Paros & Antiparos travel guide 2026
Paros and Antiparos work well as a Cycladic combination, but they are not the quiet escape some guides suggest. Both islands deliver clear water, good beaches and an easy pace. In high season, that changes. Naoussa gets crowded, the main beaches fill up, and the relaxed atmosphere compresses. We visited in September, which made a significant difference. Plan around the peak months and the islands show their best side. photo: ©Travel Magazine Belgium
Updated May 2026
Stay: Poseidon of Paros Hotel & Spa
Poseidon of Paros sits directly on Golden Beach, which is its strongest asset. It is a large resort, not a boutique property, and that distinction matters. The scale brings consistency but removes character. And you will need a car. The hotel is 10 km from the airport and 25 km from the port, so without your own transport you are dependent on taxis or transfers.
We were met professionally on arrival. The reception team was responsive, well briefed and set the tone for the rest of the stay. That level of service held throughout.
Superior Double Room with Sea View
We stayed in a Superior Double Room with Sea View, roughly 35 m², which is adequate for the category. The design is Cycladic in the most predictable sense. White walls, neutral tones, clean lines. Nothing wrong with it, nothing that stays with you either.
The terrace changes the room. The sea view is wide and uninterrupted, and this is where you will spend most of your time. It is the reason to book this category rather than saving on a garden view. Inside, the room is comfortable without being memorable. The bathroom is modern, the rainfall shower functions well, but in a competitive five-star segment on an island with stronger boutique options, the room does not distinguish itself.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served inside or on a small terrace overlooking the pool area. We chose the terrace every morning, which is the better option. The buffet covers international and Greek basics, bread, yoghurt, fruit, eggs, and does them well enough. Nothing stands out, but nothing disappoints. For a resort of this size, it is exactly what you expect and not a reason to book or to complain.
Lunch and dinner
Lunch at the pool bar is practical and well executed. Salads, sandwiches and light dishes are prepared correctly. It serves its purpose, but it is not a culinary destination.
photo: ©Travel Magazine Belgium
The hotel restaurant is run by Gerasimos Mitrakis, and the kitchen has clear ambition. Grilled octopus and fresh fish are well prepared, with a level of refinement that goes beyond the usual resort offering. It is still a hotel restaurant, and the menu does not compete with the stronger independent tables on the island, but it holds its own.
What we did love is the setting. The views in the evening, with the light fading over the water, are exceptional and worth the booking alone. The terrace turns a competent dinner into a genuinely enjoyable one. We would recommend at least one evening here rather than driving out, particularly on a first or last night when convenience matters.
Pool and beach
The pool area is one of the stronger assets. It is well positioned, with open views towards the sea. The beach is within walking distance, and water sports are available. That said, Golden Beach is not exclusive. In high season, it becomes busy, which changes the experience.
The spa exists, but without testing it, it is difficult to position it within the overall offer.
Service is where Poseidon of Paros earns its clearest marks. The reception team, Eleni in particular, was consistently available and well informed. Restaurant recommendations were specific and accurate, day trips were arranged without fuss, and requests were handled quickly. No detail was missed during our stay.
This matters at a large resort. Properties of this scale often lose the personal touch behind operational efficiency. Poseidon manages both, which is not something we take for granted.
Poseidon of Paros does what a large resort should do. The location on Golden Beach is strong, the service is reliable, and the operation runs without fault. We had a comfortable stay and would not discourage readers from booking here.
But we want to be clear about what it is. This is a resort, not a destination hotel. It lacks the identity or intimacy that defines the best properties in the Cyclades. Travellers who want character, a story, a reason to return, should look elsewhere on the island. Travellers who want a well managed base with beach access and consistent standards will find exactly that.
POSEIDON OF PAROS
Golden Beach, 84400 Paros Island
Website
Paros: history and landscape
Paros offers a blend of landscapes, history, and culture, making it one of our favourite destinations in Greece.
One of the island’s most important historical sites is the ancient marble quarries at Marathi, where the Parian marble was once extracted to create masterpieces like the Venus de Milo.
Parikia, the quieter side of Paros
Parikia is the island's capital and the calmer alternative to Naoussa. It feels more local, less performative, and rewards a slow walk through its narrow streets without an agenda.
The main draw is the Panagia Ekatontapiliani, the Church of a Hundred Doors, a Byzantine church dating back to the 4th century and one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Cyclades. We visited in the late afternoon when the space was nearly empty. The interior is striking in its restraint, and the atmosphere justified the stop more than we expected.
