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When visiting Paros there are definitely interesting spots and villages, historical sights and a lot of beautiful locations that you have to see.
PARIKIA
Parikia town is the capital of Paros, situated on the west coast of the island with a wide heart shaped port which is the main commercial port for ferries, speed boats and small cargo boats arriving from Athens and the Greek islands. Some of the best Paros hotels are located in and around Parikia.
At the entrance to the port an old style, white stone windmill welcomes you, reminding people of old times. Parikia’ s name goes back to Byzantine times when the tenant farmers who worked the land owned by the Church of Ekatontapiliani (Church of the hundred doors), lived in the area near the church. They were called páriki (neighbors) and therefore the village was named Parikia.
Today Parikia keeps its traditional color although, through the years and for the benefit of the island’s tourist development and progress, alterations have been made. As all the Cycladic towns, Parikia has also the beautiful narrow paved streets flanked by the stone-built houses. Wandering through the town you can admire the architecture of the Cycladic islands, see the houses and how some are connected with each other by small bridges, admire old mansions with balconies full of flowers or notice handmade marble fountains and small churches from the 16th century hiding in between the houses.
Pieces of decorative carved Parian marble are found in almost all the houses, as part of doors or window frame or as detail in the handmade fountains in the streets. Nicolas Mavrogenous, an important leader of northern Greece (Vlachia), donated to his native town three of these fountains which stand out because of their design and the beautiful folklore carvings in the marble. These fountains you find in central parts of Parikia. The house where the brave woman warrior Manto Mavrogenous lived and died is also to be found in Parikia.
One important historical sight in Parikia is the Venetian Castle built in the 13th century. It was built away from the first medieval settlement with marble taken from the ruins of the temple of Aghios Constantine on the top of a hill on the seafront of Parikia and other ancient temples. The part that remains today is only a very small part of the original castle. According to researchers the 4-6 m. high walls that we see today are from the eastern and southern parts, while the western side of the wall slid into the sea. Locating the castle inside the town of Parikia is quite difficult for the reason that after the collapse of the walls the people used the ruins to build their own houses, so houses and castle are in a way united. The only clear part of the Venetian castle is the square tower on the eastern side.
In Greece the church and religion play a very important role in the lives of the Greeks. The majority of Greeks are Christian Orthodox. Therefore in a place like Paros the visitor will notice the existence of hundreds of small churches, in the villages, towns, even in the private properties of the people. Some of these churches have no historical background, but others, although small and obscure have an important architectural and historical significance. One of them is the Byzantine church of Saint Constantine in the area of the Venetian Castle, the church of Panagia of the Cross dating back to 1514, the church of Saint Nicolas the seaman on the promenade of Parikia from the 17th century and of course the Monastery of the Franks, a monastery of the catholic Order of Capuchins, built in 1700. Last but not least is the church of Panagia Septemberianis (Virgin Mary of September) where on its entrance on a marble slab is carved the bust of Virgin Mary (Panagia).
The cathedral of Parikia is Panagia the Ekatontapiliani or Katopoliani. The name Katopoliani derives from the expression “kata tin poli” which means toward the town. The name Ekatontapiliani comes from the fact that the church has 99 counted entrances (doors & windows) and according to tradition when the 100th is discovered either Judgment Day will come or the Greeks will take back Constantinople.
This church is considered of great significance and is one of the oldest monuments of Christianity in Greece. According to tradition the story of the church starts during the time of Constantine the Great (280-337 A.D). When Christianity was fighting the ancient Greek spirit, the mother of Constantine began her trip to the Holy Land in order to find the Holy Cross. On the way she met strong winds and she was forced to stop in Paros. She found a small church dedicated to the Assumption, where she prayed and vowed that if she found the Holy Cross and returned to her son safely, she would build a magnificent church in that spot. Finally the temple was built by her son, Saint Constantine, because she died before she had chance to fulfill her promise.
First of all there was the small church of the Virgin Mary, where today the Saint Nicolas church is in the northern part of the sanctum. There must have followed the construction of the main temple of the Panagia, including the Baptistry, which was the way churches were made at that time. These three churches had wooden roves and probably destroyed by fire.
