Second Stop: Paros

 So many islands...

Your first decision is which group of islands to go to. We've explored the Cyclades before and one of the islands on our itinerary was the impetus for our trip so, for us, it was straightforward. If you're booking flights/ferries in advance, it really is worth making the decision about which group you're planning to visit and, if you are going between islands, what travel time you can allow for.

Piraeus is the main port from Athens and serves so many of the islands but the Ionian are better explored via a direct flight to one of the islands themselves while the Sporades, a different plan again. The last time we island hopped it was just the two of us so we booked our return flights to Athens and booked our ferries/accommodation as we went. It was definitely more adventurous but those were days when you booked ahead on the desktop computer in the common areas of where you were staying and people just didn't make bookings for as many things as we do now. It's still perfectly doable and, actually, how we wanted to do some of it, at least. With 5 of us and small islands, accommodation within our budget and avoiding splitting us up, this was harder to come by so we decided not to take the gamble on their first adventure. Although the planning stages were more long-winded (I will get to those, I promise) it did make for a stress-free trip when we were away.

Of the three ports that serve Athens, Piraeus is the easiest to get to and, if you have an early (or late) ferry like we did, you'll be glad of its proximity especially if you're using the metro.

We booked all our ferries with Seajets and did all the bookings in one go. We got the 8am ferry because, on the days we were travelling, it was the quickest (an hour quicker than the other two ferries that day) which also meant we didn't arrive in Paros in the evening and we didn't have to lug our luggage around Athens with us/lose time going to and from our hotel. As we knew we could rely on the weather, we all travelled with our swimmers underneath our travel clothes so we could dump our bags at our AirBnB and head straight to the beach while we waited for our accommodation. This might not suit everyone but we were grateful for a shorter ferry and were on Paros by 10:45.

Where to stay

When we last visited Paros, we stayed in just a walk from the port but we hired quads and explored the island so that really suited us then. When the kids are old enough, we'd like to return and all explore like that but this time we knew we'd be more static so wanted a prettier base. 

Naousa is absolutely stunning. On the northern coast of the island, it gets stunning sunsets, calmer waters and (often) less breeze due to the bay. We booked our AirBnB about 3 weeks before we left but we'd favourited it previously and got lucky that it was still free. We missed out on a few places due to dithering. The Polymnia 2 bedroom apartment was absolutely perfect for us, with a sofa bed in the lounge, kitchen and laundry facilities, enviable proximity to the restaurants and shops but tucked away enough so as to still be quiet and with sea/sunset views that were beautiful. Our hosts, a Greek couple live below and couldn't have been more helpful. There is a small beach along the road and we went there the first afternoon but the advice of locals was to keep an eye on the wind direction and choose with that in mind; the Cyclades get windy but this often takes the edge off the heat.

    

Pretty Naousa

If you were asked to draw a Greek town, Naousa would likely be it. Whitewashed buildings, cobbled winding alleys with the distinctive painted white lines and blue chaired tavernas precariously close to the harbour edge. Don't expect the blue domes of Santorini or the windmills of Mykonos; I like that the islands have their own distinctive style and Naousa packed style in with tourists dressing up for the evening's drinks, dining or amble.

We ate breakfast and dinner in the apartment (before wandering for sunset drinks) but, grabbed lunch from the local bakeries to take with us. The restaurants were bustling but we knew this was only one of two of our stays that had a kitchen and his helped with budget. Still lots of Greek fare with honey, coffee (Greek coffee is my new favourite) and other treats provided by our hosts plus some great recommendations for food shops.

Exploring Paros

The last time we went, we explored lovely Lefkes. A beautifully quaint mountain/hilly village which takes you back in time it is quieter than the coastal villages and worth exploring. You can travel by bus but car rental was only 50 euros a day and you can take in a few stops that way. It was so hot when we went this time that we felt dragging 3 kids around it would feel like a chore for all of us. Instead, on our hosts recommendation, we got return tickets for a small boat to Kolympithres Beach. Again, you can go by bus but this felt adventurous and the boys rated the boat trip as one of their highlights as it was pretty choppy! Kolympithres is a rocky beach where people put their towels down wherever they can (the rocks are surprisingly soft), bring their own food and drinks and where the only sunbeams are rickety and adjusted with a spanner before you settle on them (they still cost a small fortune though). The water is crystal clear and jumping off the smaller rocks in the water is a must. It was one of my most favourite days. The wind still whipped up so you need to choose your spot with that in mind and forget your pretty hat: pack a peaked cap otherwise it will blow away.

You can get everywhere by bus but our host booked us return transfer which saved us on the bumped up prices at the port and meant we didn't have to worry about running late. The port gets busy to bursting point as all the ferries come and go around the same time every few hours so allow for time on your return to the port; a couple hopped in with us and, had their ferry not been late due to choppy waters in another port, they would have missed it. As I mentioned in the last post, travelling with hand luggage also makes you an easier fare to transport in a car or on he bus; an American family we met had taken fewer bags but bigger thinking it would be easier but found it was a hindrance for on-island transport.