Bohemian Paradise Holiday in Paros Greece with Teenagers
Writing ‘paradise’ and ‘teenagers’ in the same sentence almost makes me wince, but truth be told, Paros is a perfect holiday destination for teens and parents alike.
I asked my teenagers a few words to describe their holiday expectations. This is what I got, “Fun - Great Food – Sport - Adventure - Shopping”. Paros captures all of these, and more.
Which Greek island is best with teenagers?
A small island in the Cyclades island group south of Athens, Paros is home to about 15,000 Greeks, 5,000 Albanian migrant workers and 5,000 digital nomads that enjoy the bohemian beach vibes and can work anywhere in the world with an internet connection.
After a little research, we narrowed our destination down to a few islands – Santorini, Naxos, Paros ….. We dabbled with the idea of doing two or three islands and then opted to lessen the travel and enjoy one place for the sport it had to offer. Namely Paros for windsurfing, kitesurfing, wakeboarding, snorkelling and hiking.I also discovered mountain biking there, however we opted for more watersports in that warm balmy daily breeze.
Getting To Paros
We got a great Black Friday deal with Aegean Airlines to Athens, but many airlines offer direct flights to Greece. From Athens there are options to fly or ferry to Paros. We chose ferries as the more environmentally friendly option. Additionally they are very comfortable and you can enjoy the island views.
The port closest to Athens airport is Rafina and you can prepay a car service or take a taxi there (approx. 40 euros). You can also book ferries in advance using ferries.gr which also allows you multi-trip options if you are island-hopping. The fast ferry takes 3.5 hours from Rafina to Paros and costs approx 60 euros per person each way. There are cheaper options with the slower ferries also.
Getting around Paros
You will need a set of wheels to get around the island. Depending on the age of your teenagers, you can rent quad bikes or scooters. My teens are 15 and 13 years old, so we needed a car. The smallest car that would fit us and our luggage …. A Fiat Panda? – Perfect. There are plenty of car rental agencies on the port but best to book in advance.
Being Travel-organised
If you’re like me, being organised for travel that involves multiple elements is key. I created a spreadsheet with the dates, times, booking references and details for each step. This is key to give you freedom to plan your itinerary, as you can visualise the days.
This also allows the teenagers to see what to prepare for. My two like to know what is happening each day, and indeed that there IS something happening each day. Those aimless days are the worst when your expectation is for adventure.
Where to stay on Paros with teenagers
If evenings out are your thing, there are some bustling towns that you can stay near, for example Parikia or Naousa. However, this doesn’t really suit us. We preferred to stay inland at a self-catering villa, a “home away from home”. There are plenty of options on booking.com and we chose Callisto Houses.
Teenagers need space to be by themselves and then mingle when they need, so having a holiday home is ideal. I also like to cook and have the possibility to prepare our own meals when we choose. A further joy is to have a pool where you are staying, especially on a ‘hot weather’ holiday, such as Greece is renowned for.
Games to play with Teenagers on Holiday
Our other requirement was a pool, for endless games of “piggy-in-the-middle” (playing catch with a ball from one end of the pool to the other, while the person in the middle tries to intercept the ball – bring a small inflatable ball for this game) and “Marco Polo” (One person closes their eyes tight and spins around a few times in the water, then they attempt to find the other people in the pool while keeping their eyes closed. In order to do that, they shout “Marco!” Intermittently and the other players reply “Polo!” while moving around and trying not to get caught”).
As a family we always have a pack of cards for the Waiting Time in restaurants or long travel days. This is great for getting teens off their screens and enjoying some quality fun family moments without too much pressure on them. There are 2 games that we play “Euchre” and “Last Card”.
“Fun”
One of their holiday expectations was to have fun. The best beach on Paros for this is Golden Beach. As it was only a 10-minute drive from where we were staying, it turned out to be a convenient regular day-out. Choose Awake Watersports for the best wakeboarding instruction I have ever seen. They also offer various towed water options such as tubing, slider and others. These are weather dependent to an extent, so choose the least windy days to jump on these. The teenagers loved it and I could watch them from inside the boat, preferring not to be thrown about like a rag doll laughing hysterically.