Between 527 and 565, Justinian decided to renovate part of the churches and transformed them into domeshaped basilicas. The dome of the bigger church has an elliptical instead of a perfect hemispherical shape, because the four columns that supported it didn’t make a perfect square. At the entrance the visitor can see the name of Justinian carved on a marble stone.
Plenty of stories are known about incidents that happened during the constructions of the church. One story is written in blood. According to tradition, Ignatius, was responsible for reconstructing the dome of th church during the time of Justinian. He was student of Athemios, the head artisan of Aghia Sophia in Constantinople. As soon as Ignatius finished his project he called his teacher to see his masterpiece. When Anthemios saw the magnificent temple he got jealous and asked his student to go to the top of the entrance area to show him a mistake that he had made. The moment his student leaned over to see what the problem was, his teacher pushed him over the edge. Struggling to catch hold of something to save himself, the student grabbed his teacher’s hand and dragged him down with him. They were both killed.
During the domination of the Franks and the Turks, the church suffered a lot of damage and plunder, but the greatest damage was caused by a big earthquake in 1773. Restoration and maintenance were under taken by Anastasios Orlando and the church regained its Byzantine magnificence that had been spoiled by slapdash work carried out to prevent the temple falling down. Today the church has the form of a cross-shaped basilica dome. The entrance is from the narthex with one big central door and two smaller ones on each side. Inside almost all the sculptured decoration is preserved as it was in the ancient temple. In good condition are also the colored porous stones decorating the dome.
Inside the temple and on its sides are seven rows of marble seats with the Episcopal throne positioned on a higher level than the seats. In the southern part of the main hall is the baptistry built in the 4th century with a cross-shaped marble font. There we can just about see the most ancient fresco of Paros, most probably showing Aghios Georgios (Saint George) and done between the 11th and 12th century. The visitor can imagine the believer entering from the western side of the font and exiting baptized from the eastern side. The priest performing the service stands on a base in the middle, where today we see a small column that was put there some years after.
Inside the main temple is the chapel of Aghi Anarghyri, north of the Sanctum is the chapel of Saint Philip and nearby, the chapel of the Holy Spirit.
In the northern wall of the church are a small chapel and the grave of Aghia Theoktisti, a woman who was a nun in Ekatontapiliani for 35 years and today is the patron saint of Parikia.
When entering the courtyard of the church complex and to the right we can find a small Byzantine Museum with a rich collection of Byzantine relics. Outside in the garden we can see a lot of sculptures, architectural remains and inscribed stones from ancient times left in the position that they were found.
Parikia also has an Archeological Museum, just behind the Ekatontapiliani Church. Some of the most well known and interesting findings exhibited in the museum are marble sculptures of men (kouri) and women (kores), the bottom part of the Goddess Athena’s body and the statue of Aphrodite of Delion. In two marble pieces the poet Archilochos is carved in relief, one showing him lying in bed dead holding his weapons and his lyre. Another masterpiece dated around 370 B.C. is the statue of Niki (Victory) who seems to be floating on air trying to touch earth. The statue of Gorgous (in ancient Greek quick) is also a magnificent statue which shows so vividly the struggle of this mythical monster to touch the earth in the face of a strong wind which folds back its wings. In the courtyard of the museum are also a marble sarcophagus from the 5th century and part of a mosaic floor showing the labors of Hercules.
Coming out of the port and to the left on the way to Livadia area in Parikia, is the ancient cemetery of Paros. It’s said to be one of the most significant cemeteries in Greece, was discovered during excavations in 1983 and dates from the end of the 8th century B.C. until the 3rd century A.D. Researchers suppose that it was the end of an ancient town that collapsed into the sea, because they have discovered in the sea a lot of objects, like capitals or other parts of columns. The cemetery has different kinds of graves and from different eras, the most important finding being the common grave, called “polyandrous” from the end of the 8th century B.C., unique for the Aegean region. In front is a huge tombstone.
Paros in general is a very interesting area for archeologists because of its wealth of history below ground. Excavations over the years have brought and still do bring to light amazing finds from small objects of pottery to ancient temples, fortress or houses. Examples are the house of Asclipios in Parikia, Delion, Saliangos or Koukounaries in the Naousa area.
