Paros

Paros Overview

The “quintessential Greek island” as Paros is often referred to, its diverse and impressive landscapes include everything from serene valleys and rolling hills dotted with ancient monasteries and lovely little churches to endless powdery sand beaches framed by crystal-clear aquamarine waters. There are medieval ruins and monuments, postcard-perfect whitewashed towns and no shortage of enticing bars and cafes. Some say this island is like Mykonos as it was two decades ago, with all the atmosphere without the crowds or high prices, which is why those in the know tend to return again and again.

The strong wind known as the “meltemi” blows through Paros in the summer providing ideal conditions for sports like kitesurfing and windsurfing, drawing many to enjoy the waves, but even if you come during this popular time, it’s almost always easy to find a protected bay with waters calm enough for swimming. There are beaches for everyone here, like Golden Beach, well-organized and catering to water sports enthusiasts, while Pounds Beach is known for its music and beach parties and Kalogeros offers wonderful clay mud baths. Faragas provides a bit more seclusion with stunning surroundings practically untouched by humans that make it one of the most beautiful of all Cyclades beaches.

Paros History in a Nutshell

This island of great beauty also has a long, rich history, proven by countless findings during archaeological excavations. Settlement here dates all the way back to the Paleolithic period, around 3200 BC. Since that time Poros has known periods of wealth and artistic achievement as well as periods of disparity and violence. The settlement in Parikia on the hill of Kastro dates from around 2000 BC and is a characteristic example. Colonists arrived from Minoan Crete, which was at its peak at the time, gradually turning the island into an important commercial and military scenery which later became an important center of civilization. During the period between 800 and 700 BC, Paros really flourished, thanks in part to its marble. Nowhere else had translucent marble of such high-quality been found, and it quickly became highly prized, used by sculptors to build countless works of art and masterpieces, including the temple of Apollo on Delos, and one of the world’s most famous Greek statues, the Venus de Milo.

In Roman Times, development on Paros came to a halt as it was used as a place of exile, along with many other islands in the Cyclades. Christianity spread during the Byzantine period with an explosion of monastery and church building, including the construction of one of the most important monuments of the era in Greece, the Church of a Hundred Doors. The 7th century AD brought constant pirate attacks, leading to the island’s near desertion. From the early 13th to the late 14th centuries, Paros was ruled by the Venetian Marco Sanudo – the castles of Parikia, Marpissa, Kefalos and Naoussa all date back to this period. Paros was passed down from one Venetian family to another until being captured by the famed pirate Barbarossa in 1537, an event commemorated by the annual pirate festival in Naoussa every year. Turkish rule ultimately succeeded the Venetians until the 1821 Greek Revolution. After Independence, Paros and all the other Cycladic isles became part of the modern Greek state.