Beyond the church, Parikia is a village to wander rather than tick off. Whitewashed streets, small shops that have not yet been replaced by brands, and tavernas where the menu is still handwritten. It does not demand a full day, but it deserves more than a pass through on the way to the ferry.
photo: ©Travel Magazine Belgium
Naoussa, the busiest village on the island
Naoussa is where most visitors end up, and for good reason. The harbour is photogenic, the waterfront is lined with restaurants and bars, and the energy is high from late afternoon until well past midnight. It is the social centre of Paros, and it knows it.
he village has substance beyond the nightlife. The remains of a Venetian castle sit at the harbour entrance, and the streets behind the waterfront still hold traces of its history as a trading port. We walked through early in the morning before the restaurants opened, which is the only time Naoussa feels like a village rather than a destination.
Along the waterfront, the dining options are plentiful but uneven. We recommend Tsachpinis, Ouzeri ton Nautikon for the best food to price ratio in the harbour area. For wine, the annual Wine Festival is worth noting if your visit falls in the right period, though we did not attend ourselves.
Kolymbithres beach, a short drive from the village, offers windsurfing, snorkelling and a distinctive coastline of smooth rock formations. It is one of the better beaches on the island, though in high season it fills up fast. Naoussa is essential, but it is not the whole island. Spend an evening here, eat well, and then move on.
photo: ©Travel Magazine Belgium
Lefkes: a quieter village
Lefkes sits in the hills above the coast and feels like a different island entirely. It served as the capital of Paros during the Venetian era, and the architecture still reflects that. Whitewashed houses, narrow stone streets, and a scale that makes sense on foot.
We visited in September, when the village was nearly empty. That made a difference. The walk through the centre was unhurried, the views across the hills towards the coast were open, and the silence was a welcome contrast to Naoussa. We stopped for coffee at a small taverna on one of the squares, which felt like the right pace for a place like this (see photo).
Lefkes does not need more than a morning or a late afternoon. But it is worth the drive, precisely because it offers nothing except the village itself.
photo: ©Travel Magazine Belgium
Where to eat on Paros: best restaurants
Paros has a broad dining scene, but quality is inconsistent. The range runs from simple tavernas to restaurants with real ambition, and the gap between the best and the average is wide. Choosing well matters here more than on some of the better known islands, because the tourist traps are harder to spot.
We ate out most evenings during our stay and focused on Greek cooking rather than international menus. The standards to look for are grilled octopus, fresh fish from the day's catch, and fava, the yellow split pea purée that Paros does particularly well. Kolokithokeftedes, crispy zucchini fritters, appeared on nearly every menu and varied sharply in quality from one kitchen to the next.
Below are the restaurants we visited, with honest assessments of each.
photo: ©Travel Magazine Belgium
Piso Livadi, restaurant Gialos Paros
Gialos sits on the port of Piso Livadi, a quieter stretch of coast than Naoussa, and it is one of the stronger tables we found on Paros. The kitchen works with ingredients from its own farm, which shows in the quality of the products rather than in the marketing. We returned for a second evening, which says enough.
Both nights we ordered grilled fish. The preparation was clean, well timed and confident without overcomplicating the plate. The harbour setting does its part, particularly at dusk, but the food holds up without the view. Service was precise and well paced, led in part by a waiter with Belgian roots who offered sharp recommendations rather than rehearsed ones.
photo: ©Travel Magazine Belgium
Gialos Paros
Piso Livadi 844 00
Reservation page
Kostos: Restaurant Santa Pacou
Santa Pacou sits inland near Kostos, set against the hills with open views towards the mountains and the sea. The location is strong. The kitchen has ambition too, with dishes such as Kontosouvli chicken and a moussaka served in a clay pot that show a clear intention to move beyond the taverna register.
The food itself is competent. Portions are well presented, the ingredients are local, and the cooking is steady without being remarkable. We ordered a red wine at around 50 euros, which was fair for the quality, though we would have appreciated a more considered wine list for a restaurant positioning itself at this level.
Where Santa Pacou falls short is the service. The setting and the menu signal an upscale proposition, but the front of house does not match that ambition. Pacing felt uneven, and the attentiveness you expect at this price point was not consistently there.
Worth a visit for the views and the terrace alone. But do not expect a polished evening from start to finish.
photo: ©Travel Magazine Belgium
Santa Pacou
Agia Ipakoi, Kostos 844 00
Website
Naoussa, Tsachpinis-Ouzeri ton Nautikon
Tsachpinis sits on the old port of Naoussa, right on the water, and it is a tourist restaurant. There is no point pretending otherwise. The tables are full every night, the crowd is international, and without a reservation you will not get in.
