Parakia: Port of Paros

The main port of Parakia is for many, the first and only place they see in Paros. With as many as five ferries unloading in the space of half an hour your first impression can be that you want to get right back on the boat you just got off. But if you wait for the crowds to clear, you find that Parakia is not a bad place to base yourself.

The center of town is the windmill which used to serve as the tourist information center, but now serves only as a windmill. What the windmill does exactly, I am not sure, but the tourist police have moved across the street and if you want information on ferry boats there are at least half a dozen ticket agencies within fifty meters. Each agency posts the weekly schedules on boards in front and by looking at your options you realize that you can get just about anywhere from Paros. Don't book your ferry until you have gone by all the agencies and seen what is available in case some agents are just representing a particular ferry company and does not list the other boats.

 There are many cafes along the coast and up the main street that leads out of town past the Monastery of Katapoliani where you can get frappes and espressos and a variety of fast food. If you are waiting for a ferry, the best cafes to sit at are to the right of the windmill because of their view of the entire bay. You have about 10 minutes to get to the dock once you sight your boat, unless it is a high speed which get in and out of the harbor a little faster. The Windmill cafe owned by a guy named Jimmy, not only serves really good espresso, but it is close enough to the dock so you don't have to panic if your ferry should happen to pull into the harbor unnoticed by you. With a good run you can still make it. If not, there will probably be another. The rocks along the coast are also a good spot, especially with a bottle of retsina, some cheese and a loaf of bread. These cafes along the coast are also the best spots to watch the sunset, particularly the Glass Cafe which still resembles an old style cafeneon. There are also a variety of restaurants here and within the town itself, on the squares and small side-streets.

On the opposite side of the windmill is where much of the nightlife is. This is also where you can catch the buses to the other parts of the island too. Further on is the town beach, but why anyone would want to swim here, with all the other great beaches on the island is a question I will leave to greater minds to grapple with. Of particular interest is the sponge and shell boat, rumored to be from the sponge-fishing island of Kalymnos. The main square in Parakia is a busy place. It is directly behind and to the right of the Praxis tour office. It was there we met Marios who runs the Wild Animal Hospital on the island. Staffed by himself and volunteers, the hospital takes in injured birds from all over the island and the rest of Greece as well. Though not as popular with migrating birds as Lesvos, Paros has many wetland areas that are attractive to them as they make their way from Africa to northern Europe. For information on volunteering, contributing or visiting the Wild Animal Hospital click here.

The Wired Cafe is one of several internet-cafes in Parakia, but acknowledged by most people as the best. It is also the home of Parosweb, owned and run by Nick Stephanou. There are countless clubs, from Jazz bars to rock, disco, and Greek music, many of them doubling as snack bars in the daytime. The Monastery of Katapoliani is located in a wooded park just up the road from the harbor. Its name means "Church of a Hundred Gates" and is one of the most important Christian monuments in Greece. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary so every August 15th brings hordes of pilgrims and party-goers to the island to celebrate the name day of the Panagia. What this means is if you are planning on coming to the island around then, book well in advance. If you are planning on seeing the entire island by using the buses or the excursion boats, your best bet is to base yourself in Parakia. If you are renting a car then it doesn't matter. For hotels in and around Parakia visit the Fantasy Travel or the web-sites of

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