Cafes, tavernas and shops concertina in all directions away from the central harbour windmill, a popular meeting place and the waterside focal point. Parikia, sometimes spelt Paroikia, is the busy Paros island capital of some 2,000 people. This city was one of the most important ports of the Minoan civilization and as archeological findings show it flourished in 3,000 BC. That is why the city, in place of today’s Parikia, was named Minos, in honor of the king of the Minoan state. Paros is one of the few islands in the Aegean, where the Minoan civilization developed.īesides, it seems that the founder of the ancient city of Paros was Alkaios of Cretan origin and the first inhabitants were settlers from Crete. Remains of an Early Cycladic settlement were found on the hill of the Castle of Parikia, while other remarkable settlements of this period have been found in Drios, Koukounaries, Glyfa, Faragga etc. It owes its name to the leader of the Arcadians, Paros, who took refuge on the island around 1100 BC, when the Dorians attacked Arcadia. We have the first traces of life in Paros on the island of Saliagos, between Paros and Antiparos, where one of the oldest settlements of the prehistoric Aegean appears. and experienced periods of great economic and artistic prosperity, but also periods of plunder, intense violence, decline and obscurity. Paros has been inhabited since the 4th millennium BC. Paros has a good range of accommodation, from luxury hotels to self-catering studios and apartments, and there are several large camping sites. The offshore island of Antiparos has regular daily ferry links and offers even more remote hill trails for those visitors who enjoy walking. A bus network links the larger villages and most of the beach resorts. The roads are good and there are plenty of hill trails for walking. Paros lies at the heart of the Cyclades and at the hub of the Greek ferry network with many boat connections to other islands. Otherwise it’s a ferry from Athens or one of the other islands that have large airports such as Mykonos and Santorini. With no international airport, arriving by air is usually on a domestic flight from Athens. Paros lies in the centre of the Cyclades group between Crete, in the south, and the Greek mainland, to the north. Its central Cycladic location and good ferry connections make this an ideal base for Greek island hopping. Paros will suit those looking for a quiet destination with a good tourist infrastructure. The much photographed port at Naoussa is one of the most picturesque in the Cyclades with sugar cube houses dotted around harbour and several pleasant beaches lining the large bay The island has many good beaches and the clean sands are clear of the ugly flotsam that often adorns many Greek island beaches. The capital port of Parikia, lies in a huge bay with many treasures to be found around the old Venetian Kastro, several splendid churches and a signature picturesque windmill on the long waterfront. The lack of a large airport means that Paros largely caters for the more independent tourist and, with its good ferry connections, the island is a favourite of campers and backpackers. They are the epitome of the Greek islands, with scenic mountains, rich fertile valleys, white sugar cube houses and long sandy beaches. Paros, along with its much larger neighbour Naxos, forms the hub of the central group of Greek islands known as the Cyclades
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