Antiparos Advice
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Antiparos Advice
Hello! I am planning a trip to Antiparos next June with my husband and 4 adult children. I have read the many references to Antiparos on this forum and am confident that we have chosen the right island for our first trip to the Cyclades. I still have a lot of questions, though! Is early June too early? Where do you like to stay on the island? We plan to rent a car - should we stay in Antiparos town or somewhere more off the beaten path? We love beaches and beautiful water, but we don't love crowds or rows of beach beds. What beaches do you think we will like the best? What restaurants are your favorites? What is your favorite way to get to the island? I think that we can fly from Athens to Paros and take a ferry, take a ferry from Athens area, or even fly to Mykonos and take a ferry from there. Are there other options? We love boat rides as long as we can be outside - not a fan of long ferry rides in stuffy cabins when you can't even open the windows. Do you have favorite places to stay? We are open to hotels, apartments or villas. We like clean, quiet, and good beds. A view is nice, too! What are your favorite boat trips from Antiparos? We would love to visit other islands and/or boat around the area with a captain who can show us the best swim spots, etc. What else can you tell me about Antiparos? Thank you!
#2
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Early June is one of the best times to visit Antiparos, although sea water is still on the chilly side. If you are flying from North America or somewhere else overseas to Greece you will first land in Athens. Paros has an excellent airport with fewer passengers than Mykonos or Santorini, so flying there from Athens is much better, and Pounta, where the ferries to Antiparos depart is only 5-10 minutes away by taxi. Ferries to Antiparos depart from Pounta every half hour, and take only seven minutes to cross.
If you are flying from somewhere else in Europe there are also flights direct to Mykonos and Santorini, which some people prefer, but that means a 1hr ferry from Mykonos or a 3 hour ferry from Santorini. An alternative, if you arrive in Athens, is a ferry from Piraeus to Paros. Blue Star, the best ferries, take 4 hrs from Piraeus to Paros, and leave at 7:30 am and 5:30 pm every day. You won’t need a cabin, and if you buy a business class ticket you can sit in a comfortable lounge with its own cafe/bar, and have access to other parts of the ship and the outside deck.
One advantage of Antiparos is its mixture of beaches, both organised with sun beds and completely free of them where you need a towel or straw beach mat to sit on the sand. The beaches nearest Antiparos Town have moveable plastic sun beds where people put them under the tamarisk trees for shade. My favourite beaches are Psaraliki II and Panagia, which is a 20 minute walk on a path along the seashore from Psaraliki. Panagia is lovely, with soft golden sand and large tamarisk trees for shade. It has a stone wall at the back for shelter on windy days. Psaraliki II is divided from Psaraliki I by a small promontory which has Fanari Beach Bar, an excellent place for a drink or lunch. It also has toilets and a swimming pool for customers. Most people change into their swim suits in their hotel rooms before walking to the beach.
Other good beaches on the island include Ag Georgios at the south of the island, where there are also boats run by Captain Sargos to Despotiko, an uninhabited island with an archeological site and more beaches. Livadia Beach, on the west coast of the island has waves large enough for surfing on windy days. Camping Beach, where swim suits are optional, is sandy, and from there is an easy swim across to Diplo, a completely uninhabited island (except for sheep and goats). Bring along some sandals or flip flops, and you can walk around in complete solitude. There are other beaches, too many to mention, that you will need a car to access.
For accommodation, most people stay in town, which is a delight in the evenings, with people strolling around looking in shops, and stopping for drinks or dinner. A ritual for many in the evenings is to sit at a taverna on Sunset Beach, watching the sun dip into the sea. It’s only about a 10 minute walk from Kastro Square, and there are no large crowds. IMO the sunset there is every bit as good as that at Santorini.
For accommodation you have many choices in Antiparos Town. Start looking at Kastro Apartments, but there are many others. A Dutchman I have met, Hans Huisman, has a website with suggestions on accommodation in Antiparos Town and elsewhere on the island. You will need a car if you stay outside of town, but in town, including several beaches, everything is within 15 minutes walking distance.
https://www.angelfire.com/super2/gre...roshotels.html
My favourite boat trip from Antiparos Town is:
https://captainbenantiparos.com/
If you are flying from somewhere else in Europe there are also flights direct to Mykonos and Santorini, which some people prefer, but that means a 1hr ferry from Mykonos or a 3 hour ferry from Santorini. An alternative, if you arrive in Athens, is a ferry from Piraeus to Paros. Blue Star, the best ferries, take 4 hrs from Piraeus to Paros, and leave at 7:30 am and 5:30 pm every day. You won’t need a cabin, and if you buy a business class ticket you can sit in a comfortable lounge with its own cafe/bar, and have access to other parts of the ship and the outside deck.
