Summer in the Greek Islands
There’s something magical about summer in Greece. The islands offer a perfect getaway with stunning food, beautiful beaches, and charming towns filled with quaint shops. The picturesque white houses adorned with blue shutters, along with the painted pathways that wind through the towns, enhance the enchanting atmosphere. Moreover, the islands are very safe; we have always felt comfortable allowing our children to explore independently starting around the age of eight.
However, choosing the right island is crucial. Renowned destinations like Mykonos and Santorini are stunning but can be overwhelmingly crowded due to the influx of cruise ship visitors—sometimes several thousand a day. If you’re planning a week-long trip and thousands of tourists fill the streets daily, it can diminish your experience. In contrast, there are quieter, less-visited islands such as Paxos, Anafi, Syros, Symi, and Ios. These smaller islands allow you to familiarize yourself with all the beaches and dining options quickly, which could either help you feel like a local or lead to boredom.
We have found Naxos and Paros to be the perfect middle ground—small enough to be free of cruise ships, yet large enough to keep us entertained. Paros boasts two well-sized towns. Over the years, we have visited Naxos four times (you can check out my recent blog post about it) and Paros five times—two of which were extended stays and three day trips from Naxos via ferry.
Traveling to (and from) Paros, Greece
Our travels to Paros have been via both ferry and airplane. On one occasion, we began our journey in Bodrum, Turkey, took a ferry to Kos, Greece, went through Greek/EU passport control, and then took a van across the island to the airport (we had booked a car and driver in advance). From Kos, we flew to Athens and connected to a flight to Paros. We departed Bodrum at 9:30 AM and arrived in Paros at 4:40 PM, with three hours spent in the Athens airport.
For all our other trips, we have arrived by ferry from Naxos. For departures, we either took the ferry back to Naxos or flew out from Paros Airport. On our first trip, we flew to Athens, spent the night there, and then continued our journey. Last summer, we flew from Paros to Thessaloniki and then on to Zurich.
If you find yourself staying overnight in Athens, I highly recommend booking a hotel in the Plaka district, which is located near the Acropolis. You can take the metro from the airport to the city center, but we generally opt to spend a little more for a private transfer arranged in advance (George is excellent!). On our most recent visit, we stayed at Home and Poetry. The location was superb, and the boutique hotel pleasing, although it was somewhat inconvenient that our two rooms were on separate floors. Note: Wandering around Athens made us miss the islands! There were simply too many tourists everywhere. Regardless, visiting the Acropolis and Parthenon is always exciting, especially in the late afternoon when it’s less crowded.
Parikia or Naoussa – Where to Stay on Paros
When on a Greek island, our preference is to stay in the main towns that offer a variety of restaurant options, easy beach access, and safe areas for our kids to explore independently. I prefer to avoid renting a car if possible; it’s much more convenient to walk everywhere rather than navigate parking hassles with a small car already filled by our family of five.
As mentioned earlier, Paros features two main towns: Parikia and Naoussa. For our day trips from Naxos, we always stay in Parikia because it offers excellent shopping and great lunch spots. However, when we stay for several days, we prefer Naoussa. It has a lively evening atmosphere, a decent beach, and we love dining by the water.
During our first visit, we chose the Paliomylos Hotel based on its family-friendly layout. Our apartment featured a master bedroom, a second bedroom for the kids with two beds, a spacious living area, and a kitchen. It was only a two-minute walk to the beach and about five minutes to town. Breakfast was included each morning and was delightful. We appreciated the staff, who were always helpful in securing dinner reservations and guiding us on getting around. The hotel even had a reasonably-sized pool, which we used a couple of times.
For our second long stay, we opted for Alexandros Apartments, which was chosen for its room arrangement (we had only two kids with us) and cost. It’s located right next to Paliomylos. While it doesn’t have a pool, the service and breakfasts were exceptional, and our room provided fantastic views. Theo helped us arrange a rental car (with nearby parking). On our last morning, we had an early departure and Litsa set up an entire breakfast spread for us at 6 AM—impressive!
What We Did in Paros
Naoussa
We spent a considerable amount of time at the beach near our hotel (Piperi Beach) and exploring Naoussa. Usually, we walk into town for lunch and dinner, allowing us to spend hours wandering, shopping, and eating. The sunrise is also a fantastic time for a stroll. Pro tip: if you take the beach route to town from either apartment, you save some time, and it’s much more enjoyable than the road route.
Parikia
We’ve taken the bus to the other main town, Parikia, several times for shopping and lunch. It’s always enjoyable to wander around, shop, have lunch, and enjoy ice cream.
Note: We boarded the bus to Parikia near our hotel and purchased tickets from the driver (1 Euro each). For the return trip, we bought tickets at the ticket booth near the main bus station in Parikia before boarding (90 cents each). These prices are from a few years ago. On this trip, we used our rental car to get to Parikia.
Lefkes
Everyone recommends visiting Lefkes, situated in the center of the island, so we decided to rent a car and drive over. It’s a charming little town, but quite small. You won’t need more than an hour to explore everything, including time for a drink at a café. It’s worth a stop if you’re driving around the island, but I wouldn’t suggest going through the trouble of renting a car just to visit Lefkes.