MARATHI - ANCIENT QUARRIES
Heading east and on the way to Lefkes, we find the region of Marathi, a picturesque village, connected to the ancient marble quarries of Paros. Even today the visitor can see remains of the ancient quarries. Two openings at the foot of the small cliff that used to be the entrances to the quarry invite you inside. From this point started the passages to the underground galleries where the whitest and clearest Parian marble, known as Lichnites, was quarried. Its clarity is 3,5cm, when for example the one from Penteli in Athens is only 1,5cm. Parian marble is completely pure with no other minerals. The name lichnitis comes from the lamps (lichni) which the workers used in the galleries while working. During the Roman era about 150.000 slaves used to work in the quarries.
On the marble at the entrance of the first opening we can see representations of Gods and Nymphs and the sign “ADAMAS ODRYSI NYMPHAIS”. This gallery is known as “the cave of the Nymphs”. A second entrance to the same gallery is known as “the entrance of the French” because the French-Belgian crew that had been quarrying marble for Napoleon’s grave entered from that side. There is also a second gallery that even today has not changed and remains in the condition that the workers left it.
In the same area is also the church of Aghia Paraskevi (Saint Friday) as well as the ruins of the buildings of the Parian Marble Company established in 1878 for the exploitation of the mines. This company was founded by N.Krispis, a businessman that brought technicians, mechanics and workers from Austria, England, Belgium and from eastern countries to work the marble. Progress at that period was so great that they made their own currency. As mentioned before many of the best known masterpieces of antiquity were carved in this marble. Aphrodite of Milos, Hermes of Praxitelous, parts of the temple of Afea in Egina and the temple of Poseidon in Sounion (5th century), the temple of Apollo in Delphi and other creations in Delos are only some of the numerous examples.
From the area of the mines a dirt road leads to the monastery of Aghios Minas (Monastery of the Aghio Mina, Victor & Vincentia) dating from the 17th century.
It is a small, but remarkable monastery with uncommon icons and temple and beautiful architecture, especially inside. The main part was constructed in 1617 and the cells a little later. Over the main entrance is the “scalding spot” (zematistra), from where the defenders of the monastery threw boiling oil onto the enemies who tried to invade it.
Remarkable is the area’s important economic development that has taken place recently, because of its location. Being not too far away from Parikia it is attractive area for companies to build their businesses and for individual people who wish to live in a quiet area but not too far away from busy Parikia.
Leaving Marathi we reach the limits of Kostos and the junction of Aghia Pakou. At this junction, above the road, in an outstanding position in the North is the small church of Aghia Pakou (Aghia Ipakoi= Ipapanti of God) which used to be dependent on the monastery of Hozoviotissas in Amorgos and was renovated in 1609.
Turning left at Aghia Pakou, we end up in the village of Kostos. Kostos is a beautiful, traditional Cycladic village with the typical square, the paved streets, the small white houses with balconies and yards full of colorful carnations and bocamvilies. Opinions and speculations about the name Kostos are plenty. One is that the name comes from a flower called Kostos that used to grow in large quantity on the hills around the village. Another opinion is that it comes from the fact that all products were weighed and cost before being transferred to Parikia. A more recent opinion is that the name comes from the word “Acosta” which means away from the beach, meaning the village that is in the inner part of the island.
In Kostos is also the house where the great teacher of the Nation, Athanasios Parios (1722-1813) was born. In his name a big new church was built at the entrance of the village.
In the central square of the village we find two beautiful churches, one to Aghios Panteleimon and one to Aghia Marina and inside the small streets is the church of Metamorphoses of Sotira and the church of Anastaseos that are the oldest of the area.
LEFKES
Lefkes is a beautiful, green village on the mountain, originally built like an amphitheatre in a cross shaped way, with panoramic view over Naxos and one of the most classical and picturesque village of the island.
The village was built around the 16th century. At that period the pirates had taken over the seaside and the Parians went to the mountains for shelter, where together with refugees from Peloponnesus and Crete then created a village and named it Yria.
