A trip to Europe is a lifetime journey for most Mexicans, but Europe is a large continent with innumerable cities to visit and things to do, so it is inevitable to choose only some of them. Greece is one of the most popular destinations in Europe during summer thanks to its numerous wonderful islands in the Aegean and Ionian Sea.
How to choose among all these islands? Today, we present Paros, located in the island complex of the Cyclades, in the middle of the Aegean Sea (about 4 hours by boat from Athens, the Greek capital). Paros is one of the best islands to visit in Greece because it is something different from the tourist resorts we are familiar with in Mexico.
It has only a few very long sandy beaches, as its main characteristics are the small bays off-the-beaten-path coves and hidden beaches. Like Tulum and Cancun, Paros has crazy nightlife, but it has more friendly local bars, located in a graphic scenery with tiny, whitewashed houses and paved, labyrinth-like streets.
Read here everything you need to know about this extraordinary Greek island and plan now for your vacation!
Amazing beaches
Paros has stunning beaches with azure waters and golden sand, surrounded by an interesting environment with rocky formations. If you rent a car in Paros, you can explore all these beaches and even more, as they are located close to each other.
The best-known beaches are:
- Pounda: It is a long sandy beach with a famous beach bar, which gets very crowded in summer. The beach bar of Pounda is the place where all the young people of the island gather and have fun until late at night.
- Kolympithres: It is the most beautiful beach on the island. Rocky formations, crystal-clear waters, soft sand, and sunbeds/ umbrellas make this beach the best place for a day with your friends or your children.
- Santa Maria: It is organized, with every touristic facility you need, and it also offers water sports activities. It has a diving club and wind- and kite-surfing centers, and behind the beach, is located the most popular camping spot in the Cyclades.
- Golden Beach: Thanks to its wind, this beach (Chrisi Akti in Greek) is the ideal place for wind sports. Every summer, the Professional Windsurfing World Cup takes place there.
- New Golden Beach: Right next to Golden Beach, you can find the New Golden Beach, a less developed but similarly beautiful beach.
- Monastiri: It is a rocky bay at a close distance to the beach of Kolympithres. A monastery on the top of the hill dominates the landscape and gives the name of this beach (Monastiri means monastery in Greek). The place is a popular harbor for yachts, and it is known for its beauty and its impressive scenery.
Crazy nightlife
In Paros, you can experience endless fun and parties. Traditional Greek bars, late-night clubs with loud music and strong drinks until dawn, cafés, dance clubs, and jazz bars are everywhere on the island, offering you entertainment 24/7 during summer. The good news is that Paros is a safe place and you can walk around even after midnight without worrying about anything, as the crime rate is very low.
In Parikia and Naousa, your options are innumerable, so prepare yourself for an exciting Greek vacation and partying all day and night long. In addition to these famous settlements, all-day partying takes place in the beach bars of the famous beaches of the island, such as Pounda and Santa Maria.
Delicious cuisine
If you think Mexican cuisine is the most delicious in the world, then definitely you haven’t tasted the Greek cuisine and especially the local cuisine of Paros! The vacations in Paros are an unforgettable culinary experience that will steal your heart and make you feel the pleasure of the good food.
There are many traditional dishes of exceptional taste, such as karavoles (snails boiled in tomato sauce), gouna (sun-dried and grilled bonito or mackerel), patoudo (the signature dish of Paros which contains lamb stuffed with vegetables, rice, dill, cheese, and chopped liver).
Don’t forget to try the famous pies, such as zucchini pie and cheese pie with local cheese varieties, such as touloumotiri or mizithra.
Paros offers a unique holiday experience in Greece, combining vivid nightlife, astonishing beaches, and the Greek tradition of good food. What else do you want for your next summer?
