Paros
Covers 18 European islands, from Crete and the Cyclades to Sicily, Sardinia, Mallorca, the Canaries, Madeira and the Azores, with euro prices converted to dollars on a dated rate.
UpdatedThis page carries dated prices, schedules or seasonal facts checked on the date above, and that window has now passed. Re-check the sources at the foot of the page before you book.
Paros sits in the middle of the Cyclades, and that is its first advantage. Ferries from Piraeus stop here on the way to Naxos, Santorini and beyond, and a hop to Naxos takes under an hour. ELSTAT counted 390,971 arrivals in hotels, short-stay rentals and campsites in the Paros regional unit in 2025, which also includes little Antiparos.
Its second advantage is price. The cheapest 3-star room in Parikia on Kayak for July 14, 2027 was $89, less than half the $198 floor in Mykonos Town on the same night. You give up the drama of a caldera, and you get two working towns, Parikia and Naoussa, a ring of sandy bays, and a hill village, Lefkes, with a Byzantine footpath.
At a glance
- Best for
- Couples, solo travelers and families who want beaches, nightlife in Naoussa and easy island hops
- Skip it if
- You want a dramatic caldera view, or hate wind: the meltemi hits Paros hard in July and August
- Getting there
- Fly Athens to Paros (PAS), or ferry from Piraeus in about 2 hours 40 minutes to 5 hours 35 minutes
- Hotel, mid-January
- $60 for a 4-star room in Parikia on Kayak for January 13, 2027; $89 for a 3-star on July 14, 2027
- Island size
- About 75 square miles (195 km2); buses link Parikia, Naoussa and the main beaches
In this guide
How Paros scores
Six factors, scored 0 to 10 the same way for all 64 islands. How we score
- WeatherData · 20%7.9
- Beaches & seaEditors · 25%7.5
- Things to doEditors · 25%7.0
- Getting there from the USData · 10%3.6
- ValueData · 10%9.2
- Room to breatheData · 10%4.9
Weather month by month
Best months by our weather score: July, August, September. Daytime highs, rain and sunshine are 2016–2025 averages at Paros National Airport (Open-Meteo historical weather archive); sea temperatures are 2022–2025 averages for the nearest sea area (Open-Meteo marine archive).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 57 | 58 | 61 | 66 | 73 | 81 | 85 | 84 | 80 | 72 | 67 | 60 |
| Sea °F | 62 | 62 | 62 | 63 | 66 | 72 | 76 | 78 | 76 | 73 | 69 | 65 |
| Rain (in) | 2.8 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 2.9 |
| Weather score | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 6.2 | 8.8 | 9.5 | 9.8 | 9.4 | 7.1 | 5.0 | 3.6 |
The numbers behind the score
- Gateway airport
- Paros National Airport (PAS)
- US nonstops
- None. No US nonstop to PAS (Paros National Airport); connect via ATH (US nonstops to Athens: JFK, EWR, plus seasonal ATL, BOS, CLT, ORD, DFW, PHL, IAD; Delta DTW from June 8, 2027 and Alaska SEA from May 12, 2027)
- Distance
- 7,001 mi from Los Angeles, 5,019 mi from New York
- Passport
- Needed for US citizens
- Hotel, one night
- $60 on Jan 13, 2027 · $89 on Jul 14, 2027 (Parikia)
- Visitors a year
- 390,971 overnight visitors (2025)
- Bringing a dog
- Possible: EU pet rules: ISO microchip implanted before a rabies shot given at least 21 days before travel, plus a bilingual EU animal health certificate from a USDA-accredited vet, endorsed by APHIS and used within 10 days of arrival; no quarantine.
Hotel prices: Cheapest double in a hotel rated 3 stars or better within about 1 mile of the Parikia center, 1 night, 2 adults, total with taxes and fees as Kayak showed it (public rates only; Greece's climate resilience fee may be added at checkout), Kayak, checked 2026-10-20. January: Porto Bello Hotel (4-star, via Priceline); July: Hotel Eleftheria (3-star, via Hotels.com). 96 stays for January 13 vs 150 for July 14.. Visitor figures: ELSTAT, Arrivals in hotels, short-stay accommodation and campsites by regional unit, 2025 final data (Table 3).
