A few days off for me and my oldest daughter, Despina and the invitation from one of my friends brought us in Paros, one of the most beautiful islands of Cyclades at the Centre of Aegean Sea. The days I spent there are going to stay in my memories as long as I live and I want to share with you all this beauty of the island.

So... be ready for the storm of the blue and white colour which my photographs will transfer to you. Enjoy Paros!

In Parikia town, houses are built and decorated in the traditional Cycladic style with flat roofs, whitewash walls and blue-painted doors and window frames and shutters. Shadowed by luxuriant vines, and surrounded by gardens of oranges and pomegranates, the houses give the town a picturesque and pleasing aspect.
On a rock beside the sea are the remains of a medieval castle, built almost entirely of the marble remains of an ancient temple. Similar traces of antiquity, in the shape of bas-reliefs, inscriptions, columns, & etc., are numerous. On a rock shelf to the south are remains of a precinct which was dedicated to Asclepius. In addition, close to the modern harbour, the remains of an ancient cemetery are visible, since being discovered recently during non-archaeological excavations.

On the north side of the island is the bay of Naoussa (Naussa) or Agoussa, forming a safe and spacious harbour. In ancient times it was closed by a chain or boom.

Naoussa is considered to be one of the prettiest villages in the Cyclades and, despite the development of tourism, this lovely village has manage to keep its authenticity, its character and its charm, with its whitewashed and flowered little houses and its tiny whitewashed churches and chapels, surrounded by labyrinth-like narrow, stone-paved streets.

The lovely village of Naoussa is built amphitheatrically around a tiny picturesque port where little colourful fishing boats called caiques are mooring and where remains of a Venetian castle can still be seen, creating a particular and enchanting atmosphere.

Little taverns and ouzeries (places where we drink ouzo and eat appetizers, called “mezedes”) are boarding the port, creating a friendly and traditional atmosphere. Even if Naoussa is much quitter than Parikia, it also offers animated bars and night-clubs, opened until dawn.

Naoussa, Paros is also famous for its numerous beautiful golden beaches, filling the huge bay of Naoussa, such as Kolymbithres Beach, Agios Ioannis, Agioi Anargyroi, Monastiri and much more. From the wildest and more secluded beach to the fully organized one, those beaches are ideal for everyone, filling every need. All can be reached by footpaths, asphalted road or by caiques (small fishing boats).

Naoussa also has many beautiful churches to visit such as its main church, Kimissis tis Theotokou (the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin) which is located on the highest spot of the village or the Church of Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas) in which is housed an interesting Byzantine Museum exposing fine and valuable 13th century icons.

The famed longevity of the island Greeks is attributed to their diet, consisting mainly of fresh salads, fish, and locally grown meat and vegetables. Dressed with olive oil and washed down with chilled Paros wine, the cycladic cuisine is refreshing and delicious.

The fertile soil of the island's plains and valleys is still cultivated producing olives and grapes for export plus a large variety of fruits and vegetables for local consumption.

Local food in Paros is not so different from the food in the other islands of the Cyclades but some Parian specialities exist and are worth trying.
The soft white goat cheese called “ mizithra ” is a pure delight and is used in salads instead of the feta cheese, pure with bread, or on the pasta or meat dishes.

The “ gouna ” is another Parian speciality and consists in a mackerel fish that have been dried under the sun and is served grilled, with a bit of lemon.

Finally, the traditional “ petimezinia ” sweets and the local pumpkin pie are two delicacies that must be tasted.

Wine in Paros is particularly good and quite famous in the rest of Greece for its excellent taste and aroma.

Antiparos , Paros's satellite island is towards the southwest side of Paros and separated by a kilometer of shallow water. Once joined to Paros, Antiparos is comparatively underdeveloped and is famous for it's large limestone grotto where amongst the stalagmites and stalactites, the graffiti of centuries ago is still evident.

In Parikia's main square is the town's principal church, the Ekatontapiliani (literally: " church of the hundred doors "). Its oldest features almost certainly predate the adoption of Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Empire (391 AD). It is said to have been founded by the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great (ruled 306– 337AD), Saint Helen , during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

The church is believed to be miraculous and every year, thousands of Pilgrims visit it for its celebration, on the 15th of August.