Antiparos
With our rental car, we decided to take the ferry to Antiparos (literally opposite Paros) for a day trip. We fell in love with Antiparos and highly recommend spending the day there.
The car ferry is just 20 minutes from Naoussa. We arrived just as they were finishing loading the ferry and barely squeezed our Fiat Panda into the last available spot—manual transmission and no backup camera, rolling up a ramp into a small space. It was tight! Since we couldn’t get out to buy tickets, the ticket agent came over to us. The ferry ride was quick; upon arrival in Antiparos, we were the first car off.
My son discovered a beach online, Faneromeni Beach, and navigated us there. The last couple of kilometers of road were rough, but our little car managed just fine. I wouldn’t necessarily advise taking a small rental car if the roads are bad, as you could easily get stuck. Regardless, this day turned out to be our best beach day in Greece. We didn’t encounter another soul the entire time! It was a breathtaking setting with beautiful waters for swimming.
Afterwards, we drove to Antiparos Town for a late lunch, where we found Manos Taverna on the main pedestrian walkway. It comes highly recommended! After lunch, we took some time to wander around Antiparos before catching the return ferry to Paros. Fortunately, there were far fewer cars returning, so it was easier to park and back up into our spot.
Paros Restaurants – Where We Ate
We haven’t had a single bad meal on Paros. Just take a stroll, check out the menus, and perhaps look at reviews on TripAdvisor or ask the staff at your hotel. Most restaurant menus offer similar options, including fish, squid, zucchini balls/fritters, meatballs, tzatziki, and possibly pastitsio.
Here are three restaurants in Naoussa that particularly stood out:
Taverna Glafkos
We have enjoyed two lunches and two dinners at Taverna Glafkos over the years. We love the beautiful setting right on the beach, along with the delicious food and great service. My kids highly recommend the ravioli, while I am fond of their squid. Truly, everything is excellent.
Soso
Soso is known for being difficult to get a reservation at, and we finally managed to dine there on our last night in Paros during our first trip. It did not disappoint; the menu changes daily!
Yemini Taverna
Yet another popular spot for reservations is Yemini Taverna. We happened to walk by just as they opened and sweet-talked our way into a table, despite being fully booked. Dining on the sidewalk is delightful!
For dessert, we indulged in loukoumades (honey donuts) most nights from To Paradosiako (Το Παραδοσιακό), a must-visit location right in the heart of town.
Taverna Alexandros (Parikia)
In Parikia, we particularly enjoy Taverna Alexandros, located by the water. Everything on the menu is delicious!
Naxos vs Paros
A common question I get is: “If we can only visit one Greek island this summer, should we choose Paros or Naxos?”
Both Paros and Naxos are wonderful options, especially in summer, and both are far better than many islands that host cruise ships. However, we lean toward Naxos for several reasons:
- Naxos Airport is close to town and our hotel (Nissaki Beach Hotel), while on Paros, it is 45 minutes away from Naoussa.
- The ferry terminal in Naxos is within walking distance from our hotel, even with luggage. Conversely, the ferry on Paros lands in Parikia, requiring a bus ride to Naoussa.
- We prefer the beach near our hotel in Naxos, where the calm, shallow waters are perfect for kids.
- The walk to Naoussa is quite busy, making us uncomfortable with our kids walking alone between the hotel and town. If you stay at Paliomylos or Alexandros, there is an opportunity to take a more tranquil route via the beach; however, Naxos feels generally quieter and more straightforward. Our kids can freely visit Naxos Town on their own in the evening to get ice cream.
- In Paros, we often required restaurant reservations for several nights, but in Naxos, we’ve always been able to dine wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted. Plus, there are several great dining options just one or two minutes away from our hotel in Naxos, which isn’t the case on Paros.
Also, the iconic temple (Portara) near Naxos Town adds to the overall charm, and we enjoy walking up to the castle for drinks at sunset.
On the flip side, the Nissaki Beach Hotel is significantly more expensive than Paliomylos Hotel or Alexandros Apartments on Paros, for similar family setups, which can add up quickly.
I should mention that both islands offer many more accommodations. In Naxos, popular spots include Agio Prokopios and Plaka Beach, while in Paros, Aliki and Golden Beach are favorites, along with Lefkes for hiking in the center of the island. However, we prefer to stay in one central location with everything within walking distance. If you’re comfortable with a rental car and staying in a smaller beach town, your experience on both islands will differ from ours.
Finance
Several years ago, the nightly rate at Paliomylos Hotel was €225, breakfast included. Our apartment at Alexandros Apartments was €386/night with breakfast. Meals for our family of five typically ranged from €60 to €100. We paid €40 per day for our rental car, while airport transfers to/from the hotels cost €60 each way (arranged through the hotels). A private transfer from the ferry to Naoussa is €30. For our family of five, flights from Kos to Paros totaled around $900, and the cost from Paros to Athens was just under $500. Additionally, George’s transfer service in Athens charged €70 each way. Lastly, we booked two rooms at Home and Poetry for $403 for one night.
Feel free to share if you prefer Paros over Naxos! Just make sure to explain why.
