Day 11: Paros Krios, Marcello and Naoussa

Wednesday 29th June 2022

Having a Naoussa Time on Paros

Four days into my time on Paros and I can understand why it’s a popular destination. The island has great energy but still retains its traditional character and charm. I was particularly enjoying being in Parikia, our hotel (Oasis) felt like an excellent choice for its superb central location, not to mention it is well furnished with lovely staff and good amenities.

I was keen to visit the other main tourist destination, Naoussa, so Caroline and I agreed we would take a bus there late afternoon so we could explore and enjoy an evening meal in a different resort.

Breakfast at Symposium

I was determined to show Caroline how nice the breakfasts are at Symposium, having found it closed yesterday morning when we arrived too early. Since we weren’t planning to leave Parikia this morning, we met slightly later than usual and arrived at Symposium at 9:15. It still wasn’t quite open, but a lady was sweeping the floor and setting out the tables and chairs so figured it wouldn’t be much longer. A quick stroll up and down the street passed a few minutes, and by the time we got back, they had started seating customers. It’s very popular and we were quite lucky to get a seat even though it had only just opened.

The food did not disappoint. I had a delicious waffle with yoghurt, honey and fruits, plus a latte, while Caroline had an apple ‘croissant’ (basically apple strudel) and a cup of tea.

A Small Hike to a Beach

Instead of going to the main beach in Parikia, I suggested we could walk around the bay to the nearby beaches of Krios and Marcello. There is a bus service, but it costs €5 each way or €8 return, which seems a bit steep when you can walk in about 30 minutes. We’d brought our beach gear to breakfast, so once we had finished eating and paid the bill, we set off north past the main town beach and up onto the rocky headland opposite.

Krios and Marcello Beach

Krios beach is the first spot you come to as you descend the rocky path from Parikia. It’s not clear where Krios ends and Marcello begins, they’re really just one long stretch of sand. We walked a little way to find a clear space on the beach, stopping just short of Paradiso Boutique beach bar, and put down our towels on the sand. It’s a nice place to spend the day, though I remember visiting in 2017 before the beach club existed – it was much quieter then!

We sunbathed for a while, then had a swim in the clear, shallow water to cool off.

Lunchtime Dining Dilemmas

We both started to get hungry just after midday and decided to scope out the lunch options. The closest place was Paradiso Boutique, but as I suspected, its slightly posh appearance resulted in a rather pricey menu so we quickly discounted it and moved on. During my previous visit, I’d had a nice lunch at Krios Lounge next to the campsite, so I suggested we tried there instead. We made the mistake of asking for a table before seeing the menu, and once again I was shocked at the prices – €5 for a small beer, or €14+ for a main course! We quickly left before the waitress could return to take our order.

Out of options, we began walking back over the rocks towards Parikia and decided we would stop at the first place we saw that had reasonably priced food. That turned out to be a place called Onar Cafe, which looked more like our kind of place – plain and simple, with a small but decent menu. I was thirsty for a beer so quickly ordered a large draft Alfa (to make sure I survived long enough to order food!!)

For food, I had a ham club sandwich (no chicken) for a reasonable €6, Caroline had a ham and cheese toastie.

Work Intermission

After we’d finished lunch, I needed to go back to the hotel to do some work. Caroline walked back with me and then decided to have a stroll around Parikia.

Naoussa

The bus service between Parikia and Naoussa is very regular so we had our pick of times but opted for 6pm which felt early enough to explore before dinner, but late enough that it wouldn’t feel too hot or too long to wait for the sunset.

On arrival, we headed straight downhill from the bus station towards the harbour area where most of the tourist area is located. It’s the usual array of shops, cafes and tavernas but was still nice to see somewhere different.

Dinner Time

The choice of restaurants around the harbour is a bit overwhelming. None of them was especially cheap, but all of the menus seemed appealing and we must have completed two or three loops before settling on a place called Karino, which, in addition to a good menu, had a nice spot to watch the sun setting across the water.

I decided to order a Cretan pasta dish called Skioufikta while Caroline went for some sea bass. My meal was a bit average, but Caroline’s fish was excellent (I got to try it a little bit).

For dessert, we both had the same thing: a chocolate tart. It was incredible and Caroline couldn’t manage all of hers, so I got to finish it off!

Sunset Time

We managed to time our meal quite well, catching the sunset just as we finished eating. It had been another great day in Greece.