest part of the night.

Just remember you're driving in Greece. 😂 Roads can get narrow, dark and winding, parking around popular areas can be an adventure, and Google may occasionally introduce you to something it confidently calls a road that you would personally describe as an alley for a goat that definitely should not be a two way.

Don't try to imitate the local drivers. They've been doing this their entire lives. Take your time.

The Beaches 🏖️

Paros is a fabulous island for beach hopping because every beach has a completely different personality. One day you can do an organized beach club with chairs, umbrellas and someone bringing drinks to you; the next day you can find somewhere much more natural and quiet.

We went to Laris Beach Bar, and we loved it. The water was warm, shallow and calm, where you could float around and relax. We also went to Anemos Beach Club, where the sand wasn't that powdery white sand you might picture, but again, the water was warm and shallow and we had a great beach day.

We were also recommended to Golden Beach, but when we went it was very windy and the organized section wasn't our favorite. That doesn't mean I would never go again because wind conditions can completely change from one day to another. You can ask the locals what beach is best in that season. They know which side of the island is protected from the wind.

Kolymbithres Beach — This One Is FUN 😂🪨

We went to Kolymbithres Beach, and this is one I absolutely think people should see because it doesn't look real. It has these enormous smooth granite rock formations surrounding little sandy coves and beautiful water. It honestly looks like something somebody constructed for Disney or Las Vegas, except nature made it. 😂

It's especially fun with kids because there are all these rocks and little areas to explore, although obviously watch little ones carefully around rocks and water.

The chairs can be difficult to get if you arrive during a busy period. Greeks generally aren't doing the American 8 AM BEACH CHAIR OLYMPICS, so you don't necessarily need to be standing there at sunrise. 😂 But if you're a late riser and arrive when everything is full, another strategy is to go later—around early afternoon—as some people start leaving.

That's one of my favorite things about Greece anyway. You don't need to arrive at the beach at 8 AM and leave at noon. You can show up at 1 PM and stay for HOURS.

Greeks Know How to Do the Beach 🇬🇷🏖️

I've said this on every guide and I'll keep saying it: Greeks know how to do the beach. Depending on the beach, season and type of seating, you can often pay a chair fee or minimum spend and get two proper loungers, an umbrella, a table, bathrooms and food and drink service right at your chair. Some have restaurants, showers, rentals and water activities. Some even have buttons to call your server.

Meanwhile, in America, we're dragging chairs, umbrellas, coolers, towels, bags and enough supplies to survive for a week across hot sand. 😂 Greece says, Sit down. What would you like for lunch?

Bring sunscreen, your little portable fan and two towels—one to lie on and one to actually dry yourself with. Then settle in. Swim, eat, drink, read, nap, swim again and stay all day. The beach IS the activity.

Try More Than One Beach 🌊

Don't decide you've “seen the beach” because you went to one. The water, sand, wind and scenery can change completely around the island. One beach can have calm shallow turquoise water while another has waves and wind. One has sand; another has rocks.

Ask your hotel or villa host which beach they recommend that morning based on the wind. This tiny question can make the difference between an absolutely perfect beach day and spending six hours chasing your hat down the beach. 😂

Depending on where you're staying and what kind of beach day you want, I would also look at Monastiri, Santa Maria and Faragas, in addition to Kolymbithres and Golden Beach. Don't try to hit all of them just to say you did. Pick a few different ones and actually enjoy them.

Try a Boat ⛵🏴‍☠️

One of the fun things we've done in Paros was a pirate-ship boat trip. You could walk the plank and jump off the top of the boat into the water. It's completely ridiculous and SO much fun. 😂

And I have a very important piece of advice learned through personal experience:

Take your watch off before you jump off the boat.  I dove in and LOST MY WATCH.  The only reason I ever saw it again was because one of our wedding guests happened to be a junior Olympic water-polo player and somehow dove down and GOT IT.  What are the chances?! 😂  So enjoy the boat. Jump off it. Swim. Have fun.

Be Careful Booking “Private” Boats 🚤

This is something I want people to know because we saw it happen: read the cancellation and weather policy VERY carefully before paying private-boat prices.  Some operators may cancel or alter a private trip because of weather and offer space on a larger group boat instead. A group boat can still be wonderful, but that's not necessarily what you paid for.

