Monastiri, just beneath the blue dome of Agios Ioannis Detis church, is an atmospheric spot where you can post up on a rock to watch boats sail by. If you’re craving provisions, Monastiri Paros, one of the island’s more popular beach bars, is right here. Sandy Krios near Parikia is beautifully organized with bars and beach clubs. Crios, which opened for the 2024 season, gives mini Mykonos vibes with its minimalist aesthetic, customized bottles of Miraval rosé, and rotating selection of European DJs.
Among the many natural, untouched beaches (no bar, no sun loungers), the most popular might be clothing-optional Lageri, surrounded by rolling sand dunes. It’s a 15-minute drive from Naoussa, and by no means a secret (nothing on this island seems to be anymore)—but it’s still a fantastic spot for a seaside sunset. For something totally quiet: In the southwest between the fishing village of Aliki and the airport, Voutakos is a small sandy beach that very few travelers go to.
To get outdoors off-beach, explore Paros’ fertile farmlands just south of Monastiri at Petra Farm, where you can tour the grounds, meet goats, and then taste the fruits of their labor—juicy tomatoes, tasty figs, sweet-and-spicy chili jam. Just north of Drios, there’s also Domaine Myrsini, a new winery from husband-and-wife team Nicolas and Marie Astrid Bourget, who moved to Paros from France a few years ago: Their low-intervention production of Cycladic varieties (roditis, assyrtiko) yields four different bottlings—all of which can be enjoyed during a wine-tasting on the sweet hilltop patio. Early fall is also prime hiking season, perfect to do the four-ish-mile Byzantine Road from Lefkes to the village of Prodromos.
Entirely less strenuous (or maybe not) is the island’s shopping scene. Homegrown fashion brand Leto has boutiques in both Naoussa and Parikia to mine colorful linen pieces of symmetrical dresses and classic button-down shirts. Athens-based jewelry label Neso has a Naoussa boutique full of whimsically shaped rings, earrings, and necklaces festooned with rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. For architectural ceramics, make an appointment with Todd Marshard, who started his career at Donna Karan’s Urban Zen and is now living and working on Paros. His Lefkes studio is full of unusually shaped vases and decorative sculptures.
There are also plenty of local events happening on the island in September. Moonhouse’s Smit recommends getting acquainted with a traditional harvest: “While it’s not a formal festival, harvest is a communal activity that many locals partake in, and sometimes visitors are invited to join,” she says, adding that beyond wine there’s also kazani, a type of distilled grape and one of the more unique spirits produced on Paros.
Tour guide Statheros says you can’t miss Kapetaneika, a celebration of the region’s seafaring heritage. This usually takes place mid-month and features some of Greece’s most magnificent wooden sailing vessels. And, of course, “it wouldn’t be complete without a feast and plenty of drinking that starts at noon and ends very late at night,” he says.
