It is difficult to describe Antiparos with words.
The magical aura of this island takes you back to carefree years, when nothing really mattered. Its summer scent stuns you before you even have a chance to set foot on the beach bars, while its loving vibes make you feel like you’re floating in the warm Greek sun and as soon as it sets, under the disco ball, you head to the legendary local club, La Luna to dance the night away. It’s such a small island ready to give you exciting experiences and endless memories of a Greek summer.
You will be mesmerized by the smells of Carroten (the famous green sunscreen), Greek salt and the promise that for years to come you will be back, rolling on the hot sand and dancing until the morning sunrise in singing “My baby just cares about me”.
The additional peculiarity of this small island is that you do not need any means of transport, which contributes to the “zen” situations and the fact that you meet everyone everywhere. In the morning on the beach of Soros, under the trees, on the beach of Agios Georgios, but also on the small neighboring beaches that not everyone knows, or closer to the chora, in Psaralykes.
And, in the evening, on the paved main road, full of chic boutiques, white houses with blue accents, bougainvillea, eucalyptus and a relaxed atmosphere that will make you forget all the difficulties, all that makes you sad, and you can live for the moment. This sun-drenched island exudes youth, freshness, freedom and love.
If summer finds you in Antiparos, don’t forget →
- Have your breakfast at the “Elia café” at the start of the main road. Omelettes, bagels, pancakes and… my appetite is wide open!
- Rent a bike to explore the island, to feel the Cycladic air. This experience gives you a real sense of freedom.
- Visit the imposing cave of Antiparos, on the hill of Ai-Giannis at a height of 177 m from the sea. Descending its 411 steps, you will be enchanted by the art of nature, the stalactites taking the form that gives you your imagination.
- Eat at the “Margarita” restaurant. Unforgettable Italian dishes!
- Watch outdoor cinema at Cine Oliaros with free admission.
- Eat souvlaki at “Oikogeneiakon”. Small, expensive but miraculous. It contains photographic evidence of Tom Hanks’ visit to the island.
- Take a boat to Despotiko Island. Southwest of Antiparos and a breath away is a small uninhabited island, with unspoilt beaches. “Sargos” is the nickname of Giorgos Marianos who is waiting for Ai Giorgis to take you to Despotiko.
- Enjoy the sunset of Antiparos from “Sifneiko Café”.
- Taste the artisanal ice creams of “Vicky’s”.
- For the evening, the main road will take you to the central square filled with cool places to sip cocktails and listen to soft sounds. “Boogaloo”, “Lime”, “Tabula Rasa” and other bars with a Greek touch are all located on the back street. You will surely find them.
- And certainly dancing non-stop, in the most famous nightclub in the Cyclades, the famous “La Luna”, which will take you back decades, even if it has remained the same and unchanged.
How to reach Antiparos →
To get to Antiparos, you go through Paros, which you can reach from Piraeus or Rafina. I traveled with seajets.gr and TeraJet from Rafina and in three and a half hours I was in the port of Paros, ready to face Antiparos. The easiest way to get to Antiparos from Paros is to take a small boat that you will find in the port of Parikia. The ticket costs 5€ and the journey takes only 25 minutes. There is also an alternative if the weather is windy. In this case, you have to go from the port of Parikia to the port of Pounta (not Punda Beach), to take the ferry. The bus ticket costs €1.80 and the journey takes around 40 minutes. The “journey” with the ferry lasts 10 minutes and the ticket costs 1.30€.
*All images by Polina Paraskevopoulou (Copyright)
