Paros Beaches
Greece

Kolymbithres Beach on Paros, transport hub of the Cyclades islands.

Paros island and town views | Greece Map

Paros has a handful of excellent beaches, though the heavily promoted and horribly exposed beaches on the east coast - such as Golden Beach (photo below) - are not the ones for regular sun bathers and swimmers, they are better suited to board surfers.

Kolymbithres is very, very small but very, very lovely. Soft sand strewn with bizarre Gaudi-ish rocks, protected by large Naoussa Bay in the north of the island, shallow and crystal clear water, this should be a prime target for people with toddlers, though there's not much in the way of services available, if any. Own transport will be needed.

Another view of Kolymbithres Beach.

Paros island generally is a surprise. As a transport hub for the Cyclades Island group you might expect it to be a big port and nothing more, but it has some good beaches - including Livadia (below) beside the small port, a stupendous church that is the oldest in use in Greece, and a charming little old quarter with no shortage of romantic bars and restaurants.

Livadia Beach, near Paros port and town on the west side of the island, protected by Parikia Bay.

Naoussa Beach; small and a little stony but adjacent to a cheerful tourist village and sheltered in a beautiful environment. Naousa is almost opposite Kolymbithres beach in Naousa Bay.

Monastiri Beach, near Kolymbithres; quiet but dull and disappointing.

Golden Beach.

Golden Beach is a spacious but very exposed strand of hard sand on Paros' southeast coast that is brilliant for wind surfers but not sun bathers. This beach has been the site of international windsurfing and kite surfing competitions, confirming the regular breeze situation.

Logaras Beach. Next, Paros hora or Ios island pictures.

Also on the east coast Logaras takes the booby prize for worst popular beach on the island; shabby, stony, exposed and overrun by tourists from nearby apartments and hotels, on a good day.

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