JUNE 2024
I was fortunate enough to visit Paros during the shoulder season; I visited at the beginning of May, just before the big tourist season was about to kick off. It felt like such a luxury to explore this majestic island without the crowds, something which thus is still possible on Paros! Visiting during the off season comes with some downsides as well, I will explain everything you need to know in this blogpost. And if you are looking for activities for Paros, I have got you covered as well!
Where we stayed
We stayed at the Bohemian Luxury Boutique Hotel, which is a little adults only hotel located at the edge of Naoussa. Because we traveled off season we were able to book a room for € 150 per night, including breakfast. The service at the Bohemian was very personal and we felt completely spoiled during our stay. Beds were made every day, we received chocolates on our pillow and we were upgraded to a more luxurious room… The breakfast was a la carte, had lots of healthy options and the produce was incredibly fresh. The Bohemian has a little lounge area at the swimming pool, which was decorated super stylishly. I did notice that prices increase incredibly over the summer periods, with the cheapest room being € 400 per night, which I find quite excessive…. So I was happy that we got to stay in Paros in May! The hotel also has a few cars that you can rent and we rented the cutest little Fiat 500 Cabrio to explore the island for a day. Such a fun addition to an already great stay!
Things to know about traveling Paros during the shoulder season
Besides having a more affordable stay in the shoulder season, there actually are many more advantages to it. I have previously visited Santorini in May and even then there are lots of crowds… this is not the case in Paros. Paros is still relatively undiscovered and you can have the best experience during the shoulder season. These are the things you need to know:
No restaurant reservations needed: We never made restaurant reservations and always got the best seats. One of the most popular restaurants in Paros is Sigi Ikthios, which is located in the old harbor. During summer it can be quite hard to find a table, but in May we had all the choice in the world. We were also able to snag a seaside table at Statheros restaurant without a reservation.
Public transport is great: If you stay in Parikia or Naoussa the public transport options are quite good, so no need for a rental car every day. We went to Antiparos with public transport, visited villages and used it to get to the harbor of Parikia. Public transport is cheap and reliable. During the high season, there actually is a lot of traffic on the island, the bus is less reliable and you might not be able to get on.
You can park your car everywhere: We rented a car for the day and were able to park for free at every location that we visited. During the high season you have to be at the beaches early to find a parking spot, so you must be aware of that.
Popular photo spots are quiet: I did not encounter Instagram queues at picturesque hot spots. If you see me sitting lonely underneath a bougainvillea, that is because I was actually sitting alone, and not because there was a queue behind the photographer. We could easily take pictures at Linardo’s, the bougainvillea corner house in Lefkes and in the old harbor of Naoussa.
Boats run less frequently: If you want to visit Kolymbithres beach, the easiest way is to take a boat from Naoussa. However during the off season these boats only go a few times a day, so it requires some planning. When we visited there were no boats going all the way up to Monastiri beach. The timetables for the boats can be found in Naoussa port.
Beach clubs aren’t always open: We walked all the way to Fanari Beach Club in Antiparos, just to find that it hadn’t opened yet. While driving around Paros we noted that several beach clubs were still closed in the beginning/middle of May, lots of them were still being painted for the new season! So do some research before you venture out all the way to a beach club.
It can be super quiet: I love quiet, but sometimes quiet is too quiet. Parikia and Naoussa were pretty lively in May, but we hardly encountered any other tourists in Lefkes and Marpissa, which was kind of strange. The amount of shops and restaurants that were open in the smaller towns was very limited, so be wise and pick Naoussa or Parikia as your homebase during the off season.
Weather can be sketchy: The Cyclades are known for their winds and Paros is no exception. Even though the temperatures are usually nice in May and October, the winds can be an issue. I was happy our ferry from Athens to Paros wasn’t canceled, but the ride was far from smooth. We had our ferry canceled from Milos to Santorini in May before… was happy that wasn’t repeated. In my pictures you can see that we had some really sunny days, but also clouded ones.
Paros activity guide
We stayed on Paros for 8 nights so were able to pack in lots of activities!
Naoussa: Naoussa is the cutest harbor town on the island and it is where we based ourselves. The little alleyways are full with trendy restaurants and original stores, definitely the best spot in the island if you want to do some shopping. You can walk up to the little Venetian Castle that is located opposite the old harbor and get the best views over the town.
Parikia: Parikia took me by surprise. We were looking for an activity during a windy day and took the public bus to Parikia. If you walk up to the Frankish Castle, you immediately see the most picturesque part of Parikia. If you are sick of all the pretty whitewashed buildings and bougainvillea, you can also do a coastal walk to a windmill. In the windmill you will find Alexandros Cafe, which apparantly is a good spot for sunset, but it wasn’t open during the day.
Moraitis wine tasting: Moraitis is the most famous winery of Paros. You can give them a call if you want to do a wine tasting and tour. It is a good activity for when the weather isn’t great, but it also gets booked fast during those days.
Marpissa: Marpissa got famous for the “house with the pink door”, but is an overall lovely visit. Super quiet during the off season, as there isn’t a lot to do, besides that it is really pretty! Charoula’s tavern is a great spot for lunch!
Lefkes: Lefkes is a little village that is located in the hills. You get the best views over the island from Lefkes. It has an impressive church with the cutest taverna opposite it. You probably know Lefkes due to the “bougainvillea corner house”, which is just as pretty as in the pictures.
Daytrip to Antiparos: We hoped to go to a beach bar in Antiparos, but were too early in the season. Antiparos is even more sleepy than Paros and has that typical beach holiday village feel… I ended up doing my shopping in Antiparos as there were lots of great stores selling original items and linen clothing.
Daytrip to Naxos: A few times a day there is a € 15 ferry that visits Naxos from Paros. It only takes 45 minutes to get to Naxos, so why not bring a visit? We spent a few hours in Chora and were surprised to find it very different to Paros. Naxos attracts hikers and art lovers and this shows while visiting the town. The stores were less trendy and we saw lots of art & crafts stores. It is also less upscale and fancy, definitely a good combination with Paros! The views from the Temple of Apollo are stunning!
Food: Paros is a real foodie heaven…. so much that the food on Paros deserved it’s own blog post, which you can find here.
Kolymbithres beach: Each Cyclades island has at least one special beach and Kolymbithres is Paros’s answer to Milos’ Sarakiniko. You can buy return boat tickets for € 10 in Naoussa port. Kolymbithres consists of huge rock combinations, some of which look like elephant’s feet. The combination of the grey rocks with the clear blue water is a spectacular sight. You can rent umbrellas at a section of the beach, or just find a good rock for your sunbathing.
