Guide: Greece - Paros - Steph Ventures

Paros has a little something for every type of traveler: delicious food, beautiful beaches, daytime activities like hiking and windsurfing, and a vibrant nightlife.

Where to Stay in Paros

Naoussa: trendy, delectable dining & nightlife

Naoussa, is trendy and luxurious compared to the main port of Parikia, and was an absolute gem to stay in. Naoussa has the perfect mix of fine dining, casual restaurants, scenic views, and cocktail bars lining the sea. As for nightlife, Naoussa is where the party is at, with plenty of clubs and bars open until sunrise. There are also several nearby beaches in Naoussa – Monastiri (organized, our favorite beach in Naoussa) , Laggeri (clothing optional), Piperi (unorganized, 2 min walk from our hotel). After spending 6 days in Paros I would 10/10 stay here again. We stayed at Paliomylos Spa Hotel, which was a 10 minute walk to the main downtown of Naoussa (close enough to the action, but far away for a peaceful evening at night). I still don’t understand why this is a 2 star hotel on Google, I would give it 4 stars. Maybe the standard rooms are small? We upgraded to a King room with an ocean balcony view for $250/night. The hotel had a pool, the room was very clean, had excellent views of Piperi beach, the complimentary breakfast spread was out of this world delicious, and most of all the staff was extremely friendly & helpful. They even connected us with a bike rental company that dropped the bike off right in front of the hotel. Our experience was 10/10.

Parikia: the capital of Paros

If you are arriving to Paros by ferry, it will drop you off in the port of Parikia. Parikia feels much busier than Naoussa, and more casual. We took a day trip here to explore and it was fun getting lost in the maze of alleyways and shops. This is a great option if you want to be walking distance to a large organized beach, Livadia & have multiple restaurant and bar options that line the waterfront. There is also a lot of history in Parikia, including the Frankish castle and head statue of Alexander the Great.

Antiparos: for a low key beach escape

If you’re looking for a relaxing, slower paced vacation, then Antiparos might be the right choice for your Greek vacation. Antiparos is small island accessible via ferry from Paros. While we did not get a chance to visit during our stay, it was recommended to us by many locals. This small island is perfect if you are trying to escape the touristy port of Parikia, and enjoy a peaceful day or night(s) near the water and take in the natural surroundings. Fun fact: Tom Hanks owns a villa here

There are also many beach towns and villages to stay in Paros if you want to immerse yourself in the local culture or opt for a more low key vacation.

Getting Around Paros

We arrived to Paros via plane from Athens and had our hotel schedule a taxi pick up from the airport. I definitely recommend getting your taxi pick up set up in advance so you can grab your bags and head out immediately. Our driver told us that during peak season travelers can sometimes wait up to 1 hour just to get picked up from the airport if they don’t have a taxi booked in advance.

For getting around the island, I highly recommend RideMoto. They have a HUGE selection of new scooters, motorbikes, and ATVs. (Note you need an International Driving Permit with a motorcycle endorsement to rent a motorbike in Europe, otherwise you can rent an ATV). They were also super flexible when we asked to extend our bike rental. Out of the 3 bikes that we rented on each island, this one was our favorite and it cost us $40/day. While renting a car is also an option If you prefer not to drive, taxis are available in Paros and you can ask your hotel to call one for you at a certain time, but this typically ends up being more expensive than renting a car.

Beaches in Paros

1. Monastiri (organized – reservation recommended) – an excellent organized beach in Naoussa, 12 min ride from our hotel, and part of Paros Park (good for hiking). Monastiri is a bougiee beach club with a full restaurant and bar for dining.

2. Santa Maria (organized – no res needed if you get there before 12pm) – this was a beautiful sandy beach and a 12 min ride from our hotel.

3. Golden Beach (organized) – great for wind surfing , a long stretch of beach with multiple beach clubs. We went to Sal Y Mar beach club.

4. Kolymbithres (unorganized) – this beach is apparently famous for its rock like formations, but we found it underwhelming and ended up going to Monastiri instead

Dining & Nightlife in Paros

Reminder: For the best restaurants you NEED a reservation to get seated for dinner between 8-10pm in July/August

Best restaurant for authentic Greek dishes – Yemeni Wine Restaurant (Naoussa) $$$ – Every dish we ordered was incredible, but definitely order the Moussaka! (It’s not pictured because it was so delicious and I forgot to take a photo before we ate it)

Best fine dining/romantic restaurant – Stou Fred (Parikia) $$$$ – this restaurant is in a hidden garden in Parikia, and only has 1 seating per night so a reservation is definitely required. It was a very intimate experience, with a 5 course menu & wine pairing. The head chef Fred comes out each evening to stop by every table, introduce himself, and speak with his guests on which dish was their favorite.

Best seafood restaurant
1) Taverna Glafkos $$$ – you can only get a reservation by calling, or if you go there you can possibly make a reservation for another night during your trip. If you go here please tell the owner Erato & her husband that Stelios & Stephanie say hello 🙂

2) Statheros (Naoussa) $$$ – seaside views & fresh fish; order the calamari stuffed with Feta, you won’t regret it

Wine Tours: Moraitis Winery (Naoussa) $$ – to my red wine lovers, do yourself a favor and venture out and order the rose/white wine flight! I typically prefer red, but this winery is where I started my journey to enjoying white wine in Greece

Sisterhood Naoussa Paros – ok this one is not a restaurant, but a SUPER cute boutique for clothes and souvenir shopping. It’s conveniently located in the middle of Naoussa (in between Yemeni Wine Restaurant & Fotis All Day Bar if I remember correctly). If you go please tell Anna & Maria the two owners that Stephanie & Stelios say hello 🙂

Other restaurants that were recommended to us, but we didn’t get to experience:

Naoussa – Almond (brunch), Souvlaki Kargas (gyros), Soso (greek/mediterranean)

Parikia – BeBop (cocktails & tapas), Cafe Symposium (breakfast), Ela (Mediterranean)

Clubs: Naoussa comes alive in the night time regardless if it’s a weekday or weekend. Start at Linardo for cocktails and house music, then Agosta for remixed top club hits. Barbarossa looks packed and crazy but it’s all Greek music just FYI. There is no cover for these clubs which is amazing and people are hopping around the street until 6am. ITS SO FUN. We stopped at Pita Frank for a late night gyro before heading back to our hotel which hit the spot.

People hanging outside the clubs at 4am in Naoussa

Activities & Things to Do in Paros

Spend a morning/afternoon relaxing at some of the beautiful beaches listed above
Spend a day getting lost in Parikia and exploring the capital
Wine Tour at Moraitis Winery
Ride motorbikes or ATVs to the other side of the island (Alliki – the fishing village, Piso Livadi, and experience the local culture)