The
beaches of Paros are small and overcrowded in comparison with those
of nearby Naxos, but there is an abundance of sea sand and a few truly
exceptional beaches.
Livadia
is situated in the town of Paros about 700 meters from the port. It is
the first beach of the huge bay of Parikia. It is a nice beach for the
people who want to stay close to their accommodation in town.
One
of the island's best and most famous, picturesque * Kolimbithres
("Fonts"), is an hour's walk or a 10-minute moped ride west from Naoussa.
It has smooth giant rocks, some reminiscent of baptismal fonts, that divide
the gold-sand beach into several tiny coves. The beach can be reached by
road or by caique( small fishing boat), living from the port of Naoussa.
About
2 1/2 kilometers (1 1/2 miles) north of Naoussa on an unimproved road is
the popular Langeri Beach. A 10-minute walk further north will bring
you to the nudist beach, with a gay and straight crowd. Before you reach
Langeri, the road forks to the right and leads to * Santa Maria Beach,
one of the most beautiful on the island. It has particularly clear water
and shallow dunes (rare in Greece) of fine sand along the irregular coastline.
It also offers some of the best windsurfing on Paros. Santa Maria can be
reached by bus and some times even by caique from the port of Naoussa
The
better beaches on the east coast can be reached by bus from Parikia and
Naoussa. Unfortunately, the road is inland and you can't scope out the
beaches from the bus window. Ask around about crowd conditions on the several
beaches; once you've reached a beach, it's several miles to the next one.
Molos,
at the tip of a small peninsula, is beautiful and convenient to the attractive
inland villages of Marmara and Marpissa, where there are rooms to let,
so it can sometimes get crowded.
The
next major beach, * Chrissi Akti (Golden Beach), it is a
700 m long sandy beach, world known for the ideal wind conditions for windsurfing.
New Golden Beach is situated next to the other. It is smaller and welcomes
every August since 1993 the Professional Windsurfing World Cup with many
windsurfing celebrities.The beach is fully organised with windsurf rentals
available in all the clubs.
You
can find in this area several hotels, apartments and tavernas.
The
beach can be reached by road.
The
next beach south of Drios, Loloantonis, is about 200 meters
long and protected from the meltemi winds by a rocky headland. The beach
is usually uncrowded, and has a small taverna and a snack shop. If you
take the bus, you'll have to walk in 1 1/2 kilometers (1 mile) along a
gravel road, signposted from the Drios-Parikia road.
Just
south of Aliki, on the south shore of the island, is beautiful, sheltered
Faranga
Beach, a short walk in from the main road.
Also
Visit: www.Exploreparos.com |
