Parikia Town (Chora)

Arriving by ferry into Parikia, the main port and capital of Paros, the first impression is of a white town curving around a wide bay, with a small castle and the dome of a church standing out above the quays. Parikia, sometimes written Paroikia, has a lived-in Cycladic feel that has not been lost to tourism, and its old quarter, known as Chora, is a maze of whitewashed houses, bougainvillea and marble-paved lanes.

The town's best-known monument is the Panagia Ekatontapiliani, the Church of the Hundred Doors, one of the oldest churches in Greece still in use. Tradition links its foundation to the fourth century, with a major rebuilding in the sixth century under the Byzantine emperor Justinian, and it consists of a main church, a baptistery and a chapel in a single walled courtyard. The marble columns and carved details inside show the continuity of this ancient site, and the whitewashed courtyard is a quiet place to sit.

Above the harbour stands the Frankish Castle, a fortress of the Venetian era built in the thirteenth century. Its walls incorporate columns and blocks taken from an ancient temple, so that you can see classical drums built sideways into the medieval stonework, an unusual mix of eras. The nearby Archaeological Museum of Paros displays pieces of local marble sculpture and fragments of the Parian Chronicle, an ancient inscription that records events in Greek history, along with finds associated with the poet Archilochus.

Visitors tend to spend most of their time wandering the lanes, which open into small squares with cafes, and following the waterfront promenade, a popular place to watch the sunset. The main shopping streets are lined with jewellery, ceramics and clothing shops, and the harbour front has tavernas serving fresh fish and local dishes.

Parikia is also the transport hub of the island, with ferries to Athens and to neighbouring islands like Naxos, Santorini and Antiparos, and buses to the beaches and villages of the island. Staying here makes it easy to explore without a car. The pace of the town is relaxed, and evening is the liveliest time, when the lanes fill with strollers.