M/Y Maria: Paros

Antiquities & beaches

Full day cruise to Paros approx. 140 NM, 7h engine hours, Departure time 9am, Return 8pm

Our journey will start at the port; We will swim at the very cosmopolitan golden and pounda beach, the very exotic Kolimvithres beach before docking at the picturesque port of Naoussa for lunch. We will from the sea cave Arhilohos and stop at Parikia, the capital of the island for visiting. Our last stop in Paros at the south beach of Farangas. On our way back to Vlychada we will visit the major hot spots of the caldera in Santorini like the picturesque port of ammoudi, the volcano and the hot spings and the south famous beaches of the island.

Beaches √ Scuba X Antiquities √ Religion √ Speleo √ Natural wonders X Walk √ Traditional settlements √

Castle Hill

The site of the Medieval Castle has formed the nucleus of civilization on the Island of Paros since the 4th Millennium B.C. until the present. The Castle itself was built by the Venetian Duke of Naxos, Sanoudos (13th Century A.D.) using various remnants of ancient structures. Archeologists have determined that incorporated within the walls of the castle are elements of three ancient and two classical temples from the ancient city. Of those temples only a small chamber of the Temple of Athena (6th Century B.C.) has been saved, situated at the top of the hill. Near the foundations of what was the temple a portion of a Pre-Cycladic settlement has been discovered.

Ancient Cemetery

During recent excavations (1983) a significant gravesite was discovered that was in use from the late 8th through the third centuries B.C.. The cemetery was discovered near the port right next to the waterfront road. It holds a variety of grave types dating to different periods. The most significant find was a Polyandrio (group grave), unique throughout the Aegean and dating back to the late Geometric Period (8th Century B.C.). Marking the Polyandrio is a huge grave stele. Today the site is maintained as an archeological park with an accompanying display of interesting relics as well as photographs of the early as well as the most recent excavations.

Ekatontapyliani

The holy gem of Paros is the Cathedral of Our Lady Ekatontapyliani, one of the most significant early Christian monuments throughout Greece. The church’s history begins steeped in Byzantine legend with the first construction somewhere in the 4th century A.D. Saint Helen (Aghia Eleni), mother of the emperor Constantine, was on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in search of the cross of Christ. Her ship stopped in Paros where she found a tiny church, one of the first dedicated to the new faith. She prayed there and made a pledge that if she were to find the Honoured Cross she would build a Cathedral in the place of the tiny church. Her prayer was answered and she found the Cross, so as she had pledged, construction of the church began.

Venetian Castle

The sea swept and partially submerged Venetian Castle that shields the harbour of Naoussa from the north was erected by the Sommaripa dynasty in the 15th century. It is an unusual example of fortification.
Other nearby Interesting places

Butterfly Valley
In the area Psychopiana just west of the Monastery “Christ of the Forest” is the “Butterfly Valley”, one of the most significant biotopes in Greece. With its running springs and amazing array of foliage this valley provides the ideal eco-system for the hundreds of butterflies that populate the area during the summer months.

Ancient Marble Quarries

This is where the famous Parian marble was carved out of the mountain, the main source of the island’s wealth throughout its long history, but particularly during the Classical Age. The valuable characteristics of Parian marble are its purity and luminosity. It is stone that light can literally pass through, even up to a thickness of 3,5cm (the renown Kararas marble of Italy maintains luminosity up to a thickness of 2,5cm, while the marble of Penteli in Attica only 1,5 by comparison). The marble of Paros has been the material of choice for some of history’s most gifted sculptors: Pheidias, Agorakritos, Praxitelis, and Scopas to name a few. An abundance of ancient art masterpieces were made from Parian marble: the Venus d’ Milo, Hermes by Praxitelis, the “Kores” from the Acropolis in Athens, the Nike and the Temple of Apollo on Delos, the Temple of Apollo and the Treasury of the Sifniotes at Delphi, and the Temple of Zeus in Olympia. It is estimated that 70% of the sculpture that was created in all the regions around the Aegean Sea was made from Parian marble. They called it Lignite because it was mined from passages dug deep into the mountain by lamplight. The tunnels and passages are still intact, as are epigraphs left by the ancient artists and craftsmen, today their exploration is possible via two different entrances. These quarries were already in operation as early as the Pre-Cycladic Period (3200 – 2000 B.C.) and were in use until the end of the 19th century A.D..