Where Paros ranks
Who Paros suits, and who should skip it
Paros suits nearly everyone who wants a classic Cycladic island without extremes. Couples get sunset dinners in Naoussa's harbor. Solo travelers get buses, a nightlife strip and ferries to anywhere. Families get shallow sandy bays and apartments with kitchens. If it is your first trip, compare it with Santorini and Naxos in our first-timers ranking.
Skip it if the trip is about one jaw-dropping view, or if you are sensitive to wind. Paros takes the full summer north wind, which is why its east coast is a windsurf and kite center.
Where to stay: Parikia, Naoussa or the east coast
- Parikia is the port and capital. It has the ferry dock, the bus station, the old town and Livadia beach on the edge of town. On Kayak, the cheapest room rated 3 stars or better within about a mile of the center was $60 for January 13, 2027 (a 4-star listing) and $89 for July 14, 2027, taxes and fees in.
- Naoussa on the north coast is the prettier harbor town, with more bars and boutique hotels, and higher summer prices.
- Golden Beach and Drios on the southeast coast suit beach and water sports stays.
Winter options are limited: Kayak listed 96 stays in the Parikia area for January 13 against 150 for July 14. Many Cycladic hotels close from November to April.
Beaches: sand on every coast, wind on most
- Kolymbithres in Naoussa Bay: small coves between smooth granite boulders, shallow and calm, easy with children. A boat crosses the bay from Naoussa in summer.
- Santa Maria and Lageri: long sand on the northeast, Lageri quieter and wilder.
- Golden Beach and New Golden Beach: long golden sand on the east coast, the island's windsurf base.
- Pounta: a kite spot facing Antiparos.
- Livadia: the shallow town beach in Parikia.
- Farangas on the south coast: a sandy cove with a beach bar.
Our score is 7.5 out of 10: many sandy, swimmable bays, but on windy days you choose your coast. Little Antiparos, a short car ferry ride from Pounta, adds quieter beaches.
Things to do
- Panagia Ekatontapiliani in Parikia, a Byzantine church complex whose name means the church of a hundred doors, with an early baptistery.
- Lefkes and the Byzantine path: walk the old stone path downhill from the hill village of Lefkes to Prodromos and Marpissa.
- Naoussa by night: the Venetian harbor fort, fish tavernas and bars.
- The ancient marble quarries at Marathi, source of Parian marble.
- Antiparos: a small village, beaches and a show cave.
- Windsurf and kite lessons at Golden Beach and Pounta.
- Day trips by ferry to Naxos, Mykonos or Santorini.
Paros with children
Paros is one of the easier Cycladic islands with a family. The best calm-water bets are Kolymbithres, where the boulders break the wind and the coves are shallow, Livadia in Parikia, walkable from town, and the sheltered stretch of Santa Maria on a day when the wind is light. Golden Beach is sandy and long but often choppy in July and August, and full of windsurf boards.
Stay in an apartment with a kitchen in Parikia or Naoussa and you can do most days by bus. Ferry hops are short: Antiparos and Naxos are both under an hour, which makes a two-island trip realistic with children who do not like long crossings. Our family ranking compares Paros with Naxos and Crete.
When to go
June and September are the best balance of sea and space. July and August bring the crowds and the meltemi, the strong dry north wind that blows across the Aegean from about mid-May to mid-September. On windy days, head for Kolymbithres or the south coast. In winter the island is quiet, with ferries still running and many hotels shut. The monthly table below shows sea and air conditions; our September ranking compares the islands.
Getting there from the US, and what you need
No US airline flies nonstop to Paros (PAS). Fly to Athens, which has nonstops from New York JFK and Newark, and seasonally from Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Philadelphia and Washington Dulles, with Detroit and Seattle added in summer 2027. Olympic Air and Sky Express fly Athens to Paros.
Most visitors arrive by sea. From Piraeus, Blue Star Ferries runs 2 to 3 sailings a day in about 4 hours to 5 hours 35 minutes from $57 (€51); Seajets high-speed boats take about 2 hours 40 minutes to 3 hours 45 minutes from $70 (€62). Onward, Blue Star reaches Naxos in about 50 minutes from $6 (€5.50) and Santorini in about 3 hours 15 minutes from $15 (€13), per Ferryhopper.