The village has managed to maintain its traditional character despite the island’s expansion into tourism. Built 200-250m above sea level it has rich flora, wit, olive trees and a lot of poplar trees (Lefkes) the later name of the village. Its characteristic is the snake shape paved streets climbing the mountain, the wells and of course the white Cycladic houses that make a memorable impression on the visitor. Unique is the fact that the architecture of the neoclassic buildings is harmonized with the Cycladic construction of the village. As in all Cycladic islands, cars stop on the perimeter of the village and inside people go on foot.
Around the village we can see various churches, but the jewel of Lefkes is the church of Aghia Triada (Holy Trinity). It was constructed in 1830 over three old churches, Analipseos (Assumption), Aghias Annas (Saint Anne) and Aghios Georgios (Saint George) using Parian marble for the bell towers, the main temple, the pulpit, and the bishop’s throne. Inside we find icons created by local artists and others from post Byzantine times that belonged to the previous smaller churches. In the village we also find the church of Aghia Varvara (Saint Barbara) built on the ruins of the medieval church of Assumption, the church of Aghias Theodosias with icons and representations from 17th century, the church of Aghios Demetrios, Aghias Ekaterinis (Saint Catherine), Aghiou Ermolaou, of Aghias Paraskevis in the upper part of the village and considered to be the first church of the very first settlement around the 15th century. In the surrounding area are the monasteries of Aghia Kyriaki (Saint Sunday), Aghio Ioanni the Kaparou, Aghio Ioanni the Theologo and the monastery of Aghio Georgiou in Langada.
Arts like pottery, weaving, carpet-making and needlecraft flourished in Lefkes. Today the visitor can see examples of this work around the village created in an important workshop of traditional pottery with a 40 year old history. The folklore museum in Lefkes offers much information bout the history of Cycladic tradition. It is Important to know that during the Turk domination Lefkes had the only Greek school on Paros where distinguished professors taught.
A unique attraction of Lefkes is the Byzantine way that unites the village with the village of Prodromos through the mountains. It’s 1 hour normal walking through a picturesque area whose story goes back to the Byzantine time.
PRODROMOS
After Lefkes and on the way to Marpissa we find the community of Archilochos, named after the poet. To this community belong two villages. On the right side is Prodromos or Dragoulas village and on the left side of the main road is Marmara, the second village.
Dragoulas has been known since medieval times and is named after Apollo the Trageio. The name Prodromos comes from the metropolitan temple dedicated to Aghios Ioannis of Prodromos, a church that was built in the 17th century and has plenty of beautiful fretwork and old icons. The first thing that impresses the visitor is the arc at the entrance of the village formed by the connection of the bell towers of two small churches, Aghios Spyridon and Aghios Nikolaou and Georgiou.
Prodromos is a really beautiful location and a perfect example of a fortress shaped Cycladic village. Its walls are shaped by the walls of the houses on the perimeter.
Only pedestrians can go around the small, white, circular paths of Prodromos since cars don’t enter the village. Inside the fortress is the church of Zohodochou Pigis and outside are the abandoned monasteries of Panagia the Kontiani and of Aghio Panteleimona.
MARMARA - MOLOS
Marmara (Marbles) on the other side is a more populated village that takes its name from the marble basin where the women used to wash clothes. In Marmara must be around 42 churches, big and small with the most important the metropolitan church of Kimisis tis Theotokou. Others are the churches of Aghia Marina, the three Ierarches, Agh. Anarghyron, Christ and on the eastern side the twin white church of Pera Panagia. An excellent example of Aegean architecture. Close to Marmara, according to researchers, may lie buried an ancient town.
Continuing from Marmara we reach the beaches of Molos and Kalogeros, two beautiful beaches close to each other but in opposite directions. It is possible to swim and lie on the sandy beach without being annoyed by the sand, no matter which direction the wind blows. Molos is the ideal beach for families because of the shallow waters. Kalogeras beach is known for the natural argil that the mountains produce and people like to use as a beauty mask while swimming. Argil mud bath is a really experience! Behind the beaches are small fish restaurants, ideal for tasting some of the local specialties or fresh fish after swimming.
