We took the fastcat ferry from Santorini to Paros, via Ios. Paros's busy little port in the capital Paroikia belies the calmness and peacefulness of the island of Paros. At whichever destination we arrive we are asked 'where have you travelled from'. In Paroikia, as soon as we answer 'from Santorini' the replies invariably are 'oh! busy, busy' or, 'you will find Paros is very different!'.
Paros is more than different. It's the other end of the spectrum. It's quiet and laid-back and gentle and calm. After eight days in Paros, and its little neighbouring island Antiparos, we've decided that it's perfect. Paradise, actually. It has signature Cycladic architecture - white cube shaped homes with rounded white chimney pots and archways draped with bougainvillea and jasmine - dozens of beautiful beaches and coves, mountains, villages, thyme-scented hills, beautiful tavernas, vineyards and olive trees and the warmest and friendliest of locals.
From the port we collected our rental car in Paroikia and drove around the south coast to our destination at Chryssi Akti. We're staying in a villa by the beach, run by Pedros and his extended family. The family taverna is attached and Pedros' father, (the second Vassilis we've met this trip), is responsible for all the cooking. We sit under the stars on the taverna terrace at dinner on the first night and watch people arrive from all directions for a dinner table. Vasillis's cooking is well known, it seems. One by one, everyone is encouraged to visit the kitchen and see what has been prepared before making our menu choices. The fish, the meat, everything is so fresh and tempting. Other guests staying here are from France, Italy, Scandinavia, but English is the common language. Over the days we are here I hear more than a couple of guests ask for the moussaka recipe, so we had to ordered it one night. Oh, the flavour!
Vassilis' cooking isn't the only wonderful thing about Paros. The beautiful little harbour town of Naoussa on the north is a colourful port of wooden fishing boats and caiques, drying octopus catch and gouna, a tangle of stone-paved white alleys lined with traditional white homes always with blue shutters, romantic restaurants, shops, and relaxed colourful cafes (with tavli boards).
The meltemi wind picks up in July and August and Paros becomes a windsurfing mecca. It's only just the first few days of July and we experience two days of relatively mild meltemi, so instead of boating we took the opportunity to explore the island. The meltemi is loved and feared. Loved because it keeps the scorching summer temperatures a little cooler, and feared because it can cause havoc with ferry schedules and yachting.
During our days on Paros we drive up a mountain as far as we are able, and walk the final path to the old monastery of Agios Georgios, built during the Venetian rule. The 360 degree view is quite something. Tiny Paros once had 35 monasteries, now only five remain active. They were all build in remote locations, on hilltops and mountains with panoramic views.
On our way to visit the beautiful mountain village of Lefkes, the island's highest village, we stop at the ancient marble quarry that provided the marble for Napoleon's tomb. Lefkes is a charming pedestrian village. We park at the top of the village and walk down to the cathedral, exploring the alleys on the way. The paths and alleyways of all the old villages are the same - stone and painstakingly hand-painted white around every stone.The beautiful cathedral of Agia Triada sits at the lower end of the village and the houses and alleys seem to form a kind of amphitheatre around it. The square in front of the church is full of bougainvillea, and the gorgeous Kafeneio Marigws was a shady and cool place to sit and have a cool drink. It was so inviting we stayed for hours, playing tavli, and ordering small plates of home-cooked mezes. We stayed until the sun set then, as the lights turned on, we found or way back up through the village to where we had left the car.
We took a boat from Aliki to swim in some of the coves and beaches. It was a stunning day, not a cloud in the sky, and the water in the hidden coves and swimming spots was again crystal clear tourquise. We keep pinching ourselves at the beauty we are experiencing in Paros, and day dream of how we can move here to live here for a whole year :)
Paros is home to the oldest church in Greece, the Byzantine Panagia Ekatontapiliani, or the Church of 100 doors. Legend says that only 99 doors have been found, and when the 100th door is found Istanbul will return to the Greeks! I'm not sure about that.
