Day 9: Paros Exploring Parikia and Marcello Beach

With my friends off to Ios this morning, I had a full, solo day in Paros—and after yesterday’s full itinerary, I was ready to take things easy. Consider this the “slightly lazy” edition of the Greek Travel Guide!

Though Livadia doesn’t offer breakfast with the stay, the hotel’s ground-floor restaurant made up for it. For just €7.50, I enjoyed a leisurely meal of strong coffee, fresh-squeezed orange juice, Greek yoghurt with honey, and bread with butter and jam—exactly what I needed after a streak of underwhelming breakfasts and last night’s skipped dinner.

Well-fueled and with caffeine levels restored, I packed a few essentials and set off north along the bay, heading for Marcello Beach. It’s a scenic 25-minute walk from Livadia, mostly along the shoreline, with a small headland that requires a quick scramble up and down some rocks. The early morning cool made for an enjoyable walk, but I made a mental note to take a dip before the return trek in the midday heat.

View back to Paros town from the bay opposite. Hotel Livadia is in the centre of the shot.

First view of Marcello Beach (directly opposite) and Krios Beach (far right). This bay is much quieter and well worth the walk if you are staying in Tinos town.

Marcello Beach sits at the bay’s end, cosy and somewhat secluded. On the way, I passed Krios Beach, where I spotted a relaxed beach bar offering free sunbeds with a drink purchase. It was calling my name, so I circled back, set up on a lounger, and spent a few blissful hours alternating between my Kindle and cooling swims. The water was a touch rocky near the shore, but once you waded past that, it was perfect.

Lunchtime came, and I opted for a club sandwich at the beach bar. It was massive—three layers of pita with all the classic fillings. Even though my appetite was still recovering, I enjoyed what I could manage.

By mid-afternoon, I’d had my fill of sun and decided to head back. True to plan, I cooled off with a long swim, then made the return journey with a damp towel draped over my shoulders, which definitely helped with the heat. Back at the hotel, I showered, rested, and then strolled down to the port to pick up my ferry ticket to Ios for the next day.

For dinner, I chose Cavo D’Oro, conveniently close to Livadia, with a prime view of the bay from my beachside table. Service was a bit slow, likely due to my “table for one” status, but I wasn’t in any rush. I went for moussaka again—determined to try it across as many islands as possible. This one didn’t top the moussaka I’d had in Tinos, but the fresh flatbread starter was a redeeming treat.

Back at the hotel, I decided to leave packing for the morning. With a 2:25 PM ferry, there’d be plenty of time. Instead, I wrapped up the day with some notes for the blog, relaxed, and drifted off, ready for tomorrow’s journey to Ios.