As we enter the main temple (30 x 25m) from the Narthex we are astounded by its impression. The size, the simplicity, the inner harmony and the antique-look of this temple gives it a unison which is enthralling. We move to the center of this cross-shaped temple and we can see it has a colonnade in the north, south and the west whereas on the top i.e. the gynaeceum, it has a series of square pillars. These square pillars are shaped in a cross which form the four vaults in the middle and the "cross - vaults" on the sides.

At the center of the temple our eyes wander high to the vaults and the dome. The eastern and southern vault have remained intact as well as the bottom part of the dome. Here we see alternating yellowish, greenish and reddish limestone stripes which have conspicuous decoration and show that in the beginning the vaults and the dome of the Justinian " Katapoliani " were not covered by mosaics or frescoes.

The northern and western vaults though, as mentioned before, which fell down during the earthquake of 1733 have been rebuilt. The northern was reconstructed with its own limestone but not in the right color order, whilst the western vault and the top part of the dome were restored with other material during the construction of the temple because their Iimestones were completely destroyed.

While this was happening to the vaults and dome there was the famous " marble skirting " done at the bottom with mainly white marble.

The dome is where the four vaults cross, and is held on all four spherical triangles and four big columns. A second proof that there was a temple before the Justinian epoch is that if these four pillars were originally built to support the dome, they would have formed a square; we see however that the base is ellipsoidal. Therefore, although the temple was cross-shaped from the beginning it didn't have a dome. It was a cross-shaped wooden-roofed basilica, which in the Justinian epoch took on its current shape.
On the two of the four spherical triangles, on which the dome is supported, six winged seraphims are painted on them. We can only see such seraphim on spherical angles in St. Sophia in Constantinople.

We know that the Byzantines used to build their temples over pre-Christian, that is idolworshipped buildings. They did this for two reasons. The first was purely practical: they found ready — made material, marble, columns etc. which they used for their own temples, and the second was psychological.
They wanted to prove in this way that the new religion "had won" the old. That is why there are two pre-Christian buildings underneath the Ekatontapiliani which were discovered by Professor Orlandos during the restoration of the temple. One was 1.5 meters deep from the current floor of the temple. Also, four marble columns were found. Three of them were covered again, but the fourth has remained uncovered.

The visitor can see it if he moves along the wooden step, which is found in front of the "book stand" of the right "cantor's chorus". The other pre-Christian building was found at a depth of 0.8 meters It was a marvelous mosaic floor with the Labor of Hercules on it and it belonged to a gymnasium in Roman times. This flooring has been transferred and is now sited in the yard of the Archaeological Museum.
There are two adjoining chapels, one of very early form, and also a baptistery with a cruciform font.

Paros is famous for its nightlife, coming third, in terms of entertainment, after Mykonos and Ios.

Plenty of bars and night clubs can be found in the island's capital, Parikia, and in the picturesque fishing village of Naoussa, which is the centre of Paros' nightlife.
Every kind of bar and night club can be found in Paros, offering every kind of music, for every taste and open all night long.

Most of the clubs and bars in Parikia are boarding the waterfront as is “Paros Rock”, the famous bar and club complex, considered as the top of the entertainment of the island.

A great amount of beach bars are available in Paros, on the most famous and popular beaches which are organizing many parties and concerts, offering great fun until dawn.

Don'r forget to visit the cafe-bar inside a windmil in Parikia. Sangria wine under the full moon and the view of the capital of Paros was the top moment of my visit in Paros.

Music from bouzouki, a traditional greek music organ, was Despina's favourite time during our dinner in Naoussa. Greek music with seafood and plenty of Ouzo beside the sea accompany perfect the summer nights in my country.

Vacation in Paros... I am sure it will be an unforgettable experience for you.
How to get there? It is so easy...
Because of its central location in the Cyclades, probably more than one out of three ferries that leave Piraeus harbor for the Greek Islands, makes a stop at Paros. The boats also pause here on their way back from the southern islands.

Recent years have seen an improvement in the transport services between Paros and the rest of Greece. The new ferries are modern, fast and frequent. There are two to three flights every day from Athens airport in the new Dash aircraft and an air-ambulance is available for medical emergencies.

Air links exist only with Athens at the moment, all with the Olympic Airways DASH 8. The trip to/from Athens takes about 30 minutes. The neighboring islands of Mykonos and Santorini host international chartered flights.

So... place Paros at your vacation plans. For sure you will have a wonderful time there and you are going to live happy moments enjoying the blue and white vibres that this island sends to its visitors.