Before booking, ask exactly what happens if the captain decides the weather isn't appropriate for your private trip. Do you get a refund? Can you reschedule? Is the replacement trip optional? Is there a price difference refunded?  Get the answer before paying.  If I'm spending private-boat money, I want to know exactly what happens if I don't get a private boat. 😂

Naousa at Night 🌙🍷

This is probably one of my favorite parts of Paros. GO TO NAOUSA AT NIGHT.

The harbor and little pedestrian lanes completely come alive. Restaurants fill up, shops stay open, bars get busy and people are everywhere. It's beautiful and energetic.

Go before sunset so you can see everything in daylight. Shop. Have dinner. Walk around. Have a drink. Shop some more because apparently shops become more appealing after wine. 😂 Then stay late.

And again: FLAT SHOES. Those beautiful little Greek alleyways are adorable until your heel gets caught between stones.

Where We've Eaten 🍽️

We ate at Apostolis Ouzeri and Axinos in Naousa, and had great food. One of my favorite memories was the whole napkin dance at the table. If you haven't experienced this yet, just wait. 😂 Everyone starts waving and throwing napkins around, music is going, people are circle dancing and suddenly your nice quiet dinner has become a Greek celebration.  It's a rite of passage.

This is why I don't want people scheduling every meal like a business meeting. Sometimes you need to sit down somewhere, order a bunch of food and let the night turn into whatever it's going to turn into.

Explore the Villages Too 🤍

If you have time, Paros has beautiful traditional villages inland too.  Lefkes is the former capital of Paros and exactly the kind of place I love exploring—white houses, little lanes, churches, cafés and beautiful views. It's a completely different feeling from the busy coastal towns.

I'd go for a few hours, wander without much of an agenda, have coffee or lunch and look in the little shops. This is where you get another glimpse of the older, quieter Paros that existed long before everyone discovered it on Instagram.

You can also explore places like Marpissa and Prodromos if you have a car and want to see more of the island.

Take the Ferry to Antiparos ⛴️

If you have enough time, consider spending part of a day on Antiparos. It's right beside Paros and easy to reach by ferry. It has its own little town, beaches, restaurants and a more relaxed atmosphere.

I wouldn't cram Antiparos into an already packed three-day trip just so you can check another island off your list. But if you're staying on Paros for five or six days, absolutely consider it.  This is another reason I tell people not to over-plan Greece. You may arrive somewhere and discover a little side trip you want to take.

Shopping 🛍️

I love shopping in Naousa. Wander through the little pedestrian streets and look for Greek designers, jewelry, linen, clothes, leather sandals, ceramics and artwork. There are beautiful boutiques hidden everywhere.  And don't rush. Go into the little stores. Talk to people. Find something made in Greece rather than grabbing the first generic souvenir you see.  This is also why I tell everyone to bring a collapsible extra bag to Greece.

Coffee, Nap, Repeat ☕😂

By the time you reach Paros, you should already be fully committed to Greek coffee culture. There is always somewhere to get a freddo cappuccino or freddo espresso, and sitting outside drinking coffee while people-watching is absolutely a legitimate vacation activity.  And Paros is PERFECT for embracing the Greek schedule. Beach in the morning and afternoon, long lunch, nap, shower, town, dinner, drinks, stay out late.

Everything happens later. Don't worry that you're somehow missing the day because you're taking a nap at 4 PM.  You're preparing for your second shift. 😂

Spend different days at different beaches, give yourself a boat day, explore Naousa and Parikia, drive into the villages and maybe take a trip to Antiparos.

Why We Keep Going Back ❤️🇬🇷

We've been to Paros twice, and I would absolutely go again. It has changed and become more popular, but it still manages to hold onto so much of what I love about a Greek island.

You can wake up in a villa overlooking the Aegean, spend the afternoon floating in warm water, have lunch delivered to your beach chair, go home and take a completely guilt-free nap, then get dressed and wander through a whitewashed fishing village until ridiculously late.

You can climb giant rocks at Kolymbithres, jump off a pirate ship, accidentally throw your watch into the Aegean, eat tomatoes that ruin US tomatoes forever, wave napkins over your head at dinner and somehow decide at midnight that now would be an excellent time to go shopping.