MARPISSA
Just a few kilometers further away, perched on the side of a hill, is Marpissa village or Tsipidos.
The name Marpissa comes from the realms of history and mythology. It was mentioned in Homer’s Iliad and it is a preHellenic word that refers to Marpissa, the daughter of King Evinos of Etolia, who became the apple of discord between the god Apollo and Ida, the son of the King of Messinia. The inhabitants, though, often used the name Tsipidos, as we can see in the lyrics of the Cycladic songs.
Marpissa is a beautiful village with a mild climate. It has the traditional narrow streets, old windmills and an interesting architecture of houses and churches that go back to the 16th century. Characteristic examples are the churches of Aghios Demetrios, Metamorphoseos, Evaggelistria and the church of Aghios Modestros, protector of animals.
At the top of the village stands the relatively new (finished in 1960) metropolitan temple of Metamorphoseos. It’s of Byzantine style, with a roof and dome covered with ceramic tiles. Next to the church is the Byzantine Museum and some meters further the sculpture museum of Nicolaos Perantinos. In the main square of Aghios Nicolaos is the museum of folklore art.
East of Marpissa is the hill of Kefalos, as it was called in the medieval era, or the hill of Aghios Antonios as its called today, named after the 16th century monastery on the top. According to mythology Kefalos was the son of Hermes and Ersis. Ios, (dawn in Greek) fell in love with Kefalos –among others- and had a son, Faethonta. The unique view from Kefalos at dawn verifies the myth.
On the top of the hill was built the Venetian castle of Nicolas A’ Somaripa, who dominated the island until 1537 when Chairentin Barbarosa occupied Paros. It was the last stronghold of the Venetians and tradition has it that the battle was so fierce that the rue of blood from the soldiers reached the sea in Kalogeras. Today some ruins of the castle exist, some of them belonging to churches one of which is the church of Evangelismou Theotokou of the 15th century. The monastery of Aghios Antonios, well preserved, attracts visitors despite the fact that to reach it there is only an uphill path where no car can go. Inside, the monastery has a wonderful temple, a marble pulpit supported by an upside down column of Ionian style and splendid frescos, like the one representing Judgment Day. Of course people forget all about climbing up the hill the moment they see the magnificent view.
West of the village, high on the mountain is the monastery of Aghios Georgios Langada from the 16th century. The monastery was recently renovated and it’s worth visiting for its architecture and history and of course for the wonderful view.
In the same direction, but over on a track that leads to Lefkes through the mountains, we find Afouklaki on our left side. It’s a small valley with rich flora and running water, an excellent choice for a natural walk.
PISO LIVADI - LOGARAS
The road after Marpissa forks into two. The one to the right continues towards Drios and the other one to the left goes to Piso Livadi and Logaras.
Piso Livadi is in a way the port of Marpissa, a summer resort for families with a beautiful sandy beach surrounded by sea trees. The bay forms a safe haven for fishing and sail boats and round about various restaurants, bars, coffee shops and of course small hotels, rooms and apartments.
At a short distance is the bay of Logaras. Logaras is a long sandy beach, awarded the blue flag for clean beaches/seas. Behind the beach are restaurants, hotels, rooms and apartments to rent. It’s also an ideal holiday resort for families, although the waters are deep. These two areas are pretty much empty during the winter, but they really come to life during the summer months.
PUNTA – TSERDAKIA – GOLDEN BEACH
On the way to Drios we see many beautiful beaches. First is Pounta beach, an organized beach bar-club that is also accessible on foot from the coast of Logaras. Follow Tserdakia or else New Golden beach and the famous Golden beach. Both of them are sandy, organized beaches with beach umbrellas. These two beaches have developed a lot over the last few years and now we find a variety of accommodation, restaurants, snack bars which have made the area a favorite with families but also with wind surfing fans as the wind blows almost every day on this side of Paros.
DRIOS
After passing Golden beach area we arrive in Drios. Leaving the main road we find the romantic coast of Drios. Drios is clearly a choice for family vacations or for people who want to relax and enjoy quiet. Of course restaurants and accommodation are available, some of them right on the seafront.