A baptism was about to begin when we visited Ekatontapiliani. It was lovely to watch from the stone gallery high above the huge silver baptismal font. In the adjoining 4th century BC chapel a wedding was being set up, and coincidentally, as we drove home to Pedros' villa we had to stop as a funeral procession being led by the Orthodox priest made its way through the town. It was a lovely day of observing local life in beautiful Paros.
We took the 1euro ferry over to Antiparos where we spent four nights in this little paradise. It's tiny and we hired a moto to scoot around and discover its beauty. The Cave of Antiparos, with its breathtaking stalactites, stalagmites, 400-odd steps and ancient graffitti courtesy of such names as Lord Byron and King Otto of Greece; the fish tavernas on the south coast at Agios Georgis; the windmills; and the beaches. Tom Hanks and Madonna have villas on Antiparos. As we moto-ed around it was easy to pick out which homes they might be.
On Antiparos we had some of the best Greek food to date. A standout was agapi mou's lamb kleftiko. It was the day's special menu item, and he enjoyed it so much the taverna owner undertook to make it again for him the next night. Now, to try and replicate it at home......
Paros (and little sister Antiparos), we think YOU may be the jewel in the Cyclades crown.
Paros is more than different. It's the other end of the spectrum. It's quiet and laid-back and gentle and calm. After eight days in Paros, and its little neighbouring island Antiparos, we've decided that it's perfect. Paradise, actually. It has signature Cycladic architecture - white cube shaped homes with rounded white chimney pots and archways draped with bougainvillea and jasmine - dozens of beautiful beaches and coves, mountains, villages, thyme-scented hills, beautiful tavernas, vineyards and olive trees and the warmest and friendliest of locals.
From the port we collected our rental car in Paroikia and drove around the south coast to our destination at Chryssi Akti. We're staying in a villa by the beach, run by Pedros and his extended family. The family taverna is attached and Pedros' father, (the second Vassilis we've met this trip), is responsible for all the cooking. We sit under the stars on the taverna terrace at dinner on the first night and watch people arrive from all directions for a dinner table. Vasillis's cooking is well known, it seems. One by one, everyone is encouraged to visit the kitchen and see what has been prepared before making our menu choices. The fish, the meat, everything is so fresh and tempting. Other guests staying here are from France, Italy, Scandinavia, but English is the common language. Over the days we are here I hear more than a couple of guests ask for the moussaka recipe, so we had to ordered it one night. Oh, the flavour!
Vassilis' cooking isn't the only wonderful thing about Paros. The beautiful little harbour town of Naoussa on the north is a colourful port of wooden fishing boats and caiques, drying octopus catch and gouna, a tangle of stone-paved white alleys lined with traditional white homes always with blue shutters, romantic restaurants, shops, and relaxed colourful cafes (with tavli boards).
The meltemi wind picks up in July and August and Paros becomes a windsurfing mecca. It's only just the first few days of July and we experience two days of relatively mild meltemi, so instead of boating we took the opportunity to explore the island. The meltemi is loved and feared. Loved because it keeps the scorching summer temperatures a little cooler, and feared because it can cause havoc with ferry schedules and yachting.
During our days on Paros we drive up a mountain as far as we are able, and walk the final path to the old monastery of Agios Georgios, built during the Venetian rule. The 360 degree view is quite something. Tiny Paros once had 35 monasteries, now only five remain active. They were all build in remote locations, on hilltops and mountains with panoramic views.
On our way to visit the beautiful mountain village of Lefkes, the island's highest village, we stop at the ancient marble quarry that provided the marble for Napoleon's tomb. Lefkes is a charming pedestrian village. We park at the top of the village and walk down to the cathedral, exploring the alleys on the way. The paths and alleyways of all the old villages are the same - stone and painstakingly hand-painted white around every stone.The beautiful cathedral of Agia Triada sits at the lower end of the village and the houses and alleys seem to form a kind of amphitheatre around it. The square in front of the church is full of bougainvillea, and the gorgeous Kafeneio Marigws was a shady and cool place to sit and have a cool drink. It was so inviting we stayed for hours, playing tavli, and ordering small plates of home-cooked mezes. We stayed until the sun set then, as the lights turned on, we found or way back up through the village to where we had left the car.
