Paros
Central Cycladic Island Of The Panagia Ekatontapyliani, Naoussa Harbour, Windsurfing Beaches And The Marble That Carved The Venus De Milo · Parikia, South Aegean
Paros sits in the middle of the Cyclades and works as their hub: more ferry routes meet at its port of Parikia than almost anywhere else in the islands, which makes it the natural base for hopping to Naxos, Antiparos, Mykonos, Ios or Santorini. It is also a rewarding island in its own right. Parikia holds the Panagia Ekatontapyliani, the church of a hundred doors, one of the best-preserved early Christian churches in Greece, and a Venetian Kastro wall built from the marble of an ancient temple. Naoussa, on the north coast, is a fishing harbour turned fashionable resort; Lefkes, in the hills, is a quiet whitewashed village linked by an old Byzantine path to the east coast. The windsurfing beaches of Golden Beach, the granite shapes of Kolymbithres and the ancient marble quarries, whose pure white stone is said to have carved the Venus de Milo, round it out. Honest caveats: August is crowded and loud, Naoussa's bars and restaurants are expensive, and the meltemi can disrupt ferries and beach days in high summer.
Paros, Cyclades; Parikia port town and the fishing village of Naoussa; ferry hub for the central Cyclades; Antiparos by short ferry from Pounta, Parikia, South Aegean, Greece
An island, open all year. Beaches, villages and the Byzantine path are always accessible. The Panagia Ekatontapyliani is an active church, usually open daily from morning to evening, with a quiet break in the afternoon at times - dress modestly. State museums keep Ministry of Culture patterns: long summer days, shorter winter hours, closed on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday and 25-26 December - confirm current hours. Many hotels and beach businesses run roughly April or May to October. Reach Paros by ferry from Piraeus or Rafina (roughly 3-5 hours) or by a short flight from Athens. Book August ferries and rooms well ahead.