The Paros email

If anyone mentions they’re visiting Greece I immediately start hovering above my chair in sheer excitement. That excitement stems from a great hope that you’re visiting Paros and I LOVE Paros. I haven’t visited many of the incredible Greek Islands having only been to Paros, Santorini and Corfu to date but I am working my way through them as I think they are all home to a little magic. But goodness me does Paros have a special place in my heart.

Once I have come down from my hovering and confirmed you’re going to Paros I immediately ask if I can send you my “Paros email”. I have, to date, sent eight people this email. My hope now is this blog post can replace that email.

Restaurants we loved in Paros

– Taverna Glafkos
We went for lunch – right on the beach front. So magical. Great dolmades and I loved the grilled prawns. The orange cake with ice cream was superb. And I ate MANY versions of this orange cake during our ten days in Greece…

– The seafood spots at the harbour of Piso Livadi
Ouzeri Halaris came highly recommended but we didn’t get a chance to try it. We had lunch at Markakis and loved it. It was our first lunch on a Greek Island and I sat there thinking – yeah I get it… I get why everyone falls in love with Greece. The complementary Greek yoghurt and berry compote and the fantastic wine probably helped too. But I would guess most spots along the harbour there are wonderful so grab somewhere with a table free with a great view.

– Souvlakia Kargas
Five star souvlaki – super cheap too. Grab a takeaway and eat it on the harbour wall. Or pack it in a back pack, pop on your bike/quad thing and head to the beach for a picnic.

– Sante
Phenomenal cocktail bar. We did pre drinks at 8ish or a 11:30 post dinner drinks every night of our four nights in Paros. Such a great vibe
MUST ORDER: Pina colada, lemon pie, pornstar martini
We didn’t order espresso martinis but they were a very popular order going around

– Thalami
A little off the beaten track – felt more local / family run. Definitely worth the journey out. Order the prawn saganaki starter! And the house wine is grand! It’s right on the water so may be worth trying to book a table at the front.

Places we visited but weren’t our favourites

– Moratis Winery – average and expensive – wouldn’t recommend

– Yemeni – very busy and vibey. We liked it but didn’t LOVE it. Maybe we didn’t order the best things. It does get rave reviews and you will need to book.

Places on our next visit list

– Stou Fred – Romantic garden restaurant serving a five course set menu. Run by Fred Chesneau, backpacker turned chef.

– Statheros – Farm to table three generation run restaurant with veggies sourced from the Statheros family farm. Reserve a spot by the seaside.

Things we did when not eating

– Our favourite beach was Kolymbithres Beach. Super cool rock structures. A guide book said it’s like being on the face of the moon. That’s obviously a push but I still thought it was great. We just sat on the sand around the rock structures for a couple of hours and didn’t bother with the posh pay for chairs!

– Spend time exploring Naoussa. The beautiful white houses and cobbled streets are straight out of a post card. Stroll along the harbour. If you follow any of my food recommendations you’ll mostly end up exploring this pocket anyway!

– I’d highly recommend renting a scooter or quad. Our accommodation helped arrange this for us and it was delivered and picked up at the hotel which was 10/10 for convenience. The island is wonderful and you’ll miss so much of it if you can’t get around.

– Head up to Lefkes. A lovely lovely mountain village with great views. Have a wander around and don’t skip a quick visit to the Church of Panagia Ekatontapiliani. The church dates back to the 4th century AD. And is on my list of yet another church I have cried in. I don’t know why I am like this. A hot mess minus the hot!

Where we stayed in Paros

I very rarely stay somewhere I feel is a MUST recommend but we really loved Angels Pillow Luxury Boutique Hotel. We thought the location was great – in a quiet spot but still within a ten minute walk to busy Naoussa. The front desk team were super helpful with recommendations and sorting out our rental scooter. Loved the long swimming pool, the lovely rooms and the breakfast that included doughnuts that we grabbed and took back to bed with coffee.