Seven days on Paros is, in our slightly biased opinion, the perfect length of holiday: long enough to see the island properly, short enough that every day still feels precious. Based in the quiet south, near Faragas and Aliki, you are ideally placed to explore in every direction and to return each evening to a swim, a sunset and dinner by the sea.
Here is how we would spend the week.
Day 1 – Arrive, Unpack, Exhale
Whether you land at Paros Airport (a mere ten minutes from the south coast) or sail into Parikia, resist the urge to plan anything ambitious. Settle in, stock the kitchen with essentials from Aliki’s shops, and take your first swim Faragas Beach will do the honours beautifully. In the evening, wander down to Aliki’s little harbour for dinner at a waterfront taverna: grilled fish, a Greek salad, a carafe of local wine, and the sound of the sea. You have arrived.
Day 2 – Faragas and the Art of Doing Nothing
Dedicate your first full day to the south’s greatest talent: slowing you down. Spend the morning at Faragas golden sand, calm turquoise water, and sunbeds waiting. When the beach restaurant calls you for lunch, answer. In the afternoon, explore the small rocky coves beside the main beach for quieter swimming. This is the day your shoulders finally drop away from your ears.
Day 3 – Parikia: History and Harbour Life
Time for culture. Drive the scenic twenty minutes to Parikia and lose yourself in the old town’s whitewashed lanes. Visit Panagia Ekatontapiliani the legendary “Church of a Hundred Doors”, one of the oldest and most important churches in Greece then climb through the alleys to the Venetian castle, built almost entirely from fragments of ancient temples. Browse the boutiques, linger over coffee on the waterfront, and stay for sunset: the view over the bay as the ferries glide in is quietly magical.
Day 4 – Antiparos: The Perfect Day Trip
From Pounta, just fifteen minutes from the villa, the little ferry crosses to Antiparos in under ten minutes one of the easiest and most rewarding day trips in the Cyclades. Start with the famous Cave of Antiparos, a vast stalactite cathedral descending deep into the hillside. Reward yourself with a swim at Soros Beach, then spend the late afternoon in Antiparos Town: a single, impossibly charming main street of bougainvillea, boutiques and bars. Stay for an early dinner before catching the boat back.
Day 5 – The Villages: Lefkes, Marpissa and the Mountain Heart
Paros is more than beaches, and today proves it. Head inland to Lefkes, the island’s old capital, a marble-paved village folded into the hills with sweeping views towards Naxos. Walk a stretch of the Byzantine Path, an ancient marble trail through olive groves, then continue to the quiet villages of Prodromos and Marpissa, where life moves at the pace of a church bell. Lunch in a village taverna here is one of the island’s great pleasures simple, generous and utterly authentic.
Day 6 – Naoussa and the Golden North
Save the island’s most celebrated town for near the end. Spend the morning at Kolymbithres, the famous beach where granite boulders sculpted by wind and sea create a chain of natural swimming coves. In the afternoon, head into Naoussa itself: a tiny Venetian fishing harbour that has become one of the most stylish corners of the Aegean, without losing its soul. Stay for the evening aperitifs by the water as the lights come on, then dinner at one of the exceptional restaurants tucked into the lanes. It will be a late drive home, and worth every minute.
Day 7 – Your Perfect Last Day
For the finale, choose your mood. Active souls can head to Golden Beach on the east coast to try windsurfing or simply watch the sails dance across the bay. Those in holiday mode can return to a favourite beach for one last long swim. Either way, end the day at home in the south: a final barbecue on the terrace, a glass of wine by the pool, and the sunset performing its farewell over the Aegean. There is no better closing scene.
Making It Effortless
A rental car makes this itinerary easy distances on Paros are short, and nothing on this list is more than about forty minutes from the south coast. Base yourself well, and the whole island unfolds around you.
Villa Azzuro, set just 200 metres above Faragas Beach, makes the ideal starting point for every one of these days and the most rewarding place to return to.
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