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Top 10 Places in Paros for Photography & Painting!



While Santorini has dramatic cliffs, Corfu has forests and mountains, Syros has its city life and culture, Paros is known for its calm, romantic atmosphere perfect for poets, and painters.


Paros is a medium sized island with a winter population of ~16,000, with 11 main villages and over 40 named beaches. The island is mountainous in the centre where the villages Lefkes and Kostos are located and flat along the coast line. This makes it a perfect island for artists who want a variety of landscape to explore.


As a tourist turned local I love to share my top 10 painting locations on the island.


  1. Monastiri (Paros) Park

  2. Kolymbithres Beach

  3. Monastery Iera Moni Ag. Anargiron

  4. Lefkes

  5. Agios Adonis

  6. Paroikia

  7. Piso Livadi

  8. Santa Maria

  9. Aliki

  10. Pounda Port



Monastiri (Paros) Park


This natural park is located at the northwest tip of the bay of Naoussa. In the park you can find several walking paths through interesting rocky terrain and crystal clear seawater. In the summertime entrance can be filled with yachts however in the back of the park it is still quiet and beautiful for nature lovers.


In the western side of the park you can walk to a light house which is dramatically placed on a cliff edge by the sea. On days with northern wind the waves crashing against the rocks make marvellous scene ideal for photography and painting.










Kolymbithres Beach



One of the most famous beaches in Paros, Kolymbithres is located in the idyllic bay of Naoussa. it is known for the large smooth blocks of granite are formed by the sea and wind to look like modern sculptures.


In the summer months the beach is very busy after 10:00am. The best time to photograph or paint this beach & it's natural sculptures is early morning in the summer (June-September). From

October to May this beach is not as busy and can be photographed in all it's natural beauty!





Monastery Iera Moni Ag. Anargiron (Ιερά Μονή Αγ. Αναργύρων)





This beautiful monastery is the home to Greek Orthodox nuns, and is located up on the mountain "Notia Paroikias" behind the main village of the island, Paroikia. If you enjoy hiking you can walk up 3km from the port of Paroikia, but you can also drive up. This location is incredible for sunset photography as well as a midday painting.




Lefkes



Lefkes is a traditional Cycladic village perched up at ~250meters above sea level in the mountains


of Paros. From the top right of Lefkes on the road towards "o milos tou xristou mpiza" you can obtain the best view of the village as a whole with the main church and the mountains in the background.


On this road you can also find traditional windmills on the mountain overlooking Naxos island. Inside the village you can find winding pedestrian streets from the 17th century with historical Cycladic homes.


During the summer months the village of Lefkes is best photographed in the morning before most tourists flood the streets. In the off season Lefkes is a quiet village, and the Kafeneo, Cafe Marigo in the traditional square is perfect for setting up an easel or watercolor block.