Why Choose Paros?

Most of the enquiries that I get are from people who have already decided to visit Greece and are trying to choose which islands to visit or just which villa or hotel is best for them.  So I am not used to presenting our island as a vacation/holiday alternative to other resort locations. 

What I will do on this page is give you a brief summary from my point of view.  Everyone has different interests; you can browse what is of interest to you throughout the site.

I was attracted to Greece for two basic reasons, the warm, dry climate and the opportunity to walk where civilized man walked more than 2,000 years ago.  We have stayed here for countless reasons centered around the climate, the low cost of living and that Greece is a modern, European country.  See an old article for an account of how the expat lifestyle started in the first place.

While the Acropolis in Athens is an ancient wonder that must be seen by any cultured person, Paros has traces of people more ancient than Athens.  Here we have numerous antiquities that you can wander and absorb the sense of the cultures that existed in the past.  Some of these sites are relatively remote but most are interspersed among the lively towns of today.  The reputation of Paros as a party island is gaining; it is the island of choice between the glitzy night life of Mykonos and the young, drink-until-you-drop, attitude of Ios.

Of course we live in the quiet village of Aliki noted for its old-timers and young families.  We have three beaches here but on Sundays and other special occasions we go to one of our favourites elsewhere.  No place on the island is more than 30 minutes from any other place.  The sandy beaches are uncountable; some catering to an active crowd (good for people watching), some small and isolated for just the two of you.

There are a few touristy sites to see on Paros but that is not the attraction. We frequently hear from guests that they had their best vacation ever; not due to the scenery but because of the atmosphere and attitude of relaxation, slow pace and calm comfort. I should mention the good food and drink as well. It all tastes better at a waterfront taverna with a gentle breeze wafting the sounds of the sea and smells of the grill. It has now been scientifically shown that Greek islanders live longer. This is attributed to eating locally grown food. We have villas in Aliki that include olive oil and vegetables grown by the owners.

Hopefully I have whetted your appetite to visit our piece of paradise on Paros. Please browse our site menu and review our offered accommodations and activities.

You can see photos and information about other Cyclades islands: Here

Ferry Routes and Schedules: Find Your Ferry

A while back we had a Paros friend suffer a heart attack in the Bangkok Airport. His medical bill was four times his total assets. He was fortunate, however, that his girlfriend who is a travel agent had insisted he purchase travel insurance before the trip. It even covered flying him back to Greece. The CheapoAir site includes a travel insurance option in all their offerings–as well as the pay later option. Plus they have a lowest price guarantee and real live people to help with customer service. Check them out.

 

 

 

While our heart belongs to our home island of Paros, Naxos is a big brother that we love dearly. Whenever we have time for a short break we head to this nearby neighbor–so close in fact that some people swim between Paros and Naxos.

Karin and I just got back from two days of touring Naxos. It was our post season break; we found it enjoyable and relaxing. We spend most of the time winding up and down the mountain roads and found it quite interesting to compare and contrast to Paros and the other islands that we have visited.

I have advised many travelers that Naxos is much like Paros except that the tourist facilities are all in a strip along the West coast. This is true in comparison to the islands of Mykonos, Ios and Santorini which are each distinctly different. But it is not complete in that Naxos does have a unique character in its mountain villages, its extensive agriculture and it’s relatively large central city.

Another time with Joyce, our visiting cousin, Karin and I took a one day excursion to Naxos. We have travelled around quite a bit on previous visits yet I was surprised how much mining activity I saw this time. Some of it current; some obsolete.

Included in our wanderings was Moutsouna, a beach town on the nearly uninhabited east side of the island. The mining history visible there reminded me of Crete as told in Zorba the Greek. At one time this was the world center of emery mining and export. Now you can get excellent fresh fish dinners surrounded by historical artifacts. Like this ski lift, . . . I mean ore tramway.

While Paros is known for the ancient marble used in many famous statutes, Naxos is a major source of construction quality marble to this day. Can you imagine the vast tons that are sawed out of this mountain? We also saw another mountain being dismantled but couldn’t get close enough for a picture.

Look closely for the large piece of machinery in the bottom center of the close-up photo for perspective as to the size of the pit. (It is on the first level of white.)

Another view of Naxos and the mines on a crisp clean October day. Taken from Tsoukalia on Paros.

So many photo opportunities get away from us. Here is one that didn’t.
We had just passed a marble cutting factory on the right and noticed their discard pile to the left. As we got closer we saw the small herd of goats sunning themselves in the late afternoon. They found us interesting to watch as well.

Riding the back roads into the isolated valley that holds the ancient Temple of Demeter I felt I was living a scene from countless movies that I saw as a child. We were the explorers searching for the treasure that was not visible to mere passers by. Then we found ourselves in a hidden valley lush in vegetation and at its center a magnificent temple.

It was quite interesting. This site is maintained by the Ministry of Culture so it has explanatory descriptions as well as a museum.