Paros / Cyclades Islands
Guide
Paros is one of the most cosmopolitan destinations in the Aegean Sea. The Cycladic Island is best known for its wondrous beaches, its picturesque traditional villages, and of course, its jet-set visitors. Naoussa, Lefkes, and Parikia are the island’s largest villages that are built in a close formation reminiscent of a roman phalanx, to protect the low, white, and blue traditional houses from the strong wind, known as Meltemi. The windy climate of the island favors adventurous travelers, who may enjoy some water extreme sports by the shore. Whether you are bold or relaxed, a must-see for visitors is the north coast’s Kolimbithres, a beach where naturally sculpted rocks form swimming coves.
Panagia Ekatontapiliani, a landmark Byzantine church from the 4th century A.D. is the jewel of Paros. Hundreds of pilgrims visit the church to get the Virgin Mary’s blessing every August and the island is transformed into a welcoming and all-embracing spot for people with different traveling desires.
Parikia, the bayside capital, is a boating and transportation hub for the Cyclades region. Thus, it is the base for many visitors, who wish to explore the region by sea.
Things to do
- Visit Naousa Village
- Visit Parikia Town
- Panagia Ekatontapiliani Church
- Visit Town of Lefkes
- Kolymbithres Beach
- Visit Antiparos.
- Windsurfing
Recommended Sailing Itinerary
1 WEEK – 113 Nautical Miles
Day 1 DESPOTIKO 14 N.M.
On your first day and after we finish with the briefing we will be sailing to Despotiko Bay, a beautiful bay between Antiparos and Despotiko island. The perfect sailing warm up. Here we will have time for swim and also visit the sanctuary of Apollo, an ancient temple built around 500BC. Our day will finish with a magnificent sunset and dinner at Captain Pipinos, a traditional Greek fishing tavern.
Day 2 SCHINOUSA 25 N.M.
On our way to Schinoussa and if we are all up for it we can stop at Heraklia. This tiny fish island is named after Hercules and is just 1 hr (3 hr) sailing from Despotiko bay. We will stop for a swim and dive over a WW2 plane shipwreck. Then we continue to Livadia (Schinoussa) 1hr. We will anchor off-shore in Livadia where we could go for dinner and visit the local village.
Day 3 PANO KOUFONISI 10 N.M.
On our way to Pano Koufonisi we will stop at a nearby bay to swim in the turquoise waters and we will visit the cosmopolitan island of Pano Koufonisi. The island has plenty of options from local shops and markets to bars and restaurants.
Day 4 AMOSRGOS 14 N.M.
On our fourth sailing day we have the option to be more cosmopolitan visiting Katapola or sail towards a more picturesque village called Aegiali. We can visit the famous monastery that is built on the rocks and then reach Amorgos and swim at the spot where the movie Big Blue was filmed. We will moore at the lovely harbour of Amorgos and explore the island with good company and great food.
Day 5 KATO KOUFONISI 15 N.M.
We will say goodbye to Amorgos island and we will start sailing towards Kato Koufonisi. We will be stopping for a quick swim at Nero Bay and we will have dinner on the boat and end the day with some stargazing.
Day 6 ANTIPAROS 28 N.M.
Today we will slowly go back to Antiparos and we will be sailing for a total of 5 hours. On our way back we will be stopping at Panteronisia, the Blue Lagoon and plan our dinner out in Antiparos.
Day 7 PAROS 5.5 N.M.
The sun is up in Antiparos island and we need to get our morning coffee and drinks before we start sailing our way to the main base where it all started. On our way back to Paros we will stop for a swim and brunch at Tourlos Bay which is only 30 minutes sailing from Antiparos and spend 2 to 3 hours there before we start sailing again.
Map
Weather
The island is windy, and in summer, it is cooled by a frequent northerly wind. The wind has been exploited by windmills for centuries.
The interior of the island is occupied by hills, whose highest point is 732 meters (2,402 feet) above sea level.
The daily average temperature ranges from 12 °C (53.5 °F) in January to 27 °C (80 °F) in August. Here are the average temperatures.
Winter, from December to mid-March, is mild, quite rainy and windy. The wind, frequent and sometimes intense, intensifies the feeling of cold. Sometimes, cold air masses from the Balkans can bring cold days, when highs can remain below 10 °C (50 °F), and occasionally, even snow can fall.
Spring, from mid-March to May, is mild and sunny, and also quite windy. By mid-May, the Meltemi starts to blow, a persistent wind, cool and dry, blowing from the north for a few days in a row, especially in the daytime, but sometimes even at night.
Summer, from June to mid-September, is warm and sunny, but also windy. The Meltemi blows for long periods, especially in July and August, and it’s stronger in the afternoon, but can insist also in the evening. Thanks to this wind, the maximum temperature remains around 30 °C (86 °F), even though we can not be exclude periods with temperatures about 35/36 °C (95/97 °F), and very rarely, peaks of 40 °C (104 °F).
Autumn, from mid-September to November, is initially warm and sunny, but it gradually becomes cooler and more rainy. Autumn too, is windy: as long as the weather is good, the Meltemi still blows, while later, the southern wind blows, brought by disturbances coming from the Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea.
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