Drios village has been well known and active since ancient times. At the left end of the coast the visitor notices some long shaped stones inside the sea, used as dockyards for boat restoration and/or protection from storms.
In the time of the Turkish domination the boat of Kapudan Pasa docked there when visiting to collect taxes from the Parian people.
ALIKI - AGERIA
After Drios and continuing the tour of the island we meet Ageria and Aliki. Ageria is a small community, untouched by the tourist development of Paros.
Aliki on the other hand, is a beautiful, charming village on the seafront in the southwest part of the island. Families can enjoy the sea on unorganized sandy beaches and taste small dishes in the restaurants round about. At a short distance from Aliki we find other beautiful beaches like Farangas, Tripiti or Glyfa, all protected from the winds, known as Meltemia.
Of special interest is the monastery of Aghion Theodoron of the followers of the old calendar, and the monastery of Aghios Jiannis of Tripitis. Unique is the folklore Scorpio museum, owned by Mr.Benetos Skiadas, a self-taught and recognized artist. He works by hand and creates detailed miniatures of tools and machines as they used to be years ago, for example old windmills, all working perfectly.
PUNTA – (ANTIPAROS)
On Paros there is a second area called Punta, in the southwest part of the island, exactly opposite the island of Antiparos and 12 km from Parikia. In this area we find hotels and apartments, as well as restaurants and from the port of Punta start the small ferries that connect Paros with Antiparos. The boat trip lasts about 7 minutes and the schedules are frequent and all over year round.
For sport fans there is a school for diving and other sea sports.
Right by the sea is a small church and according to local stories in the old times when the boat connection was not frequent, people used to open the church doors as a signal for the boat to start from Antiparos.
BUTTERFLY VALLEY – MONASTERY OF CHRISTOU DASOUS
Continuing our journey around the island and after passing the road to Aghia Irene beach, we turn towards the inner part of the island and we reach the area of the butterfly valley. Above it, at the top of the mountain is the monastery of Christou Dasous or the monastery Metamorphoses of Christ exclusively for nuns, together with the church of Aghios Arsenis the patron saint of the island. The church was built over the grave of Aghios Arsenios to whose name the temple was dedicated. The monastery celebrates 3 times per year. The first on the 31st of January for the death of Aghios Arsenios, the second on the 6th of August for the Metamorphoses of Christ and the third on the 18th of August on the memorial day of the removal of the relics of Aghios Arsenios. Everybody can visit the monastery, but in the corridors and the nuns cells, only women can enter.
Before we reach the monastery on the top of the mountain, on our right side we see the butterfly valley, one of the best known sights of Paros. The valley is an area full of tall trees and a variety of bushes and flowers, because of the natural underground water. Huge plane trees, laurels, wild olive trees, locust and plenty of fruit trees are only some of the flora growing in this small valley and all covered by ivy. This natural wild garden is the home of a specific type of butterfly with black or dark brown and yellow striped wings that underneath are completely red.
During the day they stay still on the trunks of the trees and after sunset they move to the leaves, but sometimes they decide to fly, giving the visitor a unique performance. For their protection it’s not allowed to scare them by causing loud noises or moving the trees.
MONASTERY OF LOGGOVARDAS
From Parikia and on our way to Naousa we see the monastery of Loggovardas. It’s a men’s monastery dedicated to Zhoodocho Pigi (giving life source) that was built in 1638 by the Naousian Christophoro Paleologo. Its architecture reminds one of a fortress. In its library a lot of religious scripts and coded manuscripts were found from the 14th century. It has valuable frescos and icons dating back to the 18th century. The monastery was renovated many times after 1675. It comes under the laws of Mount Athos, which means that women are not allowed to enter it, nevertheless it is a very interesting place to visit.
NAOUSA
Naousa is a village located between the areas of Kolymbithers and Laggeri, in a naturally formed bay which became the most cosmopolitan and well known small port of Paros. Naousa is the second largest village of Paros, a nautical community full of historical reminders, built like all Cycladic villages, with snake shaped streets and white Cycladic alleys. The houses are built around the Venetian Castle, a remnant of another era, proving the existence of a settlement since the Byzantine time of Komninon, whose exact position we can not know. Speculation is that the town’s development is directly connected to the construction of the castle wall around the beginning of the 15th century or maybe a little bit earlier. The wall was connected via a breakwater to the tower at the port of Naousa, built by the family of Somaripa, with the purpose of protecting the port and the town from any enemy attacks.
