What to Do in Paros

Exploring Parikia, the capital, is a joy, particularly the Old Town, clustered around the castle’s hill. You’ll find typical Cycladic whitewashed architecture and homes with blue doors, shutters and balconies that make it fun just to wander. Some of the highlights include the 13th-century Kastro which was built on the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to Athena.

Don’t miss the 4th-century Church of Panagia Ekatontapyliani, one of the country’s major Byzantine monuments, more often referred to as the “Church of 100 Doors.” Legend tells that 99 doors have been found in the church and that the one-hundredth will be discovered when Constantinople (Istanbul) is returned to Greece. You might also stop at the ancient cemetery to see the tombs that date back to the 8th-century BC. For an original cocktail and the chance to mingle with the locals, end your day at Pirate, a tiny hole-in-the-wall bar behind the Kastro.

Winemaking goes back more than 5,000 years on Paros. A wine tour is a great way to learn all about it while enjoying tastings too. One of the most popular options is a gastronomic excursion that focuses on wine and herbs on the island. It will bring you to mountainous Lefkes village where fragrant herbs grow in the wild to learn about their medicinal and culinary uses in the past and present, followed by terraced vineyards that have produced Lefkian wine for centuries.

You’ll meet the owner, walking around the vines as he fills you in on the local varieties, cultivation, and traditional vinification methods. Afterward, a picnic will be waiting for you under the shade of soaring plane trees, featuring a generous tasting of four wines, Parian cheese, traditional Greek cold cuts, olives, salad, and a locally cooked vegetarian dish.

Paros’ Venetian occupation in Paros lasted from the early 13th-century, when the Duchy of Naxos was founded by Marco Sanudo, through 1537, when the island was looted by Ottoman pirate Barbarossa. A key commercial port in Venetian times, due to the increasing threat from the Ottoman Empire, a fort was built to guard the island around the turn of the 14th-century.

Today, you’ll see a small circular tower that still stands, burrowed with casemates, with the walls of the castle beneath the sea. The fort and the sunken walls are all that remain. It can be reached on foot from the harbor, and visitors can look through the firing positions for a stunning perspective of the village’s white and blue waterfront. Afterward, you might want to explore Naoussa’s Byzantine Museum which showcases works of art from prehistoric times to the Byzantine era.