Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
domes. The town's sights apart, the real attraction of Parikiá is simply to wander the
town itself, especially along the meandering
old market street
(Agorá) and adjoining
Grávari. Arcaded lanes lead past Venetian-influenced villas, traditional island dwellings,
ornate wall-fountains and trendy shops. The market street culminates in a formidable
kástro
(1260), whose surviving east wall incorporates a fifth-century BC round tower
and is constructed using masonry pillaged from a nearby temple of Athena which is still
highly visible. On the seafront behind the port police are the exposed, excavated ruins of
an
ancient cemetery
used from the eighth century BC until the third century AD.
6
The Ekatondapylianí
Daily 7am-9pm • Free
Just beyond the central clutter of the ferry port, Parikiá has the most architecturally
interesting church in the Aegean - the
Katopoliani
(facing the town). Later Greek
scholars purified the name and connected it with past glories, so they changed it to
Ekatondapylianí
(“The One Hundred Gated”), a nickname that baffles today's visitors.
Tradition, supported by excavations, claims that it was originally founded in 326 AD
by St Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine, but what's visible today stems from a
sixth century Justinian reconstruction.
Enclosed by a great front wall, sign of an Imperial-built church, the church is in fact
three interlocking buildings. The oldest, the chapel of
Áyios Nikólaos
to the left of the
apse, is an adaptation of a pagan building dating from the early fourth century BC. On
the right, there is another building attached, housing a Paleochristian
baptistry
, where
the initiate used to dip in a cross-shaped pool. Inside the church courtyard, there is a
small
Byzantine museum
(church hours; €2) displaying a collection of icons. Look
through the iconostasis (which still retains its ancient marble frame) to observe two
unique features: at the back, a set of amphitheatric steps, the
synthronon
, where the
priests used to chant, and, at the front, the
ciborium
, a marble canopy over the altar.
Archeological Museum
Tues-Sun 8.30am-2.30pm • €2
Behind Ekatondapylianí, the
archeological museum
has a good collection and is
definitely worth a visit. Its prize exhibits are a large Gorgon, a fifth-century winged
Nike by
Skopas
and - hidden at the back of the main room - a piece of the
Parian
Chronicle
, a social and cultural history of Greece up to 264 BC engraved in marble.
Áyii Anárgyiri monastery
If you're staying in Parikiá, you'll want to get out at some stage. The shortest
excursion
is the 2.5km along the road starting from the northern end of the ring-road up to the
Áyii Anárgyiri
monastery. Perched on the bluff above town, this makes a great picnic
spot, with cypress groves, a gushing fountain and some splendid views.
Beaches near Parikiá
Less than 1km north of the harbour lies the twin crescent of
Livádhia
beach, with
shallow waters and shaded by salt cedars; further on lies
Kriós
beach, much better,
served by
kaïki
from just to the right of the ferry terminal (€4). The beaches south
along the asphalt road are even better: the first unsurfaced side-track leads to the small,
sheltered
Dhelfíni
; fifteen minutes further on is
Paraspóros
near the remains of an
ancient temple to Asklepios, the god of healing. Continuing for 45 minutes (or a short
hop by bus) brings you to arguably the best of the bunch,
Ayía Iríni
, a palm-fringed
beach with fine sand, a taverna and a beautiful
campsite
(see p.406).
Petaloúdhes
Not far from the turning to Ayía Iríni, is the “Valley of the Butterflies”, a walled-in
private oasis where millions of Jersey tiger moths perch on the foliage in summer
