Our Island, Paros

Our island of great beaches, lively towns and ancient sites has too many charms to list or even summarize.  Experienced island hoppers often list Paros as their favourite.  Browse through our web site to find what attracts you.

Beaches

  Look through our list of major beaches to pick your favourite. 

  Read about nude and topless beaches in Greece HERE

We have photos scattered around our web site as well as in our Gallery.

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Windsurfing & Kite Boarding

Pounda Beach (Antiparos) is known as the kite boarding capital of Greece.    Windsurfing facilities are also available there as well as the east side of the island..  If you are not the athletic type, it is exciting and beautiful to watch from one of the bathing beaches or the terrace of one of our nearby villas.  The two sites below have great photos and further information.

Paros Kiteboarding Center -- Local boy George Georgoudakis and his crew know how to make the learning process fun and exciting as will as instill confidence.  IKO affiliated.

Paros Kite Pro Center -- Also IKO affiliated instruction plus a full range of other water sports.

Bit of Salt - THE full service board shop on the island.

Fanatic Fun Center - Windsurfing center in Golden Beach, the island's East side.  

Paros Surf Club - Operating at the New Golden Beach and the Santa Maria beach. 

Paros Weather Forecast, Greece

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Other Water Sports

You name it; Paros has it.  We have our favourite spots for snorkeling; with a little exploring you can find your own as well.  For the child in you there are water slides, banana boats, water skiing, peddle boats, et cetera.

Scuba Diving is big here.  Our friends have used Eurodivers and were quite satisfied.

• Eurodivers Club - Welcome to Eurodivers Club on Paros. Scuba diving in the Aegean sea and PADI certified instruction.  Snorkeling excursions on a Greek caique as well.
• Aegean Diving College - Centre for marine-environmental education on Paros.
• Octopus Sea Trips - Scuba holidays with field programmes for everybody interested in the Aegean Sea, its history, culture and marine environment. With events, application form, pictures and links.
• Paros Diving - Information on diving and diving courses on the island.

Some Other Paros Activities

• Ekatontapyliani of Paros, Church of a Hundred Doors - Learn about and view photos of one of the oldest maintained Christian temples. Founded by Emperor Constantinos in the 4th century and featuring a unique cross-shaped marble Baptisimal Font. Online sales of books.  Read more about Orthodox Easter on Paros and Christmas in Athens and on Paros.

• Kokou Riding Center - Find out about tours for beginners and experts all year around and meet the 23 horses available.
• Yoga - Plan your own program or join a group.  Expert teaching on our island.
• Tao's Retreat - "For us, Tao's is about the art of life management in our age.  A place, where simple Tao meets the sword of Zen in a Zorba way, under the teaching of Nissim Amon."

  

 

• Eddy's Greek Cooking - A truly unique cooking school taught in a mountainside farm house.  Read what Karin wrote about it   here
• Paros Dance Academy - The largest floating parquet dance floor on a beach in Europe.  Read more   here
• Press Your Own Olive Oil - We worked out a cooperative scheme with some local farmers to share their harvest in November.   See the feature story and pictures in Greece for Visitors, then contact Michael & Karin about your arrangements for this season.  (You have to look carefully at the bottom of the story for the link to the photos.)

• Wine - While Greek wines tend to be noted more for their low price than their high quality modern winemakers are producing better vintages all the time.  Paros has two major wineries; the Farmer's Union and Moraitis family.  Both conduct tours and tastings upon arrangement.  You can taste the wines and other Paros products in a shop on the main town square.  Read More about island wines.

 

• Walking - Paros is a great island for walkers--that includes Antiparos. There are a few off-road foot paths and a great many unpaved back roads.
  
  This photo is of our favourite: out our door, through Aliki and along the coast to the North. We usually go about 15 minutes out to a nice beach that has a lot of shells and other flotsam and jetsam. The more intrepid can walk all the way to the Pounda ferry port, I'm guessing about 6 km.
  
  Many people like the history-laden Byzantine Trail between Lefkas and Podromos--mostly down hill.
  
  Foxy, a walking hobbyist from the UK, has recently added several pages about walking on Paros to their web site. It includes several walks and plentiful photos.
  
  Other friends from the UK who belong to a walking club there and live part of the year here are setting up guided walks. So if you either want to bring a group or come on your own and be on your own e-mail us for helpful information.
   

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Museums

 I have been negligent in researching the numerous museums on our island.  Most are small and ran by private organizations.  The exception is the Archaeological Museum of Paros which is open year around and contains excellent examples of marble statues and other antiquities found in the vicinity.

The best of the historical museums is in Aliki near the airport.  The Folkloric Museum of the Cyclades is mostly the work of one man, Benetos Skiadas.  We highly recommend a visit to his diverse collection of old Greece re-creations.  His daughter, Katerina has also put together a web site jammed full of old family photographs of life on Paros before tourism:  http://www.benetos-skiadas-folkartist-paros-gr.com/

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Art and Artists

Our island is teeming with art and artists of every description.  Yet there is always room for another plate at the table.  In fact the communities growth becomes mutually supporting and enhances the environment for the professional artist as well as the visitor just browsing past the galleries.  So if you like art drop by, you may end up staying awhile.  Read More Here  Includes a list of local galleries.

Michael & Karin host Paros Art Workshops.

More links to the local art scene on Paros, Page Two

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For transportation alternatives to reach Paros, please see our Greece information page.

Parikia has a free public bus that circles the main town of Parikia.  It runs about every hour during the day but I haven't figured out the timing because it is faster to walk than to wait for it.

P.S.  We have many friends in the hotel business on Paros.  Let us know what you are looking for and we will try to match you with the best rooms for you--
Including private villas at a reasonable price.

 

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