Today Naousa preserves its personality and traditional characteristics.
A walk through the small streets with the old traditional houses, uncountable churches, present to the visitor with a different picture of the past when this style of construction was necessary for protection from the enemies and especially pirates.
Naousa was the nautical base of the invaders and the hideout of pirates for centuries. The Turkish admiral and pirate Barbarosa destroyed the town completely and every year on the 23rd of August reenactments of that event happen that last until morning.
Apart from the architectural and general plan of the town, of interest is the small museum of Byzantine art that was founded in 1964 and is housed in the church of Aghios Nikolaos of Mostratos. The exhibits are post – Byzantine icons, creations of Parian and Cretan hagiographers of the 12th and 13th centuries, wooden sculptures, utensils, copper graphics and sculptures from the Roman and Frank periods.
In the area around Naousa we find many interesting sights, natural beauty and archaeological finds, monasteries and churches.
One of the monasteries you can visit is that of Aghios Andreas in Protoria (12th – 13th century), which was recently renovated. At the entrance to Naousa is the main temple of the monastery of Aghios Athanasios. The most beautiful and well known is the little church at the port of Naousa, Aghios Nikolaos, surrounded by all the fishing boats docked on the sea side, and by all the restaurants, bars and shops on the other side.
From the small port of Naousa leave wooden boats that bring people to the beach of Kolymbithres. Access to this beach is easy by car but also on foot for those who love walking. Kolymbithres is a wonderful sandy beach with shallow blue waters and a unique gift of nature, its rocks. They are grey, smooth rocks in artistic forms and alien shapes, formed over the years by the seawater. These rocks create small bays of unique beauty and a sense of mystery that charm the hundreds of summer visitors. West of the bay we find the monastery, an area of continuous bays separated by rocks.
In the bay of Naousa we see a small island called Aghia Kali, with a small church on top, the church of the Ascension, where the Russians had their base in 1770.
Southwest of Naousa is the area of Koukounaries, where recent excavations discovered a Mycenaean palace from the 13th century B.C.
This palace was probably ruined around the 10th or 9th century B.C. and over it was built a new settlement that developed at the same time with the Castle of Parikia. The sculpture of Athena, also found there is estimated to be from the same period. The findings in Koukounaries are the most important of the early history of the Cyclades and in the years to come they will be exhibited in the archaeological museum of Parikia. The area is easily accessible up to the main road, but after that hiking is required, so the visitor must be very well prepared with water, hat and comfortable shoes for walking.
On the limits of Naousa and a breath away from the center, is the sandy beach of Aghioi Anargyri surrounded by tens of accommodation units. It is the best choice for those who don’t want to go far from their hotels.
Lastly, Naousa remains the jewel of the island, because apart from its natural beauty it attracts anyone who is looking for night life. In conclusion we can say that with all it has to offer Naousa is a worthy ambassador of Cycladic spirit and civilization.
SANTA MARIA - LAGERI
After Naousa and on the left, is Xifaras. It’s a long beach with small sandy hills, a lot of armirikia trees for shade and clear blue shallow waters. The road ends at Santa Maria on the northern part of the island. Santa Maria is a combination of three sandy beaches. The largest one is an organized beach with a camping site, beach bar, restaurant and a school for diving and wind surfing. The north winds that often blow in the area makes the place very popular with sports fans that really enjoy the sea.
AMBELAS
From Santa Maria we can reach Ambelas on the eastern side of Paros. Ambelas is a traditional fishing port with a small port and fishing boats and their nets all around. Over the last years there has been a boom in house and accommodation construction, probably due to the fact that it’s a quiet area with many small, private bays, others with a sandy beach and others with rocks. Sitting by the sea, with a beautiful view to Naxos Island, people can enjoy eating fresh fish and sea food.
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