One of Paros’s main draw is the abundance of lovely sandy beaches! More than sixty crystal clear beaches on Paros and 20 more on Antiparos awaits visitors (See also our article ‘Why Paros?’) In this article I collected all you need to think about and prepare before going to the beach on Paros!
First and foremost let me assure you: the Aegean sea is calm and safe compared to the Atlantic or the Pacific ocean. No tide movements, no dangerous waves (generally speaking, not in stormy weather of course!) and the possibility of getting attacked by wild life is very low. In Greece there are no private beaches, so please don’t fall for false advertisement, your villa won’t have a private beach, as houses by low have to be a minimum of 30 m from the shore and the shoreline is freely accessible by the public.
Paros is very unique among the Cycladic islands in the respect that it is almost flat all around and there are close to hundred shores and beaches where you can access the sea. 99% of the beaches are sandy (small pebbles in Makria Myti beach if you dislike sand) and about half of the beaches offer sunbeds and umbrellas to rent. By law up to 60% of the beach can be taken up by a company providing services while 40% of the beach is free to access by everybody. The other half of the beaches on Paros are not organised and you will enjoy the peace and quiet.
Shade is what you will have to think about when going to the beach as unfortunately there are usually only a handful of almiriki trees on the beach, the spots underneath them quickly fill with the towels of early beach-goers. Renting sunbeds and umbrellas is one option or you can take your own, but let me warn you, when it is windy it will be a challenge to secure your flimsy beach umbrella as even a slight breeze tend to turn them inside out and blow them over.
There are no need for sea shoes, it’s safe to go barefoot in the water, just avoid the rocky outcrops where sea urchins grow, their needles are just about the most dangerous thing you will encounter on the seashore.
Refreshments are readily available on organised beaches, most taverns and beach bars also serve meals and alcoholic beverages are available too. Bee careful with mixing the sun and alcohol, excess consumption can cause water deficit in your body and that, with the combination of the high temperatures quickly leads to headache and nausea. By all means get a beer if you like, but don’t forget to drink plenty of water too! Better to do as the Greeks, drink alcohol only with food and after food don’t go for swimming for at least two to three hours!
If you go to a non organised beach for the day, a cool box is your best friend to store snacks, fruits, water or juice with a couple of ice packs to keep everything nice and cool. No need to rush back for lunch, in the hot summer days you won’t have appetite anyway until the sun sets, and temperatures cool a bit. That’s why Greeks go out to have dinner after 9.00 pm and you will find that taverns and restaurants will stay open into the early morning hours (2.00 am or until they have guests) in the summertime.
Toys for the sand for children can be bought in any of the villages, supermarkets or mini markets have them too and they are inexpensive. In many cases you will find them in your rental home as previous guests usually leave them behind. Same goes for beach umbrellas. Towels for the beach or for the pool are provided for our villas, with no extra fee, so please don’t fill precious space in your suitcase with towels, they will be in the house and you can just give them a quick wash in the washing machine at the end of the day.
So what if it is really windy? Thankfully Paros is an island, so when there are north winds you go south and when there are south winds go north. Simple as that. The main wind direction is north, and some of the beaches that we recommend to avoid strong northerly gusts are: Marcello beach in Krotiri close to Parikia, Alyki’s Agios Nikolaos beach, and close to Naoussa, Kolymbithres and Monastiri beaches.
Ready to take the plunge? Before you start packing send us a message, and arrange your dream holiday accommodation close to the sea — > Paros Holiday Homes Right on the Seaside