Páros

Páros has always been famed throughout Greece – and indeed much of the rest of the world – for the fine quality of the white marble produced from its quarries. The Venus de Milo was carved from Parian marble, as were many of the buildings and statues erected during the Golden Age in Athens. Today the quarries are closed and the marble is only used for restoration work, while the islanders look increasingly to tourism for their income. Páros is still relatively unspoiled, however, and only in certain places – Náoussa in particular – has tourism become the dominant force throughout the summer months. There are lots of beautiful sandy beaches, ...

Páros has always been famed throughout Greece – and indeed much of the rest of the world – for the fine quality of the white marble produced from its quarries. The Venus de Milo was carved from Parian marble, as were many of the buildings and statues erected during the Golden Age in Athens. Today the quarries are closed and the marble is only used for restoration work, while the islanders look increasingly to tourism for their income. Páros is still relatively unspoiled, however, and only in certain places – Náoussa in particular – has tourism become the dominant force throughout the summer months. There are lots of beautiful sandy beaches, ranging from family-friendly ones to those that attract a party crowd. Others are popular with windsurfers. Away from the coast, there’s a rugged and hilly interior, rising to a height of 2,525 feet at Mount Profitis Ilias, almost in the center of the island. The main town of Parikía, also known as Páros Town, is a lively harbor town, due partly to the island’s location in the very center of the Cyclades.

About the Expert

Mike Gerrard is the author of the National Geographic Traveler Guide to Greece, as well as guides to Athens, Crete, Corfu, the Greek Mainland, and the Greek islands for publishers including AA, AAA, Thomas Cook, Dorling Kindersley, Michelin, and New Holland. With his wife Donna Dailey, he also publishes the Greece Travel Secrets website.