One advantage of Antiparos is its mixture of beaches, both organised with sun beds and completely free of them where you need a towel or straw beach mat to sit on the sand. The beaches nearest Antiparos Town have moveable plastic sun beds where people put them under the tamarisk trees for shade. My favourite beaches are Psaraliki II and Panagia, which is a 20 minute walk on a path along the seashore from Psaraliki. Panagia is lovely, with soft golden sand and large tamarisk trees for shade. It has a stone wall at the back for shelter on windy days. Psaraliki II is divided from Psaraliki I by a small promontory which has Fanari Beach Bar, an excellent place for a drink or lunch. It also has toilets and a swimming pool for customers. Most people change into their swim suits in their hotel rooms before walking to the beach.
Other good beaches on the island include Ag Georgios at the south of the island, where there are also boats run by Captain Sargos to Despotiko, an uninhabited island with an archeological site and more beaches. Livadia Beach, on the west coast of the island has waves large enough for surfing on windy days. Camping Beach, where swim suits are optional, is sandy, and from there is an easy swim across to Diplo, a completely uninhabited island (except for sheep and goats). Bring along some sandals or flip flops, and you can walk around in complete solitude. There are other beaches, too many to mention, that you will need a car to access.
For accommodation, most people stay in town, which is a delight in the evenings, with people strolling around looking in shops, and stopping for drinks or dinner. A ritual for many in the evenings is to sit at a taverna on Sunset Beach, watching the sun dip into the sea. It’s only about a 10 minute walk from Kastro Square, and there are no large crowds. IMO the sunset there is every bit as good as that at Santorini.
For accommodation you have many choices in Antiparos Town. Start looking at Kastro Apartments, but there are many others. A Dutchman I have met, Hans Huisman, has a website with suggestions on accommodation in Antiparos Town and elsewhere on the island. You will need a car if you stay outside of town, but in town, including several beaches, everything is within 15 minutes walking distance.
https://www.angelfire.com/super2/gre...roshotels.html
My favourite boat trip from Antiparos Town is:
https://captainbenantiparos.com/
#3
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There are many upmarket villas on Antiparos, but you will need deep pockets if you want to stay in one. The most prominent villa rental agency is Oliaros Villa Rentals, which has been building in the hills around the island.
https://oliarosvillarentals.com/
You might find villas at more modest prices if you check in Booking(dot)com, AirBnB, or one of the other booking engines.
https://oliarosvillarentals.com/
You might find villas at more modest prices if you check in Booking(dot)com, AirBnB, or one of the other booking engines.
Last edited by Heimdall; Jan 4th, 2022 at 12:14 AM.
#4
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For your car rental, there are several agencies along the port on Antiparos. As a solo traveller I never rent a car, but AFAIK the agencies are honest and reliable. You will want a car if you stay in a villa or anywhere out of the main town. You can take the car on the Pounta ferry when making sightseeing trips to Paros. There is a free parking lot at the edge of town. Friends own a studio & apartment complex near the parking lot, and might also have what you need. Yiannis and Marianna are wonderful:
ThalaSea Studios & Apartments // Antiparos Hotels | Antiparos Rooms
Thinking about it, for your family of six adults a villa would make sense. Most are outside of town, but the island is only about 10 miles long, so it doesn’t take long to get into town from anywhere. You will probably want to come into town most evenings for its atmosphere, which is neither too crowded or dead in June. I’ve never been in the market for a villa, so can’t help you very much with suggestions other than the luxurious Oliaros Villas, but know there used to be another villa rental agency on the island. Oliaros, BTW, is the ancient name for Antiparos.
ThalaSea Studios & Apartments // Antiparos Hotels | Antiparos Rooms
Thinking about it, for your family of six adults a villa would make sense. Most are outside of town, but the island is only about 10 miles long, so it doesn’t take long to get into town from anywhere. You will probably want to come into town most evenings for its atmosphere, which is neither too crowded or dead in June. I’ve never been in the market for a villa, so can’t help you very much with suggestions other than the luxurious Oliaros Villas, but know there used to be another villa rental agency on the island. Oliaros, BTW, is the ancient name for Antiparos.
