Greece · Cyclades
Yacht Charter Paros
The junction of the Cyclades, with a fishing harbour that became the best evening in the group.
Paros sits in the middle of the Cyclades and every ferry route crosses it, which has made it the practical centre of the group — the place with the shelter, the provisioning and the airport when the meltemi decides the week. It also has Naoussa, a fishing harbour on the north coast where the boats still land at the quay and the tables are set around them.
Naoussa and Parikia
Naoussa is built round a small harbour with a half-sunk Venetian fort at its mouth, and the octopus hanging to dry on the lines is not staged — the boats come in beside the tables. It is the best evening in the Cyclades and it knows it, so book.
Parikia, the main port, has the Panagia Ekatontapyliani — a church of 326 AD, one of the oldest still standing in Greece, built by Constantine's mother and containing a hundred doors according to a count nobody has finished.
Marble and the crossing
The island's marble was the finest in the ancient world: the Venus de Milo, the Hermes of Praxiteles and Napoleon's tomb are all Parian, quarried from tunnels inland that can still be walked into.
Antiparos is a mile across the channel — quieter, lower, with a cave three hundred steps down that has stalagmites forty-five metres high and Byron's signature on one of them.
Practical notes
- The practical centre of the Cyclades: shelter, provisioning and an airport when the meltemi decides the week
- Naoussa is the best evening in the group and needs booking in season
- Antiparos is a mile across the channel, and its cave goes three hundred steps down
- Naxos is under an hour east, Mykonos about two hours north
Reached from: Athens
Where to dine
A table by the water
Siparos
NaoussaOn the water at Santa Maria, doing raw fish and grilled catch with the sunset behind it.
Barbarossa
NaoussaOn the harbour quay beside the fishing boats, and where the octopus on the line ends up.
Tsitsanis
AntiparosAcross the channel, a family taverna with the island's own vegetables and nothing imported.
What to do
Anchorages & excursions
Naoussa harbour
A working fishing port with a half-sunk Venetian fort at its mouth and the boats landing beside the tables.
Panagia Ekatontapyliani
A church of 326 AD, among the oldest standing in Greece, said to have a hundred doors.
The marble quarries
Tunnels inland that produced the Venus de Milo, the Hermes of Praxiteles and Napoleon's tomb.
Antiparos cave
A mile across the channel, three hundred steps down, with forty-five-metre stalagmites and Byron's signature.
The fleet
Yachts available for Paros
Vessels that operate here, from flagship motor yachts to smaller crewed boats. Every rate is quoted on enquiry.
Good to know
Questions we are asked about Paros
- Why is Paros the centre of the Cyclades?
- Position and shelter. Every ferry route crosses it, it has the provisioning and an airport, and when the meltemi decides the week it is the island you can actually wait it out on.
- What is at Naoussa?
- A working fishing harbour with a half-sunk Venetian fort at the mouth, the boats landing beside the tables, and the best evening in the group. Book it.
- What does a yacht charter to Paros cost?
- It depends on the yacht, the season and the crew, so we quote on enquiry rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most weeks.
Destinations
Nearby destinations
Charter here
Enquire about a charter on Paros
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are, and we will come back with the right yacht and a full quotation.