PAROS ISLAND - Travel Guide
We have dreamt of this place for a long time! I saved a pin from Laura and Nicolas right in this corner and can’t believe we got to see it :)
Let’s see our Greek Island experience, tips and ideas…
We searched for a looong time and can’t decide between Paros and Milos Islands. Considering we had so many photos pinned from both islands it was hard to choose but Paros was little cheaper so here we come lol! We haven’t been to Milos yet but we LOVED Paros Island!
How to get to Paros Island…
We stayed in Athens for couple of days as I mentioned in our other blog (Athens - Travel Guide) before we came to Paros. Unless you are rich and have your own yacht/boat or coming with a tour you must use ferries. We used Ferry Hopper app to check the prices and bought the tickets directly from the Blue Star Ferries website. It was the cheapest option for us. We paid 45 Euro pp from Athens to Paros. Because it was during the high season and we booked our tickets 1 week before it wasn’t budget friendly. We heard if you book earlier it is much cheaper.
We also got the economy tickets where you do not have a designated seat to sit but there is a area with lots of seat to choose from.
Athens (Piraeus Port) to Paros takes 4-4.5 hours by ferry. If you get speed one it is around 3 hours. Ours was cheaper slower option so we arrived at 11 am after 4,5 hours journey.
Where to stay in PAROS?
There are certain parts of the island you can choose from and we chose Parikia which is close to the port. If you don’t plan to rent a car, atv or motorbike Parikia is the best option. Before deciding where to stay you need to ask yourself what you are looking for! Are you looking for an area so quiet and remote, or something more romantic and don’t mind spending money or comfortable and close to everything?
We rent an ATV and travel around the island. Here are the options to choose from:
Parikia - Closest area to the port, more budget friendly, has some island charm but busy, nice restaurants and cafes.
Naoussa - More Romantic, smaller than Parikia, hotels are little more expensive, need hotel shuttle or transport to get to the area.
Piso Livadi - East side of the Island - remote and very small area, sea is absolutely gorgeous but only 5-6 restaurants and more expensive.
Lefkes - In the middle of the island, no direct sea access, gorgeous little town with a massive church, more pricey.
We stayed in Hotel Cyclades in Parikia area (close to the Livadia Beach). It was a really nice place (not so fancy), clean with a great internet connection. We paid 80 Euro per night which is pretty good for September.
What to eat in Paros? Daily Budget for Paros…
This completely depends on your budget! Since we are budget travelers we walked everywhere in the Parikia area and found cheapest options.
For breakfast there is a bakery behind the Blue Star Ferry ticket office which is open until 1pm. We got amazing pastries and sweets from this bakery and had cereal in the hotel for couple of days. 3 different pastries cost 7 Euro from the bakery.
For lunch and dinner we found a little restaurant called Stavros Kebabtzifiko. Probably ate there for 5 times within 4 days! It was yummy, fast, clean and really affordable. Owners can be little cranky sometimes but they were nice to us.
There are so many cafes and restaurants to choose from. You can spend between 7 Euro - 50 Euro per person. So it is totaly up to your budget and what you want to spend.
Should you hire a car/motorbike or ATV (Quad bike)?
From the moment you walked out of the ferry you will see so many car/bike hire companies. We believe there are 3 things to consider before deciding what to hire, where to hire?
Where is your hotel? - If it is far from Parikia area and you don’t have a hotel shuttle you need to catch the bus (yes there is a bus in the island) or hire a some sort of transportation.
When do you plan to visit Paros? - One thing we didn’t know how windy it will get. We hired Quad bike for 40 Euro per day. There are different sizes. We got the middle size (less than 50CC) which we regretted. It was so windy and ATV struggled so much through the hills. Depends on the time of your visit and weather you should consider different type of vehicles.
Do you have an international driver’s licence/permit? - This is something they asked almost in every hire company. Make sure you get an international drivers licence before your trip. And if you want to hire a motorbike you need a bike license.
Also one advice it is not easy to find a car park throughout the island. That’s why most people prefers ATV or motorbike.
Hope above information help you organise your trip :)
Check out our Instagram Highlights for more tips and photos.
Love,
Chris and Sezgi.