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For your car rental, there are several agencies along the port on Antiparos. As a solo traveller I never rent a car, but AFAIK the agencies are honest and reliable. You will want a car if you stay in a villa or anywhere out of the main town. You can take the car on the Pounta ferry when making sightseeing trips to Paros. There is a free parking lot at the edge of town. Friends own a studio & apartment complex near the parking lot, and might also have what you need. Yiannis and Marianna are wonderful:
ThalaSea Studios & Apartments // Antiparos Hotels | Antiparos Rooms
Thinking about it, for your family of six adults a villa would make sense. Most are outside of town, but the island is only about 10 miles long, so it doesn’t take long to get into town from anywhere. You will probably want to come into town most evenings for its atmosphere, which is neither too crowded or dead in June. I’ve never been in the market for a villa, so can’t help you very much with suggestions other than the luxurious Oliaros Villas, but know there used to be another villa rental agency on the island. Oliaros, BTW, is the ancient name for Antiparos.
ThalaSea Studios & Apartments // Antiparos Hotels | Antiparos Rooms
Thinking about it, for your family of six adults a villa would make sense. Most are outside of town, but the island is only about 10 miles long, so it doesn’t take long to get into town from anywhere. You will probably want to come into town most evenings for its atmosphere, which is neither too crowded or dead in June. I’ve never been in the market for a villa, so can’t help you very much with suggestions other than the luxurious Oliaros Villas, but know there used to be another villa rental agency on the island. Oliaros, BTW, is the ancient name for Antiparos.
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Yes, there are other good beach bars. At the other end of Psaraliki II Beach is Time Marine, just down the small hill from Kastro Apartments. There is a taverna just off Panagia Beach, accessible from the road.
Soros Beach, further down the road to Ag Georgios has a very good beach bar too. I didn’t mention that beach earlier because it has expensive sun beds, but there is nothing stopping you from spreading your towel on the sand (all beaches in Greece are open to the public).
Further down the road is Beach House (formerly known as Still Waters). It’s a hotel/restaurant/organised beach, I believe now owned by the Oliaros company.
Last, but not least, is Captain Pipinos seafood restaurant at Ag Georgios. It’s quite unique, and has tables right on the water. Have a look at the photos on their website:
https://captainpipinos.com/
With a car you will be able to explore outside of town more than me, limited to what I can reach on foot or with the bus that runs infrequently between town and Ag Georgios. Other small settlements on the road between town and Ag Georgios also include Glyfa, which has a good beach. There is also a bus to the stalactite cave, which has been known for centuries, so has a history.
if you want to see what Antiparos is like in summer, there is a 13 minute YouTube video made in 2014 by the islanders themselves. I believe it was made in July, when the island is busier than in June.
Soros Beach, further down the road to Ag Georgios has a very good beach bar too. I didn’t mention that beach earlier because it has expensive sun beds, but there is nothing stopping you from spreading your towel on the sand (all beaches in Greece are open to the public).
Further down the road is Beach House (formerly known as Still Waters). It’s a hotel/restaurant/organised beach, I believe now owned by the Oliaros company.
Last, but not least, is Captain Pipinos seafood restaurant at Ag Georgios. It’s quite unique, and has tables right on the water. Have a look at the photos on their website:
https://captainpipinos.com/
With a car you will be able to explore outside of town more than me, limited to what I can reach on foot or with the bus that runs infrequently between town and Ag Georgios. Other small settlements on the road between town and Ag Georgios also include Glyfa, which has a good beach. There is also a bus to the stalactite cave, which has been known for centuries, so has a history.
if you want to see what Antiparos is like in summer, there is a 13 minute YouTube video made in 2014 by the islanders themselves. I believe it was made in July, when the island is busier than in June.
Last edited by Heimdall; Jan 4th, 2022 at 10:21 AM.
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Thanks, TJ! I even persuaded you and your Naxophile sidekick to try Antiparos, and I believe you were pleasantly surprised. If pgoodpasture and her family have a rental car they will be able to explore parts of the island neither you nor I have been to.
My top recommendations while on Antiparos are to take the Captain Ben Lazy Day trip, and maybe get Captain Sargos to take you from Ag Georgios to the archeological site on Despotiko. Captain Ben stops on Despotiko on his Lazy Day trip, but doesn’t go to the archeological site.
