“Greece 🇬🇷 ~Paros and Antiparos Islands”
Today, was our last full day on Paros Island, so once we finished our coffee, we decided to just get in the car and drive, with no specific destination in mind!
The architecture on Paros has the homes looking like square cubicles. Its quite different after seeing so many homes with rounded corners.
Both villages; Marpissa and Prodromos were built as fortified settlements and the houses communicate with one another by means of internal doors, so there would be an escape route in the event of a pirate attack.
Marpissa is one of the oldest villages on Paros. Village houses date from the 10th century and the church was built in the 6th century. According to Greek mythology, Marpissa was the daughter of river-God Evinos. But Marpissa was abducted by Ida, a hero from Etolia (west of the Greek mainland), who brought her to Messini, on the Peloponnese. As the god Apollo fell in love with her, confrontation between Apollo and Ida came to a head. Zeus interceded and asked Marpissa to make a choice. She chose Ida because she was scared Apollo might abandon her in her old age
There are two separate capes up north, and the western cape is the one I fell in love with. In this photo, I am taking the photo, looking across at the eastern cape
Naoussa has everything a tourist expects from a typical Cycladic village; beautiful white houses, narrow streets, lovely seafood restaurants, cafes, nice shops and spectacular beaches. There are remains of a Venetian castle at the port of Naoussa. Close by are mills that characterize the image of Naoussa. Here, too, are several historic churches from the Middle Ages and museums, all worth visiting.
In Naoussa you will find several large and small hotels as well as many private rooms for rent. The most popular beaches in the village are Monastiri and Kolimbithres where all sorts of water sports facilities are available and there is even a campsite. Other beaches in the vicinity of the village are Mikro and Megalo Piperi, Limnes, Santa Maria (where there is also a camp site) Ampelas, Fimismeni and Xifara.
The city is built amphitheatrically at the second biggest bay of Paros, with the port and the marina, and it has played an important role since the times of the Komnenos dynasty.
In 1650 – 1700, the French came to the island and they created a school to impose to the residents the catholic religion. However, they failed as did the Venetians three centuries before them.
In 1770, Naoussa becomes a Russian naval base and the Russians establish their headquarters on the islet Agia Kali, at the center of the bay of Naoussa.
At the port, there is also a small castle called “Kasteli.” which was built by the Venetians. A big part of the castle is preserved. Close to the castle, by the sea, there is the church of St. Nicolaos, the patron saint of sailors and fishermen, since in Naoussa there are still many fishing boats.
At the bay, there is also a Cultural Park of Paros.
Naoussa is a traditional fishermen village since it has the biggest fleet of fishing boats in Cyclades.
It has a large courtyard with pine trees, and 16 marble steps lead up to the main gate.
Naoussa is a famous village on the north side of the island, is probably one of the most beautiful places in Greece.
Small hamlet for calm accommodation located next to the most beautiful beaches , in Lwlantwni
By the end of our day, we had traveled the whole island, plus we took the ferry to Antiparos Island, and explored there, too.
I have to say, all in all, northern Paros, where the capes are is the most beautiful place on the island. There, you will find great beaches and lots of cute accommodations to choose from, if the beach is your final dream vacation destination. Oh, and even in a regular season, there would be less crowds.
Or, if you are like us; who love the beautiful sea views, hearing the waves lapping or crashing at the shoreline, while we relax in our villas, and even at times, getting out on the beach and get in the water, touring is more our thing, over sunbathing.
Alas, Boating and Scuba Diving are how we mostly get out beach and water fixes
Renting a car and exploring each island on our own was quite rewarding. We highly recommend anybody doing the same. We experienced such freedom and if you have “maps” on your mobile phone, you can figure out the roads well enough.
Daryl is in the car, (the white car in the front). I’m actually enjoying being on the first boat in Greece, I can walk around on, and take photos, whilst it was moving!
The Cave of Antiparos and the Church of Agios Ionnis Spiliotis
It was highly recommended that we visit this cave, by a local. It was the main reason we came over on the ferry. We did not expect it to be locked up! We climbed a fence, to get this view, and it would have been doable to scale the fence over and inside, but we dont know what Greek jails are like, so we decided against the idea
At the entrance of the cave, there is the white chapel of Agios Ioannis Spiliotis, built in the 18th century
The Cave of Antiparos in Cyclades
The most famous sight on the small but picturesque island of Antiparos is its Cave. This interesting natural wonder is full of stalactites and stalagmites which form different shapes. Located on the southeastern part of the island, the cave has a long history. As findings from the Geometric and Classical Era have shown, it was initially used as a refuge and then as a worship place. Macedonian generals also used the cave in the 4th century BC as a refuge after their conspiracy against Alexander the Great.
The interior of the cave was explored in the 15th century A.D. There, in 1673, the French ambassador in Constantinople Marquis de Nouadel performed a Christmas Mass on top of a stalagmite resembling an altar. Since then, the stalagmite was named Holy Table and an inscription was placed beneath it to commemorate the incident.
The oldest stalagmite in the cave is located at the entrance and is estimated to be around 45 million years old. This is also believed to be the oldest stalagmite in Europe. There are totally 411 steps that lead to the heart of the cave, which is around 100 meters deep. The stalagmites and stalactites are a breathtaking spectacle and form unique and stunning shapes in all sizes.
By this point, we are filled up on all things Greek! We’ve seen it, and we’ve done it, to our hearts content!
Tomorrow, we leave on another ferry, to return to Santorini (3 hours/40 minutes). Quick stop for two night there, then it’s back to Athens for us; also a fast two-night stay, before we depart Greece 🇬🇷
Our Greek adventure memories will always be thought of fondly, for so many reasons, as we continue on our world travels. More specifically, I will think of this particular visit, like…..
“Honey, remember that time we traveled to Greece for two weeks, but ended up staying for three and a half months?”
Oh COVID19 🙄
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Hello and Welcome to our Travel Blog Website, We enjoy writing about our experiences and taking photos of our adventuring along the way. Our names are: Daryl and Pen, but Daryl calls me “Bunny.” We met, quite randomly, whilst both… Read More
I am really ready to travel again!!! Never considered Greece as I always associated it with millions of tourists and sunbathing. But your photos and experiences now make me want to travel to Greece. I never realized there were so many islands one can visit. Besides, we have to go before they won’t rent a car to us due to our age LOL. I am also grateful that Mike drives on those small European roads that are mere alleys to me. Good luck for your next adventures. Can’t wait to read about Albania.
Thank you, Inge!
We also wonder about the crowds, since we have enjoyed none. But, as I mentioned, the popular islands can be avoided for the less popular ones, during a normal season. Paros is very pretty, in the north. The perfect getaway!
I dont have the link, but I know when planning a trip to backpack in Italy with my daughter, I remember a website that gave dates for all cruise ship at all ports in the world. I used this site to have our travels and go to Corsica or Sardinia islands (for example) when no ships were scheduled to dock. I’m sure you could google for the link “cruise ship docking schedules”
It was a lifesaver in planning, to avoid the crowds that cruise ships can bring in!
Yes, the roads are very narrow, and we must always be careful. We go pretty slow. I know what you mean about the age limit for getting a rental. Daryl is 65, and nothing mentioned as yet (in the states I think it’s more of an issue)