Where Mac Went

Paros

Day 1

We arrived to Paros from Mykonos on a SeaJets ferry around 12:30pm. This ferry port is much less busy than Mykonos or Santorini due to Paros being less of a touristy spot. It was easy to maneuver through the port and walk the 10 minutes to our Airbnb. The Airbnb we stayed at was so lovely and quaint, with it’s own garden and outdoor seating area. Paros is so quiet compared to Mykonos and Santorini – so this is the spot to go if you want to unwind, relax, and unplug!

We dropped our bags off at the Airbnb then quickly went to a local laundromat to wash some clothes. While we were waiting for the clothes to finish, we saw next door was an ATV rental place. Chris went in an asked how much it was to rent an ATV for the day and it was only €60 for the day plus gas to fill up before returning it. We would be going back here the following day to rent one.

Once we lugged our wet clothes back to the Airbnb, we hung them outside to air dry and wanted to get some movement in. On the Alltrails app, we found a road that takes you to the top of the island to a very old, historic church (Parikia – Agii Anargiri Monastery is the name of the hike on the app). From our Airbnb to the top and back was 3.2 miles with an 800ft in elevation. This took us about 1 hr 45 minutes to complete. The view was epic at the top, being able to see the island on such a sunny day.

View from the top of the hike

We showered and got ready for dinner after the hike. We didn’t research anywhere to go so we walked along the water where restaurants line the street. We ended up at Nice Too Meat You, for a steak dinner with a few greek appetizers – honey and cheese balls and greek salad for $58, including wine.

Day 2 – Full Day

We woke up for our only full day in Paros ready for some adventure and sightseeing. We started with a breakfast at Mana Mana, and I cannot say enough good things about this place. The quality of the food and the value was impeccable! For 2 coffees and 3-4 entree items was about $27! It was at this breakfast that a kitty friend climbed up on the bench I was sitting on and cuddled me the entire time – of course I gave him some food to munch on as well.

We went back to the ATV rental place called ParosEuropean Rent. For only €60, we got an ATV and helmets for the entire day to explore – this is an incredible deal! We Googled the best route to see the island and the best stops along the way. Our first stop was Alyki – a little fishing village. Here we watched local fisherman deliver fish to the local restaurants and prep them.

The next stop was Golden Beach. This beach is tucked away from any sort of crowd and we saw maybe 20 people total in the 4 hours we were there. We rented 2 beach chairs with an umbrella for €40 and ordered 4 drinks total for under €20. This is the place to go for complete relaxation and sun on a sandy beach. I can’t say enough about how amazing this beach was!

Kitty friend @ Mana Mana

Golden Beach

Alyki

Lunch in Lefkes

After many hours at the beach, we needed some food and headed toward Lefkes. We walked around the town that is situated on along a hillside with lots of shops, cafes, and restaurants. We parked our ATV and walked around. We ate a traditional Greek lunch of lamb gyros and Greek salad for €40 at Agnadio Restaurant on the hillside. We were the only ones there and had a fantastic view of the town.

We finished our sightseeing at the infamous Kolymbithres Beach, a beach known for its unique rock formations. This beach felt like another world! The rock formations are, indeed, unique and funky. We took a dip in the warm water once again and enjoyed the slow sunset. We filled up the ATV for €20 and returned it.

Day 3 – Leaving for Santorini

Paros was the shortest part of our Greece trip, but it was the best part. I truly can’t recommend visiting Paros enough! We went to Mana Mana again for breakfast for €35 before heading to the ferry. We also stopped at Ragoussis Bakery for baklava, breakfast pastries, and coffee for €8 since we had more time to kill waiting for the ferry. We took a Super Express ferry at 11am and arrived to Santorini in 1.5 hours. Whatever you do, please consider visiting Paros (or Naxos or Milos) when making your Greece itinerary, you won’t regret it!

Things to Note:

  • Paros is a small island – rent an ATV to see the island in its entirety at your own pace
  • There is public transportation, but we never used it as everything is mostly walkable
  • Rent an Airbnb to get a local feel as you will be fully immersed with locals in their neighborhoods- be respectful, of course!
  • There are so many stray cats in Paros (much like most of Greece) – we gave them treats and pets throughout the entire trip 🙂
  • The express ferry to Santorini is only 90 minutes compared to a regular ferry that can take up to 4 hours
  • This was a good spot to get some laundry done as it’s not very busy

Helpful Links

Kolymbithres Beach rock formations