What is special about Despotiko is the site is still under excavation, the dig team is usually there in June, and many of the workers are American university students. Despotiko will eventually be an open air museum similar to Delos, but for now entrance is free - you only pay Captain Sargos for the boat trip across to the island.
https://realgreekexperiences.com/des...ollo-sanctuary
My top recommendations while on Antiparos are to take the Captain Ben Lazy Day trip, and maybe get Captain Sargos to take you from Ag Georgios to the archeological site on Despotiko. Captain Ben stops on Despotiko on his Lazy Day trip, but doesn’t go to the archeological site.
What is special about Despotiko is the site is still under excavation, the dig team is usually there in June, and many of the workers are American university students. Despotiko will eventually be an open air museum similar to Delos, but for now entrance is free - you only pay Captain Sargos for the boat trip across to the island.
https://realgreekexperiences.com/des...ollo-sanctuary
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Heimdall, IF i ever get back to Greece (trip #14? my wish), I think Antiparos will be my FIRST stop... most relaxing, reparative place in the isles. I still recall my first morning, on my balcony at Hotel Dmitri (now called something Like hotel Sunday??), jst sitting for an hour, in a trance, watching 2 birds building a nest in the giant cypress between me & the sea. Bliss...
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My favorite beach on Antiparos is a little further away from the port. It's called Paralia Apantima Beach. You can get food there as well as swim in a small bay with calm water. Look here: https://www.google.com/search?q=Para...ih=717&dpr=1.1
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Elynchking, if you mean a second island, I’ve sometimes moved on to Naxos. I have a few friends who like to stay in Piso Livadi on Paros after their stay on Antiparos, but it’s easy enough to see what you want on Paros with day trips from Antiparos itself. It really depends upon your interests and what month of the year you plan to travel. Frankly Antiparos gets too crowded in August, but June and September are perfect, and that applies to other islands in the Cyclades as well. If you like beaches and small islands, Koufonissi is great, and Folegandros has a beautiful chora (main town) high up on the island, but the beaches are nothing to write home about.
Brotherleelove, I remember your visit to Antiparos when you let me have a short spin on your scooter, and Mike’s Place, where I usually stay, was closed for renovations. Apantima (paralia means beach in Greek) is indeed a good beach to try, and I mentioned the restaurant (Beach House) in post #7 but not the name of the beach. As I recall, it was named Still Waters and run by a British couple when you were there. Since then it has been bought by the Oliaros Villas company and gone upmarket, so I’ve heard. Apparently Whoopi Goldberg stayed in the rooms there when she visited Antiparos a few years ago.
https://beachhouseantiparos.com/
Brotherleelove, I remember your visit to Antiparos when you let me have a short spin on your scooter, and Mike’s Place, where I usually stay, was closed for renovations. Apantima (paralia means beach in Greek) is indeed a good beach to try, and I mentioned the restaurant (Beach House) in post #7 but not the name of the beach. As I recall, it was named Still Waters and run by a British couple when you were there. Since then it has been bought by the Oliaros Villas company and gone upmarket, so I’ve heard. Apparently Whoopi Goldberg stayed in the rooms there when she visited Antiparos a few years ago.
https://beachhouseantiparos.com/
Last edited by Heimdall; Jan 7th, 2022 at 11:51 PM.
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Lee, it’s only going to get worse if Paros goes ahead with the proposal to expand the airport to accept international flights. That won’t happen for at least a few years, so see Antiparos again while you can. When the new airport was planned it was promised that the 1,400 meter runway would only be used for domestic flights from Athens and Thessaloniki, but enough room was left for the runway to be extended to 2,000 meters. Now the government, with EU funding, is pushing to make it a third international airport in the Cyclades.
Discussion of this, and a proposal to build wind farms on several Cyclades islands can be found on the Friends of Paros & Antiparos website, which is written in Greek, French and English. International flights to Paros will also affect Naxos, which is closer to Paros than either Mykonos or Santorini.
https://friendsofparos.com/
Discussion of this, and a proposal to build wind farms on several Cyclades islands can be found on the Friends of Paros & Antiparos website, which is written in Greek, French and English. International flights to Paros will also affect Naxos, which is closer to Paros than either Mykonos or Santorini.
https://friendsofparos.com/