Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
locations above Pipéri beach with beautiful views from all
of its balconies. Recommende
d for
those who prize location
over extravagance. April-Oct.
€60
Stella
T
22840 53617,
W
hotelstella.gr.
Out of season,
you should be able to haggle for reduced prices at this basic
but well-located hotel with rooms arranged aroun
d its o
wn
garden, several blocks inland from the old harbour.
€55
Surfing Beach Village
Sánta María
T
22840 52493,
W
surfbeach.gr.
A well-organized campsite where surfers
rub shoulders with families. In late June-July it runs a
summer camp for 7-14-year-olds. Also offers beach huts
and bungalows with a/c and private WC (€55). Court
es
y
minibus to
and
from Parikiá. June-Sept. Camping
€8
,
beach huts
€15
6
EATING AND DRINKING
Meltemi
T
22840 51263.
On the quiet side of the bridge,
this excellent grill restaurant offers Cretan specialities (€12)
with a smile. The owner is friendly and chatty and you'll
undoubtedly be offered a free shot of
tsikoudiá
“for
digestion”.
Easter-Oct daily 6pm-late.
Ouzerí ton Naftikón
T
22840 51662.
Probably the best
mezedhopolio
in the harbour area. Offers fresh fish and a
rather standard Greek menu (mains €8), but has a
reputation second to none. Come before 9pm or else you
won't find a seat.
April-Oct daily 6.30pm-late.
Yeméni
T
22840 51445,
W
yemeni.gr.
Popular family
restaurant in the winding streets of central Náoussa,
offering well-cooked, traditional Greek dishes for around
€10. Everything comes from the family farm - from the
pork and chicken to the oil you will pour on your salad.
Easter-Oct daily 6pm-late.
NIGHTLIFE
Barbarossa
T
22840 51391.
Chic bar bathed in
candlelight at the far end of the harbour (not to be
confused with the expensive restaurant at the opposite
end). Frequented mostly by twenty-something Greeks, this
may be the place to try your language skills. Cocktails €10.
April-Oct daily 6pm-4am.
Shark
T
693 73 06 037.
On a first-floor balcony
overlooking the harbour, this is a bar for alternative rockers
and where ale rather than cocktails is the drink of choice. A
good selection of bottled beers on offer (€5).
May-Sept
daily 9pm-3am.
Vareladhiko
Potami.
Classic club playing pop hits and
frequented mainly by under-thirties. The script is
predictable: beer will flow, patrons will dance on the tables
and holiday romances will blossom. It's still great fun,
though.
Mid-June to mid-Sept (days vary) 11pm-6am
.
The southeast coast
The coast southeast of the inland junction at
Marpíssa
- itself a maze of winding alleys
and ageing archways overhung by floral balconies - is comparatively off the tourist
radar, yet it is easily reachable by regular buses during the summer and boasts some
magnificent beaches.
The first resort you reach,
Píso Livádhi
, was once a quiet fishing village, but it is now
dominated by open-air car parks and relatively indifferent tavernas. However, between
here and
Dhryós
to the south there are no fewer than four excellent beaches.
Logarás
just over the promontory from Píso Livádhi has a superb stretch of sand, while the next
THE INLAND VILLAGES
Most people bypass Páros interior, but on a cooler day try walking the
medieval flagstoned
path
that once linked both sides of the island. Start from the main square of the village of
Mármara
and go west. First up is
Pródhromos
, an old fortified farming settlement with
defensive walls girding its nearby monastery.
Léfkes
itself, 5km from Pródhromos, is perhaps the
most unspoilt settlement on Páros. The town flourished from the seventeenth century on, its
population swollen by refugees fleeing from coastal piracy; indeed it was the island's capital
during most of the Ottoman period. Léfkes's marbled alleyways and amphitheatrical setting are
unparalleled - and undisturbed by motor vehicles, which are forbidden in the middle of town.
Another 5km towards Parikiá and you hit
Maráthi
, from where Parian marble was supplied to
much of Europe. Considered second only to Carrara marble, the last slabs were mined here by the
French in 1844 for
Napoleon's tomb
in Les Invalides. Just east of the village, marked paths lead
to two huge entrances of ancient marble mines which can be visited with an organized tour only.
From Maráthi, it's easy enough to pick up the bus on to Parikiá.
