Lost in Paros

Move over Mykonos. Paros was our first choice for the Greek islands.

We spent five days in the beautiful island of Paros, Greece

You could be forgiven for thinking that these photos were taken in Santorini. Paros shares some of the same whitewashed buildings, cobblestone streets and the vivid pink bougainvilea as the popular party island.

But hey, we decided to hit up Paros for three big reasons: it was supposed to be less packed, easier on the wallet, and closer to Athens. We were pretty pleased with our pick, even though we haven’t checked out Santorini yet to really compare. (Honestly, I’m just fishing for reasons to go back, so if anyone can convince me Santorini isn't to be missed, I'll book the next flight over!)

Ok, first things first- you need to catch the ferry to get over to Paros (or else be an incredibly strong swimmer.)

If you've ever dreamed of discovering your inner cow, this is your moment to shine as you are herded onto the boat like cattle. If mooing isn't your thing, just keep in mind there's some ouzo waiting to reward your patience on the other side. We used a website called Ferry Hopper to book our tickets, and apart from a long wait in the sun in a big crowd, all went pretty smoothly. The only stumble we had was that there were very limited taxi's available (and no rideshares) and the local bus was nearly an hour away by the time we arrived. Luckily, we were eventually able to snag a taxi (we shared one with some other girls waiting who were staying near us) but be cautious of cost as the taxi's are in high demand so the drivers seem to charge whatever they want. If you don't have suitcases like we did, it may be worth hiring a scooter from the port. If not, be prepared to get elbows (and wallets) out to get the first taxi you see.

There is a local bus, but we didn't really utilise it as we opted for hiring a scooter instead. Depending where you go, some companies will ask for an International Drivers Licence. Luckily, we had obtained one (for my husband, I can barely drive in Australia let alone in other countries). However, the Australian licence is stricter than other countries, and you need a motorcycle licence to drive above 50cc. We were assured this would be enough to get around the island easily enough. It was not. While we did eventually get everywhere we needed to go, we felt like we were crawling compared to the other scooters whizzing by

I'm sure other rental companies may be more lienent in regards to the rules (it is Greece afterall) but keep it in mind

We arrived about 9pm to our hotel, worried that it would be hard to find somewhere to eat due to the late hour. As our extremely friendly host assured us- "things will be open soon!"

Google says Greece is under the Eastern European time zone, but for some reason that means dinner is now at 11pm, breakfast at 1pm and lunch somewhere in between!

Luckily, I could eat Greek food anytime of the day. The fresh octopus, mouth watering souvalkis and creamy blocks of feta cheese was probably amongst our favourite food on the entire Europe trip.

WHERE TO STAY

We would highly recommend our accommodation- Votsalo Apartments

The whitewashed buildings and cobblestoned ground, complete with iconic Greek blue doors and window shutters, were exactly what we imagined.

The host was incredibly friendly and helpful.

The location was ideal- town was a short walk over the hill, and there was also a strip of shops close by including a delicious souvalki place, a scooter hire place, a pharmacy and a bakery.

https://www.booking.com/hotel/gr/votsalo-apartments.en-gb.html?aid=898224&app_hotel_id=576082&checkin=2025-06-19&checkout=2025-06-20&from_sn=ios&group_adults=2&group_children=0&label=hotel_details-Ktok9QM%401747016747&no_rooms=1&req_adults=2&req_children=0&room1=A%2CA%

THINGS TO DO

• walk to a local bakery for breakfast and try some Greek treats like baklava- filo pastry layered with chopped nuts and honey. I found bakeries were open early in the morning compared to many of the restaurants and cafes

• hire a scooter and go beach hopping.

  Our top picks:

  Monastiri beach

  This popular spot is busy and bustling with lots of families. The water we found incredibly clear, and can hire pool toys and also grab food and drink.

  Our favourite thing was nearby there is a blue domed monastrey St Johns Monastrey where you can get incredible photos of the whitewashed building, cute church bell and view. This is a photo spot more than anything- you can climb up to the top to get the iconic shots. We had the place to ourselves for the first fifteen minutes until other tourists caught sight and decided to join in.

  Kolympithres beach (panaromic mountain views, rock formations, no shade)

  This has stunning panaromic views of mountains and cool rock formations. The only downside was there is no shade apart from the beachchairs with umbrellas (which are pricey to hire). I would recommend going here either early in the morning and late in the day as it is really hot in the peak heat!

  Kalogeros beach (natural clay, mountain views)

  Get ready for a free spa experience- this beach is famous for the natural clay. Get the nearby rocks really wet and slather yourself in the grey clay that is supposed to be good for your skin, then rinse yourself off in the water.

• take a boat tour to antiparos- we did Captain Bens

• explore cute villages nearby.

  Marpissa

  This was a very quiet, non touristy village that we strolled through. There isn't a huge amount to "do" persay, but it does allow for some nice photos down the cobblestone streets. Would recommend not doing what we did and accidentally locking our keys in scooter, as the main activity we did was to try to find a way to get back!

  Leftkes

  We didn't make it to Leftkes due to the above scooter issues, but have heard this mountain village is also worth checking out!

MUST TRY FOODS:

• dolamades - these stuffed vine leaves make the perfect appetizer

• grilled octopus - you can see your dinner early in the morning hanging over the boats- yes it's that fresh!

• greek salad - big chunks of feta, tomatoes and olives

• greek yogurt - the smoothest, creamiest yogurt you will ever eat

• souvalki - perfect for a quick bite!