download free non touristy greek islands to visit

GETTING AROUND: Paros is a ferry hub so ideal for island hopping.

Fact FileįLY: Wizzair has cheap flights from London Luton to Athens. It certainly feels good, but unfortunately, I leap into the sea before it’s had its proper chance to work its magic. Locals say that when you wash it off, it makes your skin smooth like a fish. Nearby is Kalogeros, a hidden cove near Molos, which contains deposits of Azul, a blue rock which you pound with water and paint on your body. Further north is the attractive village of Pisso Livadi with a small harbour and attractive restaurants.

South of Parikia, on the west coast, is Pounta, a hub for water sports activities, with shallow water making it ideal for all levels of windsurfing or kiteboarding.įollowing the coast round to the other side is Hrysi Akti (Golden Beach), with good swimming, windsurfing and diving operations.

Paros is full of sandy beaches so you’re spoilt for choice. Marked paths lead to two huge entrances which you can explore with a torch and strong shoes. This was the end of a tradition that began in 3200 BC and the stone was extracted from deep galleries by the light of oil lamps. The ancient marble mines lie just outside Lefkes at Marathi and the last slabs were quarried in the nineteenth century for Napoleon’s tomb. Paros is known for the purity and transparency of its marble and in classical times supplied around 70% of Greek sculpture. A Byzantine footpath passes through here, linking both coasts, a great walk if you have the time. Nowadays it’s a sleepy little place with narrow alleys home to numerous cats. It sits in a natural amphitheatre surrounded by ruined windmills on the skyline, its white houses tumbling down the hillside. I climb up to Lefkes in the centre of the island, the capital of Paros during the middle Ages when piracy was rife.

Download free non touristy greek islands to visit