Greek Island Adventure - Part 7 Final Chapter - Paros

Rest stop along our walk in to town

We arrived in Paros early evening and made our way to the Akrotiri Hotel, our final stop on this incredible Greek Adventure.  We were both tired and CS had a bit of a headache (heat & travel) so we had a lite bite at the hotel, showered & hit the hay early.  The next morning we got up and went down to breakfast.  We met two ladies that had been in Paros for a week.  We chatted and got great tips from them about Paros.  Based on our conversation with them, we walked in to Parikia (main town on Paros) .  It was about a 25 minute walk, but mostly down hill from the hotel (coming back would be all up hill, but that would be much later!)  Based on our conversation with the two gals at breakfast, we decided to take the bus in to Naoussa.  The bus system here is very basic and easy to access.  From Parikia to Naoussa cost 1.80 euro.  We had read that Naoussa is one of the prettiest & most authentic villages in the Cyclades, so of course we wanted to see it!

Port of Naoussa

Naoussa is built around a tiny picturesque port where colorful fishing boats call 'caiques' moor and the remains of a Venetian castle are still there to be seen.   There are small taverns & ouzeries boarding the port creating a friendly and fun atmosphere. The bus dropped us off at the end of the block where the main square is.

We wandered a bit around the shopping area, which is made up of a labyrinth-like narrow winding streets,  white washed buildings, and tiny churches.  Charming !

We were starting to get a bit hungry and looked for the nearest place to grab a bite.  CS had a guide book page on the village of Naoussa and one of the food recommendations was for a place called 'Ragoussis Bakery & Eatery'. (https://ragoussisbakery.com)


We were reading this as we walked along the port - looked up and we where almost right in front of the place!  Seemed like a sign, so in we went!  Oh, and how happy we were that we did!!  This bakery has been in business since 1912.  Yes it is the most amazing bakery but also has a salad bar and hot food bar that is phenomenal!  We ended up eating Lunch & Dinner there and came back again the next day!  Love, Love, Love this place and the people working there are so pleasant and hospitable.
We spent the rest of our afternoon exploring this charming town before taking a bus back to Parikia and then walking back to our hotel.  A very enjoyable day.

water taxi to Antiparos

On our second full day in Paros we make an excursion to Antiparos, a short ferry ride across the bay.

The beach at Antiparos

You step off the ferry at the village of Antiparos, a traditional cycladic village of whitewashed buildings and narrow paved streets.  We strolled around the village enjoying the sites and sounds.  We stopped by the bakery to pick up a nosh, then jumped on a bus to head to the beach.  This island is famous for its beaches & crystal clear water.  There is a bus that does a loop out to all the beaches.  It is bright red - get your tickets on the main drag in town at the travel center that sells tickets to tours and attractions.  The bus drivers are very friendly and helpful, just ask them if you are not sure where you are going.

There are two ways to get to Antiparos - there is a small water-taxi that charges 5 euro to take you across - 7 to 10 minutes.  But it is only available based on the wind.  The larger ferry, the one that transports cars & cargo is big enough to go in pretty much any wind.  We were able to catch the water taxi over, but had to catch the ferry coming back.  As we headed back to Paros at the end of the day, we saw many kite boarders enjoying the wind.  I must have counted a dozen or more.  Since we had to take the ferry back to Paros, it lands at a different spot in the town of Pounda, we had to catch a bus back in to town.  Its a short 15 minute hop, no big deal.

For our final day before we had to start our journey back to the USA, we decided that it should be a relaxing beach day.  Since we had not rented a car on this island, we would have to take the bus to where we wanted to be.  We had not yet been to the beach at Santa Maria, which we had read was a lovely beach.  We found that we could take the bus to Naoussa then transfer to another bus that would take us to Santa Maria.

our private cove at Santa Maria

Santa Maria Beach is in Plastira Bay and is a long coastline divided in two soft sandy beaches. The water is crystal clear with a view of Naxos.  There are plenty of sun beds, umbrellas and water sport facilities for windsurfing, diving, paddle boats, etc.  A par of sunbeds with umbrella is $20.  There is a bar/restaurant for beverages & snacks.

We walked past the first beach and explored all the way down the shore.  We found a beautiful quiet spot to hang out and have lunch, which we had packed and brought with us.  There were some beach chairs in the cove that were left there by who knows, but we enjoyed them :-)

CS on Santa Maria Beach - No Filter!

After lunch we headed back to the main beach and enjoyed our last hour playing in the amazing clear blue water.

Santa Maria Surf Beach - no I am not standing in a pool!

Pano of Santa Maria Beach, just so amazingly clear water

Around 4:30 it was time to catch our buses back to Parika and to our hotel to start the painful process of packing up to begin the long journey home.

FYI, Paros does have a small airport, so we flew Paros to Athens, then on to London.  We spent the night in London and then headed back to the good ole USA.

This was the most amazing Greek Adventure and I hope you enjoyed reading about our trip.  If you are planning a trip to Greece and have questions - please don't hesitate to reach out and ask.  I did so much research and learned so much during this trip that I feel qualified to answer questions about Greek Islands travel. :-)

Until Next time, Travel Safe
Susan