Paros and Naxos, Greek Islands

After visiting Santorini, it was going to be almost impossible for these other Greek islands to compare, but we were hopeful. As we pulled into the port of Paros, it was evident that our assumptions were indeed correct. Don’t get me wrong, it was a pretty little beach town, but it lacked the sheer cliffs and beautiful homes built into the mountainsides. However, we were optimistic that the “small town” beach feel would make up for the lack of awe, and we weren’t disappointed. Our room was a charming little place with a full balcony that overlooked the marble streets below. We were right across from a bakery, so the smells of bread, cappuccino and chocolate entertained our olfactory senses as we sat and planned our next stop after the Amalfi coast, later that evening.

We after unpacking and cleaned up, we set off to explore. The streets were almost empty and the beaches deserted. It felt like we had the whole island to ourselves as we worked our way down the coast and through villages. After a few miles, we came up over a hill and encountered a picturesque horseshoe shaped beach in the middle of nowhere with one lone bar and some cute tables. Parched from our journey, we decided to see if it was open. As we walked up, there were a few ladies and a kid sitting around just visiting. Evidentially, many restaurants, cafes and bars are family owned establishments. The owners and hang out at their work with friends in the slow season, just in case an occasional tourist stumbles upon them. They were very nice, and we attempted to communicate through her broken English. If it weren’t for other countries making an effort to learn our language, we would have been totally lost. Again, we were humbled and reflected at how fortunate we were.

By the time we left the next morning, we were viewing Paros through a new set of lenses…..and we were very excited to see what Naxos had to offer.

Upon arriving, Naxos wasn’t like Santorini either; no sheer cliffs, but no overflow of tourists also. We took a quick cab ride (both speed and distance) to our hotel, which turned out to be a complete jewel. I had booked in advance, and the rate was a bit steep, but it looked so cute and was right on the water with its own private beach…..I couldn’t resist. In addition to the location, we got upgraded to the best room they had. I feel like we’re in a 5 star resort. As I’m writing this, Megan is sitting beside me reading on our private patio / balcony. We are enjoying a magical view….see the fith picture; that’s what we watched as these words were typed.

As amazing as our room is, the island is even better. We were both surprised at how mountainous Naxos is. They are so high that the peaks literally get lost in the clouds. Perhaps that is why, according to Greek Mythology, that this is the island that Zeus was born on. I could see how they thought he stepped down from Heaven on this island, after witnessing the majesty firsthand.

We tried to walk a little way around the island on our first day, but we didn’t even put a dent in it, according to our trusty map. Therefore, we decided to rent an ATV and explore it properly. For 15 Euro’s we got a 4 wheeler for the entire day. We were told that a tank of gas would get us 85 kilometers. We topped it off once and returned it almost empty!

When we started out, we were cautioned against trying to go over the mountain pass to the other side, because the roads were treacherous and it was supposed to storm all day. So, naturally, we headed straight for the mountain. After over an hour of driving along the coast, slowly climbing, we started to leave civilization behind. The skies were gray and the wind was starting to pick up, yet our adventurous spirits urged us to forge ahead. Finally, as the accent steepened to a switchback format and the wind gusts about ripped Megan off the back, we gave in and headed back to explore the other side…..the ones with all the beaches.

As we came off the peak that spawned Zeus, the weather started to break a bit as the sun struggled to come out. After refueling and looking at the map, we headed off in search of the secluded beaches on the southern side. In no time, we were off the main road and traveling down winding country paths. Soon, those same roads became gravel, and then dirt. Finally, we were rewarded with the beach that we had sought and just in time as the rain started to fall. We parked under a tree and ran for the cover of a beach bar. Again, the owner was sitting around with friends, this time drinking a Heineken and playing Backgammon. She welcomed us in from the storm and gave us shelter and food (we had to pay for it though…the Greeks aren’t that hospitable.). As quickly as it started, the storm ended. It probably has something to do with the extreme winds on the island.

We settled up the tab and decided to see where the dirt road ended up. This was the treat of the entire day. The path carried us directly along the coast for miles. We were all alone, in the warm sun, with Megan’s arms wrapped gently around me. We were as free as we’ll ever be……
Finally, the path ended and we were forced to head back or cut off on another gravel road that we weren’t quite sure where it led. Guess what we did?.......So after seeing only goats and ancient stone huts for 20 minutes, we considered the fact that we might be lost, but we had plenty of gas and figured that we would eventually make it back to a paved road and some semblance of civilization!

By the time we returned the vehicle, almost 8 hours later, we had seen some of the most remote beaches on the island, castles from another century, the magnificent countryside and even some windsurfers. It was one of the best days we’ve ever had.

We wrapped up our final day on Naxos with an hour long walk to one of the beaches we had found the day before. We spent the entire morning there enjoying the setting and our books amid comfortable lounge chairs, a mere few feet from the water. We walked back around one and hung out at our little slice of paradise for the remainder of the day.

If you are ever thinking of taking a trip to Santorini, you would be missing a true treasure if you didn’t take a few days to explore Naxos as well. They are very different islands, but both have absolutely captured our hearts.

We leave tomorrow morning for the Amalfi Coast……could life be any better?!?!?!?