How to Spend 48 Hours in Paros, Greece

Our second stop on our Greek island-hopping trip was Paros. Paros is a small island east of Athens and north of Santorini. Although at first glance Paros may seem like a sleepy island, especially after visiting Santorini, we quickly fell in love with this breathtaking destination. In this post we will be sharing our guide and recommendations for how to spend 48 hours in Paros, Greece!

While in Paros, we stayed in Parikia, which is the capital city and main port of the island. This area was all we could’ve dreamed of and more! It has cobblestone streets, adorable local shops, and houses covered in blue and white decor were so beautiful. In addition to the town of Parikia, we also visited the lovely town of Naousa, located about thirty minutes away by ATV or twenty minutes by local bus or taxi. Both towns are picturesque and are filled with shops, beaches, restaurants and bars that can be enjoyed all day and well into the late evening. Paros should absolutely be added to your list of destinations if you’re looking for a beautiful place to relax, go to the beach and enjoy delicious food.

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How to get to Paros – Ferry

We took a ferry from Santorini to Parikia, Paros – and this was a great way to travel. We booked our ferry tickets in advance on ferryhopper.com and this made the process pretty easy. Ferryhopper.com is great because it allows you to compare ferry times and prices from a variety of different boat companies. By using this website we were able to find the boat that left at the best time for us, and was also the most reasonably priced.

The ferry did arrive about thirty minutes late and the process of finding the correct terminal in Santorini was a little bit chaotic as the port was super busy. However, everyone who worked at the port was super helpful and provided us with directions and information. The ferry to Paros was large and comfortable and had cafes and shops on board. The trip lasted about two hours and we did not have any rough seas or big waves, so the three of us were able to pass the time drinking coffee and reading our books. When we arrived in Parikia we were able to walk to our AirBnb, but if you’re staying in Naousa or another part of the island you will need to take a bus, taxi or arrange for other transportation.

Sleep

For sleeping arrangements, we booked an adorable AirBnb right in the midst of stone streets and white walls of Parikia. The AirBnb also featured a porch with a gorgeous white archway, white walls with stone accents, and a table and chairs that we could use either indoors or outdoors. Our AirBnb hosts were the owners of a small boutique a few streets away where we received 20% off all items, which was a great surprise upon arrival! Although the beds were not the most comfortable, the location and classic Greek decor more than made up for that small inconvenience. We did have some problems with the hot water not working well in the mornings, but as we talked to other travelers we found that this was the norm all over the island.

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The Best Hotels in Paros

In addition to lovely AirBnbs on the island, Paros also has great hotels! Prices will be higher during the summer, and more affordable during the off season. We recommend staying in either Parikia or Naousa (also spelled Naoussa) when visiting Paros, both are lovely areas and have a lot to see and do! Check out our hotel recommendations below!

Budget Hotels

• Roses Beach Hotel – located in Parikia
• Helliniko Hotel – located in Parikia
• Kirki Rooms – located in Parikia

Mid-Range Hotels

• Argonauta Hotel – located in Parikia
• Doukissa – located in Parikia
• Hotel Irene – located in Parikia
• Grozos Rooms – located in Parikia, very close to the beach
• Alexandra’s Rooms – located in Parikia
• Perivoli Rooms – located in Parikia  
• Madaky Hotel – located in Naousa

Luxury Hotels

• Sunset View Hotel – located in Parikia
• Zefi Hotel & Suites  – located in Naousa

For more hotel options in Paros, at a variety of price points, check out the map below!

Booking.com

Eats – Where to Eat in Paros

Breakfast

Ragoussis Bakery

For breakfast pastries, desserts, sandwiches or traditional Greek products and treats we recommend that you check out Ragoussis Bakery in Parikia. Everything we tried was delicious, and very reasonably priced. Leyla really enjoyed the many flavors of baklava, and my favorite was the tomato and feta pastry. The coffee is great as well, and they are open from early in morning until late in the evening.

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Symposium Cafe

There are tons of cute, delicious restaurants in Parikia and if you’re looking for a sit-down breakfast place you should check out Symposium Cafe. We went for brunch at around 11:30am and we waited about ten minutes for a table outside. The restaurant was quite busy but it was worth the wait for the yummy food and great location. Our waitress was lovely and she made the experience even better. The coffee is also delicious and they even have filter coffee (for those of you from the U.S.)! Definitely check this place out while you’re in Paros.

