With its stunning beaches, cobbled-stone streets, and picturesque villages with traditional blue-domed churches, Paros should definitely be on your travel bucket list. This 3-day Paros Itinerary provides you with the best things to do, my restaurant and bar recommendations, and travel tips to make the most out of your trip to this beautiful island. Although I have suggested 3 days here as it is likely your stop in Paros will be part of an island hopping trip, you could easily spend longer on this stunning island.
Paros is part of the Cyclades Islands in Greece and it resembles Mykonos with its blue-domed churches and white-washed buildings, but it is a lot less crowded than Mykonos, and it has its own unique charm. It is one of my favourite islands I have visited and should absolutely be a must-visit island for your Cyclades Island hopping trip!
How to get to Paros
You can get to Paros by Plane or by Ferry. Paros airport is very small, and flights only come from Athens to Paros so you would need to change in Athens.
If you are visiting Athens as part of a Cyclades Island hopping trip, the most common way to get there is by Ferry. You can fly into Athens, Mykonos or Santorini and then get the Ferry to Paros. I book all of my Ferry tickets using Ferryhopper, I would recommend booking these in advance. I have the ferry hopper app which made it really easy as all of my tickets for all trips were saved in one place.
Where to stay in Paros
I chose to stay in Parikia which is the Capital of Paros and it is where the Ferry port is. I chose this town because being by the Ferry port makes it really easy on travel days, and I am so glad I did as it is such a beautiful town, with some great bars and restaurants.
The most popular town to stay in is Naoussa, this is a really picturesque fishing village which has lots of amazing bars and restaurants.
If you choose to stay in Parikia you can easily get the bus to Naoussa, they run really regularly and until late, so I went to Naoussa on one of the evenings for dinner and drinks. The restaurants and bars did seem to be a bit more expensive here than in Parikia.
Day 1: Parikia
If you are travelling by Ferry, you will arrive in Parikia. On the first day, I would recommend exploring the Old Town. This is such a beautiful town, it is filled with cobblestone alleys, white-washed buildings, windmills, beautiful little shops and of course an iconic blue-domed church. You could stop for an ice cream at Vanilla Gelateria. Make sure to visit Panagia Ekatontapiliani Church, this is a historic Byzantine church that dates back to 326.
Then you can wander along the waterfront and get some lunch with a view of the port. I would recommend Taverna Mira which is a taverna overlooking the sea. Or you could walk a bit further along to Lavadia Beach and eat at 9 Beaufort Paros or Filoxenia.
Then I would suggest spending the remainder of the afternoon at Livadia beach which is the main beach in Parikia. It has some nice beach clubs where you can rent a sunlounger either for free or cheap if you buy food and drinks from there and lots of choices for bars and restaurants.
Then in the evening, I would suggest heading to Naoussa. This is a small but beautiful fishing village with lots of amazing bars and restaurants. You can easily get the bus to Naoussa and back from Parikia, they run regularly in the main summer months, until quite late at night, and you can buy your bus ticket from the bus station (in cash). You will be able to find the bus timetable here. I would suggest walking along the waterfront and then going for a cocktail at sunset and then head for dinner.
The best bars in Naoussa
- Barbarossa
- The Comeback bar
- Sommaripa
- AEOLI
- Trickster
- Fotis Bar
The best restaurants in Naoussa
- Sigi Ikthios
- Safran Restaurant
- Minoa
- Kargas
- Umi sushi bar
- Statheros
- Open Garden Restaurant
- Piatsa Estiatorio
- Ydroussa
I would also recommend getting the Loukoumades from “To Paradosiako”. These were unreal! You can then spend the evening wandering around the streets and looking in the boutique shops.
Day 2- Exploring Lefkes and the Beach
On day 2, I would start the day with coffee and breakfast at one of the cafes in Parikia. Here are some suggestions:
- Symposium Cafe
- Secret Cafe Bar
- Pagkaki Cafe
- Cosa
- Distrato Cafe Bistro
Then I would absolutely recommend visiting Lefkes. This is a beautiful, authentic village with cobbled-stone alleys, white-washed buildings and stunning churches. You can easily get the bus to Lefkes from Parikia. Make sure to buy your bus tickets before you get on the bus, you can get these from the bus station next to the port, and you will need to pay in cash. One of the most popular things to do in Lefkes is to walk the Byzantine Path which is a scenic walking route connecting Lefkes to Prodromos and Marpissa villages.
Then I would spend the afternoon relaxing on one of Paros’ beautiful beaches. If you are travelling to Lefkes by bus, I would recommend getting the bus back to Parikia and then walking or getting a taxi to Parasporos beach. This is a great beach, about a 35-minute walk from Parikia with lots of beach bars, with sun loungers you can rent.
If you have hired a car, there are several amazing beaches to visit including:
- Chrissi Akti Beach- this will be about a 10-minute drive from Lefkes and is one of the most popular beaches. It has lots of beach bars with sun loungers you can use, and the sea is shallow making it great for families.
- Kolymbithres Beach- this beach is well known for its unique rock formation and crystal clear water. It is approximately a 30-minute drive from Lefkes.
- Monastiri Beach- another great in a calm bay with a beach cafe and sun loungers you can hire. This is about a 30-minute drive from Lefkes.
In the evening, head to Bepop x Joomla rooftop bar in Parikia for a cocktail at sunset. This is such a beautiful bar and has a great atmosphere to watch the sunset. Then head for dinner in the town, followed by some cocktails.
The best restaurants in Parikia
- Cuore Rosso
- Stou Fred
- To Bountaraki
- Dionysos
- Koutouki
- Hellas
- Mana Mana
- Little Green Rocket
The best bars in Parikia
Pirates Bar- Evinos
- Chapters Bar
- Nemobar
- Booze n Tales
Day 3- Day Trip to Antiparos
On your final day in Paros, I would recommend taking a day trip to Antiparos which is a little island just off Paros that you can easily get to by Ferry.
You have to get the Ferry from Pounta first which takes about 20 minutes. You can get the ticket from the bus station next to the Ferry terminal. The ferry only takes about 10 minutes from here, and runs every half an hour. You buy your ticket as you get on the Ferry with cash.
When you arrive in Antiparos, the Chora is only a short walk from where the Ferry drops you off so I would head here first and take a stroll around. This ia really picturesque village with cobblestone alleys, a blue domed church and lots of little stores. Then head to Acaba for breakfast and a coffee.
One of the most popular things to do in Antiparos is to visit Antiparos cave which you can get the bus to from the town.
I decided to spend the rest of the day at the beaches in Antiparos. You can get the bus to the beaches in Antiparos from the town. The cost of a bus ticket is 8 euros for the day and with this you can get to the cave and all of the beaches. I went to Agios Georgios Beach first and had lunch on the waterfront at Captain Pipinos. Then I headed to Soros beach and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing at Soros beach club.
In the evening, you can choose to have sunset drinks and dinner in whichever was your favourite out of Naoussa and Parikia. I chose to spend my final evening in Parikia. You could head to see the sunset from Frankish Castle and grab a drink in Hops and Colours bar. Then have dinner at Cuore Rosso. I would also recommend getting your final loukoumades from Famiglia Crepes-loukoumades.
Other things to do in Paros
- Explore Piso Livadi– this is a small seaside village with some beautiful beachfront restaurants
- Visit Drios– this is a beautiful fishing village with a small beach and some lovely restaurants
- Sailing tour around the island
- Cooking Class