What makes it worth including is that the kitchen still delivers. The starters are well executed. Grilled sardines were precise, the saganaki shrimp had good heat and texture, and the portions were honest. More importantly, the prices are sharp. For Naoussa, where most waterfront restaurants charge a premium for the view and little else, Tsachpinis offers a fair deal. You eat well here without the bill becoming the main topic of conversation.
The harbour setting works, especially in the early evening when the light drops and the fishing boats are still in frame. Service is fast rather than attentive, which fits the volume. Do not come here expecting a quiet dinner. Come here because the food to price ratio is among the best in Naoussa, and the atmosphere, for all its tourist energy, is still more Greek taverna than resort terrace.
photo: ©Travel Magazine Belgium
Tsachpinis - Ouzeri ton Nautikon
Naousa old port
Website
Drios Beach, Kima Seaside Restaurant
Kima sits on the seafront at Drios Beach, a quieter stretch of coast that draws fewer visitors than Naoussa or Piso Livadi. The sea views from the terrace are open and unobstructed, which is the main reason to book here.
One oddity worth noting: the terrace is separated from the main restaurant by a small road. No cars pass, so it is not a safety issue, but it creates a disconnect between the dining room and the outdoor tables. For a seaside restaurant where the terrace should be the centrepiece, the layout undermines the experience.
The kitchen runs a modern Greek menu. Greek pasta with cherry tomatoes and a creamy cheese sauce had good balance, and the stuffed chicken with tarragon was a confident choice that worked. Neither dish was exceptional, but both were correctly executed. The wine list leans Greek, with enough range to match the food without overcomplicating things. Service was attentive and well paced, which at a smaller restaurant like this makes a noticeable difference.
Kima is a solid option for an evening away from the busier ports. It will not redefine your trip, but it delivers a reliable meal in a calm setting, with the caveat that you should request a terrace table and accept the road in between.
Kima Restaurant
Drios 844 00
Website
Antiparos
Antiparos has a population of around 1.200 and it feels that way. The island is small, genuinely small, and once you have walked the main village, visited the Kastro and sat down for lunch, the list of things to do narrows quickly. We would not recommend staying multiple nights unless your only objective is to slow down completely. The hotel selection is limited, the restaurant options thin, and there is not enough variety to sustain a longer stay for travellers who want structure or choice.
That said, Antiparos earns a full day from Paros without question. The Venetian Kastro, a 15th century castle in the centre of the village, is well preserved and worth the stop. The Cave of Antiparos is the stronger draw, known for its stalactite and stalagmite formations and a history of notable visitors, Lord Byron, Gustave Flaubert and James Whistler among them.
The island works as a contrast to Paros. It is quieter, less developed, and has a pace that rewards a short visit rather than an extended one. Treat it as a day trip with a clear plan, not as a second base.
photo: ©Travel Magazine Belgium
Antiparos: Blue Caves and Despotiko
During our visit to Antiparos, we explored the Blue Caves, where the blue, clear waters and distinctive rock formations create a truly enchanting atmosphere.
Following that, we took the boat to the nearby uninhabited island of Despotiko. Its secluded beaches and ancient ruins offered a glimpse into its rich history and tranquil beauty. However, we were unable to disembark on Despotiko during our visit, as excavations were underway. We booked the boat tour with Captain Sargos.
photo: ©Travel Magazine Belgium
Antiparos in one day
Antiparos is perfect for a day trip from Paros, with narrow streets, beaches, and a laid-back atmosphere. A single day is enough to explore the island’s highlights.
Ferry options
Two ferry routes connect Paros to Antiparos. The crossing from Pounta takes ten minutes and runs frequently, up to 36 departures per day in high season, with the first boat at 06:30 and the last at 03:00. That late return means you can comfortably have dinner on Antiparos without worrying about the schedule.
From Parikia, the service is more limited. Up to five daily departures, roughly between 10:00 and 18:30, which makes it less practical if you want flexibility.
We took the Pounta route and would recommend the same. It is faster, more frequent, and gives you full control over your day. Schedules shift between seasons, so verify crossings before you travel.
To be sure, have a look here.
Here’s our selection of restaurants, a hotel, and a beach bar to help you enjoy the best of your visit.
Dine:
Kaloreri in the main village.
Captain Pipinos seafood Taverna
Beach:
Beach House Antiparos and Cookovaya restaurant
Stay:
The Rooster
Sunset views:
Sifneiko Cafe