We took a boat from Aliki to swim in some of the coves and beaches. It was a stunning day, not a cloud in the sky, and the water in the hidden coves and swimming spots was again crystal clear tourquise. We keep pinching ourselves at the beauty we are experiencing in Paros, and day dream of how we can move here to live here for a whole year :)
Paros is home to the oldest church in Greece, the Byzantine Panagia Ekatontapiliani, or the Church of 100 doors. Legend says that only 99 doors have been found, and when the 100th door is found Istanbul will return to the Greeks! I'm not sure about that.
A baptism was about to begin when we visited Ekatontapiliani. It was lovely to watch from the stone gallery high above the huge silver baptismal font. In the adjoining 4th century BC chapel a wedding was being set up, and coincidentally, as we drove home to Pedros' villa we had to stop as a funeral procession being led by the Orthodox priest made its way through the town. It was a lovely day of observing local life in beautiful Paros.
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| Fishing boats and wooden caiques in Naoussa's old port |
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| Naoussa - the cafe by the church |
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| Morning catch - octopus and gouna drying in the sun |
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| Our favourite taverna in Naoussa. |
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| Pedro recommended that we might like to visit Kalogeros beach which is just a small cove at the end of a dusty track. The rocks at Kalogeros beach are clay, and for a wonderful natural spa treatment, just add some sea water to the rocks, then apply the mud all over, let it dry (takes 3 minutes in this hot weather), then dive into the cool, crystal clear sea. Your skin will be silky soft. When we arrived at Kalogeros we saw this single sign warning that passing boats can cause large and intense waves. They certainly do! No worse than a dumping in the Australian surf, but certainly unusual in the Aegean beaches we've visited. It was lucky we were in the water when the waves arrived as the beach is only a couple of meters wide, and being dashed on the clay rocks wouldn't have been anything like a spa treatment! |
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| This is Paros from our boat as we puttered around the coves and bays. |
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| One of Paros' many secluded swimming locations |
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| Seriously beautiful swimming! |
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| Aliki harbour taverna |
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| Typically Cycladian. White cube-shaped, arch, stone, shaped chimney pot, shutters always blue. We never tire of the variety of their shape and form or the uniformity of their blue and white colour. |
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| Paros is home to artists and ceramic artists. This is Atelier Noe Ceramics. Beautiful handmade pottery displayed in and around the shady garden. |
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| Massages and a pedicure in Paros! We treated ourselves to a massage, and I also to a pedicure. I loved the stone foot basin. |
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| In Cycladian villages the stone paths are handpainted white around every stone. It is so pretty. |
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| The beautiful stonework of Panagea Ekatontapiliani. The church was built with no bell tower, so the bells are simply hung in the tree at the front of the church. |
We took the 1euro ferry over to Antiparos where we spent four nights in this little paradise. It's tiny and we hired a moto to scoot around and discover its beauty. The Cave of Antiparos, with its breathtaking stalactites, stalagmites, 400-odd steps and ancient graffitti courtesy of such names as Lord Byron and King Otto of Greece; the fish tavernas on the south coast at Agios Georgis; the windmills; and the beaches. Tom Hanks and Madonna have villas on Antiparos. As we moto-ed around it was easy to pick out which homes they might be.
On Antiparos we had some of the best Greek food to date. A standout was agapi mou's lamb kleftiko. It was the day's special menu item, and he enjoyed it so much the taverna owner undertook to make it again for him the next night. Now, to try and replicate it at home......
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| I didn't photograph the famous lamb kleftiko (or his ecstatic reaction to its taste), but I did feel the need to photograph this tender, delicious squid :) |
