Paros may well be known as a holiday party island, but it offers so much more than meets the eye. When visitors first disembark at the main town of Parikia, they may not be impressed with all the development, although it does offer charming streets, neoclassical buildings, old springs and worthy sights in its midst. Parikia has always been the centre of the island since ancient times, and boasts some archaeological treasures (See section on Archaeology). Read more bellow...

The Parian countryside is full of terraced hills, lovely vineyards, traditional olive groves and outstanding rock formations, spread among quaint Cycladic villages. Labyrinthine streets with white houses, arches and balconies dotted with herbs and flowers will delight visitors beyond compare.

Take the village of Lefkes, with its 8 crumbling mills, as an example of traditional beauty. The mill of Artemis is the only one which has been preserved, despite being more than 300 years old. A walk on the central road of Ramnos in Lefkes is also interesting, as no cars are allowed on the road or in all of central Lefkes for that matter.

On the northern side of the island Naoussa is touristic, yet features impressive beachside rocks formed by erosion called Kolymbithres.

The island of Antiparos is also interesting to visit for its cave and castle (see respective sections). Near Antiparos, the islands of Despotico and Strongili are known for unspoilt nature and protected species. They are included in the Natura 2000 network. The nearby islands have also revealed many archaeological treasures. Also noteworthy are the butterflies of Paros which have been labelled under Natura 2000.