Lefkes and the Mountain Villages - A Paros Day Trip

Most of Paros looks out to sea, but its quiet centre rises into green hills dotted with old marble villages. Lefkes, the former capital, sits about 15 minutes inland from Parikia and makes a perfect half-day escape from the beach, especially on a hot or windy afternoon.

Drive up from Parikia on the main road and follow the signs for Lefkes. The village tumbles down a green hillside in white houses and marble lanes, with two windmills above and the cathedral of Agia Triada at its heart. Park at the entrance, as the lanes inside are for walking only.

From the village square, the old Byzantine Road, a marble-paved path, leads downhill towards Prodromos. Even a short walk along it, twenty minutes there and back, rewards you with valley views and a sense of how islanders crossed Paros before the coast road existed.

Lefkes has a handful of tavernas serving mountain food rather than seafood, a welcome change after days by the water. Have lunch under the plane trees, then drive on to the smaller villages of Prodromos, Marpissa, and Marmara on the way back to the east coast.

The whole loop, Parikia to Lefkes, across to Marpissa, and back down to the coast, makes an easy half-day by car and shows you the Paros that most beach visitors never see. Bring a light layer; the hills are noticeably cooler than the coast.