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Lunch

Mana Mana

Mana Mana is an adorable outdoor cafe that features fresh juices, salads, pastas and light sandwiches. Kate and Leyla opted for salads, both of which looked delicious, and I ordered the feta cheese bruschetta. All of the meals were the perfect size and filled us up until dinner. We highly recommend this stop for either lunch or a casual dinner, and their breakfast menu looked great as well!

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Dinner

Ephessus Restaurant

A local woman we met recommended that we have dinner at Ephessus Restaurant located on Livadia Beach in Parikia. The restaurant was a close walk from our Airbnb and had beach front seating. It was perfect to watch the sunset and to enjoy delicious food. We also chose to go to Ephessus because on Sundays a local band comes to play traditional Greek music (beginning around 9pm). The music was lovely and it was a great way to spend the evening. The food was very good and they also have delicious homemade bread that we enjoyed with tzatziki. The prices were also very reasonable with main dishes running at about $8-$15. We highly recommend visiting Ephessus on a Sunday evening to watch the sunset and enjoy Greek music.

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Dessert

In Paros we also enjoyed lots of ice cream + gelato. Near Mana Mana there is a homemade ice cream shop called Vanilla that is absolutely delicious. Trying Vanilla’s sweets and homemade waffle cones is a must while visiting Paros.

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Adventures + Things to do in Paros, Greece

Hike with Ocean Views

The first adventure we went on in Paros was a hike from AirBnb’s experiences with a woman named Gemma. Normally, the hike is led by Hilda, but she was traveling during our time in Paros. Gemma was an incredible guide and made our hike such a great experience. We communicated with Gemma though WhatsApp and the whole process was super easy.

With Gemma we walked from Parikia along the coastline to beaches located about 50 minutes away. The scenery was absolutely beautiful and there was a nice breeze so we were able to enjoy the walk in the sun. After arriving at the beach destination, Gemma helped us find beach chairs and umbrellas before leaving us to enjoy some time in the sun. She also explained that in order to use the beach amenities all you need to do is purchase a drink (including water or coffee) from one of the local beach bars/restaurants. We enjoyed a few hours on the beach before hiking back alone on the same path. If you do not wish to hike back after spending some time on the beach, Gemma explained that there are also small boats and taxis that will bring you back to Parikia for between $2-$7.

The hike was not strenuous and is suitable for people of all ages. However, it is now a little pricy at $102 per person, and you could probably do the hike on your own. When we booked our hike, the price was much cheaper. Click here to view the hike on AirBnB.

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Rent ATVs and Visit Naousa

Numerous locals recommended that we visit the beautiful town of Naousa, located about twenty minutes driving from Parikia. The town is easily accessible by bus and taxi but we chose to rent ATVs and drive there ourselves so that we could stop and take pictures along the way and also explore other parts of the island.

All around Parikia there are numerous locations that rent ATVs, scooters and small cars to tourists. We did run into a little bit of trouble at the first shop we stopped in, as they informed us that we could not rent certain kinds of ATVs because we did not have the correct type of license (with an international driving permit). For more information about what documents you will need to legally drive in Greece check out the U.S Embassy website. Even though we didn’t have an international driving permit, we were able to rent 4-wheelers at a different location – where they perhaps cared less about driving laws. We paid $40 each to rent them from 1pm-6pm.

Parking the ATVs in Naousa was quite easy, and there were many other tourists driving around as well. We recommend only driving ATVs and scooters during daylight hours, as the roads from Parikia to Naousa are very twisty. This could be quite difficult after dark if you are not familiar with the roads and can’t read the majority of the signs. Renting ATVs was a really fun experience, and it allowed us a lot of flexibility to see and explore the island. If you’re interested in renting ATVs, Paros is a great location as the island is less busy and therefore there is significantly less traffic.

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Explore Naousa

Once we arrived in Naousa we spent the afternoon walking through the streets, shopping and enjoying lunch on the beach. Naousa is a super cute town, but we recommend visiting just for the afternoon and staying in Parikia, as there seemed to be much more going on and it is also more central.

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Overall, Paros was a charming and unexpected find, and we really enjoyed our 48 hours on the island. Two days on the island was the perfect amount of time to relax, explore and eat delicious food. The island is less touristy and more low-key than many of its neighbors, and it is definitely worth visiting! It it is truly a picturesque place to spend a couple days. Every single street is beautiful and a perfect place to take pictures. The locals were very kind, the food was great, and having the wind from the sea was a pleasant break from the Mediterranean heat!

We hope you enjoyed our post about how to spend 48 hours in Paros, Greece! If you found this post helpful, we appreciate you sharing it with others! For more ideas about how to spend your time in Greece, check out our guide to Mykonos, our guide to Santorini, and our guide to Athens!

♡Maggie

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