There are two open-air cinemas on the island which provide a unique experience. Check the schedule to see what is playing during your dates to see if it is of interest to your family. The Cine Rex cinema shows the latest films in English subtitled in Greek with 2 showings per evening at 9pm and 11pm. The CIne Enastron cinema in Paros Park offers free shows of older movies.
The beaches are all beautiful and each is different on Paros. Try Monastiri, Kolymbithres (great rock formations and a pier for jumping off), Kalogeros (lovely for snorkelling around the headland and also for covering yourself in a clay mask), Santa Maria, Cactus, Faragas (for DJ in the beach bar and expensive drinks on beach chairs).
I really think that time away as a family is such fun too. There were hilarious moments when they saw me as an equal and not as a tyrant. I made mistakes trying to speak Greek with the few words that I knew, or tripped when I walked, or couldn’t decide on a restaurant, or couldn’t find where we were going. The teens became co-pilots and we navigated together. They could go to bed when they wanted, leave their room untidy, pack their own things for each day and be in charge of themselves. After 10 days they were explaining the things I don’t “get” on tiktok, or how hierarchies work in school and gen-speak (I still don’t get it, skibedy-toilet, anyone?!).
“Adventure”
It transpires that we love to be off the beaten track and far from the crowds of tourists. Cue Antiparos – just over a mile from Paros, or a 5-minute ferry ride from Punda (you can bring your car, just check with the rental company in advance), this is a haven for the rich and famous that prefer a secluded spot.
My son wanted to cliff jump and after much internet research and asking the locals, we resigned ourselves to the fact that there were no great places on Paros. However, there is an amazing place on Antiparos. It is called *Grotte Marine” and mostly accessible by small boat trips.
We drove to Agios Georgios on the opposite side of the island from the ferry and enjoyed a seafood lunch in Pipinos restaurant, looking across at the ruins on Despotika Island. I was frantically texting the numbers for the boat tours that were on the signs nearby. (Try Captain Sargas on +30 697 379 4876 or also very helpful for private groups, try +30 697 628 3138).
Unfortunately, the weather was too windy for the boat to take us that day, yet my determined son decided we should hike across the hills to get to the elusive spot. We duly parked the car, feeling a bit cross with each other, and grabbed a bottle of water and swim shoes to hike. We used Google Maps to follow a dirt road most of the way. The last part involved some trekking through the brush and nervous clambering across rocks to find the most beautiful spot you can imagine. The white cliff rises from crystal clear waters providing two heights to jump from, and somewhere for Mum to take photos while being terrified. It was enough adventure for me and I was happy to be back at the car seeking ice creams in ….before heading back to Paros.
For those seeking adventure of a different kind, there are many day trips that you can take from Paros. Sailing boats will bring you to remote coves for snorkelling and swimming. There is a superb cave to visit on Antiparos that brought out some geography knowledge about rock formations from the teens (proof they have been learning something In school).
Island hopping is also an adventurous option. There is a superb day trip from Paros to Delos and Mykonos, for 3 hours in each island. On Delos you will enjoy the Temple of Apollo and World Heritage Site.
Santorini was on our bucket list and I originally planned to do a day trip with getyourguide.com. However, reading stories online it was a lot of travel for a very crowded and brief visit to the island. I think it is worth visiting if you can stay a night or two and enjoy the stunning views on your own schedule.
“Great Food”
I find teenagers easier to feed. They are more adventurous and curious, especially when we travel. For this reason, we chose Greek food for all our meals out. They often chose gyros or souvlaki, which came with pita bread, French fries, tzatziki, tomatoes and onions. I often chose a selection of appetizers such as beetroot salad, aubergine salad, spicy cheese, tzatziki. Bread is an extra charge is most restaurants, yet the price of water is set by the government and is very cheap. Some tavernas offered a free dessert such as ice creams or panna cotta with cinnamon and strawberry sauce, which were so welcome and worth great tips.
The bakeries across the island are superb, offering an array of goodies including delicious pastries, juices and iced coffee – perfect as takeaway for the beach days. I can also recommend the orange cake as a delicious sweet treat.
We ate in our accommodation for two meals a day. I shopped for breakfast – fresh fruits, yoghurts, cereals, eggs and bread with tomatoes or avocados are standard options that are easy to cater for on holiday.
