naoussa

Hike to the lighthouse in Parko Parou

This is another recommendation I haven’t actually tried myself, but friends have gone with great results! The view from the northwestern-most tip of the island is stunning, according to the pics on their social media. Even if you don’t make it out to the lighthouse, hiking around the rocky seaside or swimming and snorkeling in the pristine shallows of Naoussa Bay are great ways to pass a whole morning or afternoon.

Kolimbithres beach

This sweet little stretch of sand is known for its moonish rock formations, truly impressive mounds of lime and sandstone reshaped by the loving but harsh embrace of the rising and falling sea. It’s a relatively busy beach, so I suggest going at off-hours or on a weekday to minimize the number of randos in the background of your pics.

Kolimbithres beach is serviced by Taverna Anemos, a slightly over-priced but excellently-located restaurant overlooking Naoussa Bay. You can eat from their verandah, snag a chaise lounge for rent on the beach, or just post up with your own towel somewhere and ply the waiters for drinks.

If you’re seeking a thrill and feeling a little bougie, there is a rental shack at the far point of the beach near the parking lot where you can overpay for water sports like sailing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, jet-skiing (with proper licensure), and tubing.

Shopping and dinner in Naoussa

We would walk from our hotel on Naoussa bay to the namesake town of the island, about a mile down a road that isn’t the safest but pedestrians walk there anyway. Walking into Naoussa by the main road this way, we would first encounter the waterfront marina on the bay, where vendors hawked wind-chimes made of shells dyed rainbow colors and the classic Cycladic sponges. The restaurants here are generally too expensive but they come with an incredible sunset view, so we’ve ended up stopping at Axinos with a party of 12-30 on more than one occasion. (If you roll in a pack like that, they are especially accommodating.)

If you’re looking for more casual fare, our favorite souvlaki spot is Meat Bar. We’ve gone every single time we’ve been to Paros, with siblings and cousins and parents and aunts and uncles and family friends and it’s been a crowd-pleaser for all. Another crowd-pleaser is loukoumades: we tend to frequent Loukoumades To Paradosiakó, but these fried dough balls are probably delicious anywhere you get them. Choose classic toppings like honey and cinnamon or get a little crazy with Nutella or Kinder Bueno chocolate sauce.

Late night

Naoussa is known for its night life too, but I have honestly never been inside one of their clubs! We usually stay out till 1 or so with the little ones, per typical Greek family style as you’ll see, so we rarely go out for a wilder time after entertaining them. When we have, we like to take it easy with live music and a fancy cocktail overlooking the water, like at the rooftop Panorama Cafe Bar.

Explore nearby Santa Maria Mikri

Santa Maria Mikri is the northeasternmost tip of Paros, and if you have an ATV or four-wheel drive vehicle you can drive to several beaches of varying levels of swim safety along this rocky and beautiful coastline. A few coves have the signature chaise lounges that signify safe swimming and food service, but it’s also fun to find one that’s entirely empty to explore different vantage points and take some frame-worthy photos.

If that bores you, the beachside bar and chaise lounges at Santa Maria Beach (not Mikri) host a popping party scene in that island heat. The young and fit are out to see and be seen here — wear your hot pants.