US citizens need a passport valid three months beyond departure from the Schengen area; no visa for up to 90 days. The EU Entry/Exit System records fingerprints and a photo; ETIAS is not yet operating. Our passport guide explains both.
What a trip costs
Hotel floors on Kayak: $60 in January and $89 in July in Parikia. Naoussa runs higher. Hotels add Greece's climate resilience fee at checkout, per room per night: $5.60 (€5) at a 3-star and $11.20 (€10) at a 4-star from April to October, and $1.70 (€1.50) and $3.40 (€3) from November to March. Ferry fares are the other line item; the Blue Star fares above are economy deck seats.
Tickets and tours you can book
From Paros: Antiparos and Despotiko Full-Day Swim Cruise
Lunch and a controlled amount of wine, beer and soft drinks are included. The cheapest well-reviewed Antiparos boat day; meeting points depend on the option you choose.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
Drios: Local Chef's Greek Cooking Class, 6-Dish Meal & Wine
The class, meal, wine and souma are included; transport to Drios is not.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
Full Day Catamaran Cruise to Antiparos and Blue Lagoon
BBQ lunch and towels are included; the page lists no drinks package, so ask. About three times the price of the GetYourGuide Antiparos swim cruise, for a smaller boat.
Rating as shown on Viator
Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.
Frequently asked questions
Is Paros or Naxos better?
Paros has more nightlife, Naoussa's harbor and better ferry links; Naxos has longer, calmer sandy beaches, a mountain interior and better food produce. They are under an hour apart, so many visitors do both.
Is Paros expensive?
Less than Mykonos, and level with Santorini's cheapest Fira rooms. The cheapest 3-star room in Parikia on Kayak was $89 for July 14, 2027, against $198 in Mykonos Town and $92 in Fira on the same night.
Do you need a car on Paros?
Not if you stay in Parikia or Naoussa. Buses connect the towns and main beaches. A car or scooter helps for Lefkes, Lageri and the south coast coves.
How do you get from Athens to Paros?
By ferry from Piraeus with Blue Star Ferries from $57 (€51) or Seajets from $70 (€62), or by a short flight from Athens with Olympic Air or Sky Express.
Is Antiparos worth a day trip from Paros?
Yes. A short car ferry from Pounta, or a boat from Parikia in summer, takes you to a small village, quiet beaches and a show cave. Some visitors stay the night for a slower pace than Naoussa.
Is Paros windy?
Yes, in July and August the meltemi often blows hard. Sheltered spots like Kolymbithres and the south coast coves stay swimmable; Golden Beach and Pounta are where windsurfers and kiters go.
Further reading
Official sources
- ELSTAT, Arrivals in hotels, short-stay accommodation and campsites by regional unit, 2025 (final data, Table 3) – Paros regional unit (Paros and Antiparos) 2025: 199,081 hotel + 176,970 short-stay + 14,920 campsite arrivals; checked October 20, 2026
- Kayak hotel search, Parikia, Paros – Cheapest 3-star-or-better: $60 (January 13, 2027) and $89 (July 14, 2027); 96 vs 150 stays; checked October 20, 2026
- Ferryhopper, Piraeus to Paros, Paros to Naxos, Paros to Santorini – Blue Star 2-3 daily from $57 (€51); Seajets from $70 (€62); Naxos from $6 (€5.50); Santorini from $15 (€13); checked October 20, 2026
- INSETE Intelligence, 2025 annual review (HCAA data) – Paros airport 173,857 domestic arrivals in 2025 (+3.0%); checked October 20, 2026
- Wikipedia, New Paros Airport and Athens International Airport airline tables – Olympic Air and Sky Express to Athens; no US routes; US nonstops to Athens; checked October 20, 2026
- Greek Law 5177/2025, Article 44 (climate crisis resilience fee), via Taxheaven – Per room per night by class and season; checked October 20, 2026
- US Department of State, Greece travel information; European Commission ETIAS and EES pages – Passport validity, 90-day stay; ETIAS not operating; EES fully operational April 10, 2026; checked October 20, 2026
- European Central Bank reference rate – One euro = $1.1225 on October 19, 2026
