We arrived in Paros on a late ferry and needed to collect our hire car, which needed up being problematical. 🤦‍♀️ GPS sent us down a very wrong narrow street which resulted in us smashing a side mirror on a parked car. After several minutes of tense negotiation, it was decided to settle with a half and half cost.

We finally arrived at our home for the next 5 nights and it has been delightful, very comfortable with sea and Mountain views.

We did an early morning walk to clear the head after after our drama with the car and found our local beach, a 8 minute walk with 2 tavernas which we thought would be good for a sundowner.

We were then in the car for our first venture out on the island of Paros. First stop was Kostos, a quaint village with a small population of only 200 , and 3 churches, and off the beaten tourist path and we loved it.

Next stop was Lefkes, and it is the village where you begin the Byzantine Path hike…..which we did. Lefkes was the original capital of Paros, built deliberately inland in the 17th century as a protected enclave from piracy. It worked cause we didn’t see any pirates! It was, yes, another white washed village with narrow cobbled alleyways….just the norm!😂

We fueled up with coffee and donuts to begin our hike. The Pathway is the oldest trail in Paros and goes from Lefkes to another village called Prodromos and is about 3 and a half kms one way, but of course for us it was 7 kms because we had to do the return journey. The trail is sometimes paved with marble stones but mostly it was a rocky dirt trail going up and down constantly.

By the time we had returned to our starting point, thirsty, hungry and very dusty, but satisfied that we had achieved our goal, we headed off to Piso Livadi for a well deserved lunch. The calamari and sea bass were both sensational and we ate at a lovely restaurant on the waterfront. It was a great way to finish off a tiring but lovely day.

The next day was declared to be a rest day after our strenuous hike the day before so we drove down to the port area called Parikia, it was a lot busier with both people and traffic than Tinos ever was.

One of the main attractions is the Church of 100 doors ( the Greek name is too long to write😂) It is said to only have 99 visible doors ( we didn’t try to count them) and the legend says that the hundredth door will only reveal itself when the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul becomes an Orthodox Church again. The interior was amazing with frescoes and paintings.We were intrigued by rows of metal plaques throughout the church with legs, arms, eyes, babies, etc etc. They are called “tamata” and are offered to the Virgin Mary as a prayer request or thank you for a miracle that has occurred.

We wandered around and came across the Church of Agios Konstantinos in the old town and built in the 17th century. Nearby was the Frankish Castle of Paros built in the 12th century by the Venetians using marble from ancient Greek temples, that’s re cycling for you!

After all our wandering it was time to get out of the busy port area. We found a nice spot on the water to sit and hydrate with a nice couple of ice cold beers.

That night Greg cooked up a storm on the bbq at home. The grilled sea bass was sensational.

The following day we set off for a visit to Antiparos, a small island less than 2 kms from Paros Island, an 8 minute, one euro fifty ferry trip away. It said to be laid back , charming and full of character. Well it certainly was when we first arrived at 10:15. We wandered the narrow alleyways again with the usual white washed houses and bougainvilleas. (Sorry but there are more photos!!!)

The Church of Agros Nikolaos was built in 1703 and was originally inside the Antiparos Venetian Castle along with 5 other churches. Ramparts of the original wall are visible but that’s about all.

After we had wandered, we stopped for a beer and a bite of lunch. By this time hundreds were charging off the ferries so it was time for us to leave. Tom Hanks apparently lives on the island during the summer months. We did try to find him but failed miserably! 🙄

We changed into our bathers when we got home and went first to check out a church on a headland next to our little home. We then stopped off for a quick dip at a nice quiet beach for a refreshing dip, although some found it a little cold…..not us.😂

Next day we headed off first to Naousa, and it’s classed as “ the most stylish and developed village “on the island. Of course we had to check it out. We wandered the very picturesque old port area with loads of fishing boats with their fresh catch of the day displayed.

It is known as party central , and we understand why by the number of tavernas in town. We were very happy we visited in the morning!👍 There were, of course, the usual white washed houses and churches tucked around every corner.

As it was our last day on Paros we decided we should have a swim and do lunch so we made our way to Kolymbithres beach, famous for its smooth granite like rock formations, and it’s crystal clear turquoise water. First we needed lunch so we headed to a beachside taverna. The grilled calamari and octopus were both delicious and fueled us up for a swim.

Then into the magnificent water. It was sensational, so clear and in such a spectacular setting. The best swim so far.

So that’s the update from Paros. Tomorrow it’s an early start for a VERY LOOOOOOONG ferry trip to the island of Milos for another 5 night stay. The weather has been great. Usually mid to high 20’s and around 20 overnight, just perfect.

So it’s yia sou from us.

Lots of love

Greg and Rhonda.