Each day we chose to have either lunch or dinner in the house, depending on where we ended up. There was no military precision and some days lunch out was only a plate of chips and an ice cream. For meals I made either spaghetti with tomato sauce, or couscous with salads and some meat from the butcher such as chicken skewers or kofte. I find it easier to repeat the same meals so you don’t need many ingredients or thinking.
“Sport”
It’s not a holiday unless there is some sport to fill the day for teenagers. On Paros you can choose wakeboarding, mountain biking, kitesurfing, windsurfing or kayaking among many more. The watersports are all weather dependent, so there is no point booking in advance. I found it useful to have all the phone numbers on Whatsap so that we could communicate with the various places the night before.
For example, kitesurfing is on Pounda beach ( which is far away from New Golden Beach, where you can windsurf, and both need wind – not too much or too little, if you are a beginner. The wakeboarding needs a day with little to no wind in order to have a glassy sea surface.
Windsurfing is very popular on Paros. You can experience world class conditions on New Golden Beach and the team at Paros Windsurf Center are really helpful. This is a great sport for all the family.
The seakayaking people were wonderful to speak to, looking at weather conditions and proposing different locations for each day. (Alex at +30 697 720 6541). They recommend wearing a long sleeved rash vest to protect you on a day out in the sun.
Another fun sporting option is a horse riding tour. Thanassis Farm offer morning and evening treks. The evening treks of 1.5 hours are along a mountain and seaside trail without swimming whereas the longer morning outings involve a sea swim with the horses. They recommend wearing long trousers to protect your legs on the saddle.
“Shopping”
Both of my teenagers have awakened to the world of shopping, especially for trinkets abroad. They loved the occasional evenings in the stunning old towns of Parokia and Naousa. Both towns are bohemian designer heaven with gorgeous views on every corner. If your teens are interested in photography too why not plan an early morning to capture the streets before the other tourists wake up.
We spent the last night staying in Parikia in order to catch a morning ferry back to Rafina. In Parikia I suggest that you visit Panagia Ekatondapyliani or “church with 100 doors”. You can also climb along the rocks on the seashore before choosing a restaurant with a view of the beautiful sunset. Although these restaurants left me a little cold, vying for tourists and charging high prices, it was worth it for one night. The concierge in the hotel also recommended enjoying a cocktail to watch the sunset there.
What to pack for a trip to Paros in the Cyclades
Looking stylish yet having a few practical items are de rigeur for Paros. These are some ideas that I would have liked to know in advance:
· Straw style tote bag and summer dresses or boys equivalent for the evenings exploring the beautiful villages.
· Beach bag with light towels for beach days. We also brought our masks, snorkels and beach shoes for rock climbing/cliff jumping. They don’t provide towels for the beach in the accommodations.
· Lots of sunscreen, hat and sunglasses, beach cover-ups and swimwear. We lived in the same outfits most days.
· Light trousers if you plan to ride horses, or a rash vest if you plan a day out kayaking or lots of wind/kite surfing.
· Extra space for bringing home souvenirs!
· Hair ties for beach hair.
· Extra battery chargers for long days of travel on ferries or planes.
· Ditto books. We read about 2 each in our downtime. I’ve decided that teenagers need lots of rest and space in the day.
· Sandals or flip flops and a pair of trainers for travel and hiking.
Other sites to see on Paros
If you go to the open air cinema in Paros Park, enjoy a walk and visit the most photographed church on the island.
Watch the sunset from Agioi Anangyroi monastery above Parikia.
Visit the mountain village of Lefkes and walk the Byzantine trail to Podromos.
Recommendations
Stay – Callisto Houses
Car rental on Paros – Meltemi Car Rentals
Ferry booking – ferries.gr
Kitesurf – ParosKite
Windsurf – Paros Windsurf
Wakboard, watersports – Awake Watersports
Bakery – Ragoussis bakery, Parikia
Coffee, baked goods, olive oil gifts – Tami
Eat – Anna and Giorgos Taverna
Beach bar – Golden Beach hotel
Shopping -Naousa village, Any Wave near Golden Beach, Bit of Salt surf shop.