Getting there & Getting around

Getting there

Paros has an airport and there is a daily flight to/from Athens.

Fast boats or passenger catamarans provide frequent services (at least daily) from the ports of Parikia or Piso Livadi (on Paros' east coast) to the mainland ports of Piraeus (2.5hr) and Rafina (2.5hr), and to nearby islands Naxos (30min), Tinos (1.25hr), Syros (45min), Mykonos (1hr), Ios (1.5hr), Santorini (2.25hr), Amorgos (1.5-2hr) and Iraklio on Crete (4hr).

Paros is a major ferry hub and a number of companies operate on the same routes. Ferries leave at least once a day for Piraeus (5hr), Naxos (1hr), Ios (2.5hr), Santorini (3-4hr), Mykonos (1.75hr), Syros (1.5hr), Tinos (2.5hr) and Amorgos (3-4.5hr). At least three services a week sail to Koufonisia (4.5hr), Sikinos (3-4hr), Anafi (6hr), Andros (4.5hr), Astypalea (6hr), Ikaria (4hr) and Folegandros (3.5hr). Less frequent services (at least weekly) sail further afield to Samos, Serifos, Sifnos, Kimolos, Schinousa, Donousa, Thessaloniki, Crete, Skiathos, Rhodes, Kos, Kalymnos, Patmos, Leros, Kastellorizo, Nisyros, Tilos and Symi.

The smaller island of Antiparos, 1km (0.6mi) southwest of Paros, is easily reached by regular car ferry from Pounta (the ferry journey takes 10 minutes, and buses link Parikia and Pounta), or by excursion boat.

Getting around

Buses link the island ports and villages. There are a number of direct services between Parikia and Naoussa, while others travel via the smaller villages. About 10 buses daily connect Parikia and Pounta (for the Antiparos ferry).

There are car, motorbike and bike rental outlets throughout the island. Taxis gather in Parikia while taxi boats leave from the quay to bays and beaches around the island.