Explore the Trails

There is a Paros that no postcard can hold. It is not the Paros of packed beaches or bustling harbours, but the one that begins where the asphalt ends — in the mountainous interior, where the light falls differently and time moves slowly. Leave the sea behind for a morning and climb toward the villages, and you will discover the island’s hidden heart: a network of stone paths that has, for centuries, linked people, fields and stories.

Lefkes, the village in the clouds

Your starting point is Lefkes, the highest and one of the most picturesque villages on Paros, built amphitheatrically at the foot of the mountains. Its position is no accident: during the years of piracy, the inhabitants moved away from the coast and built here, hidden inland, away from the prying eyes of the sea.

Wander the narrow, whitewashed lanes, past mansions with neoclassical touches, bougainvillea spilling from the walls, and the imposing marble Church of the Holy Trinity. Take a deep breath of the clean, cool mountain air — this is where the route begins.

The Byzantine Road, a cobbled path through time

The trail linking Lefkes to Marpissa is no ordinary passage. It is the celebrated Byzantine Road, an ancient cobbled path paved with slabs of local Parian marble that for centuries served as the main artery of communication between the inland villages.

Beneath your feet, the stones are polished smooth by the steps of countless generations — farmers with their animals, merchants, pilgrims. Walking here has something ritualistic about it. All you hear is the cicadas, the bell of a distant flock, and the wind passing through the olive trees.

On Paros, the most beautiful journeys are not made by car, but on foot — one step at a time, on the very same stones trodden by centuries of people.Local saying of the Parian hinterland

Through olive groves and wild nature

As you descend, the landscape unfolds like a painting. Lush olive groves with centuries-old trees, dry-stone walls tracing the slopes, thyme, sage and oregano scenting the air. In spring, the ground fills with poppies, daisies and wild orchids.

This is the untouched nature of the Aegean, a side of Paros teeming with biodiversity. Stone-built fountains, small chapels appearing at a bend in the path, and views that open now and again toward the sea and neighbouring Naxos. Keep the pace slow — here, there is no rush to be anywhere.

Marpissa, the destination with the windmills

Your path ends in Marpissa, a lively traditional village with labyrinthine lanes, stone archways and the distinctive stone windmills standing guard on its summit. Above the village looms Kefalos hill, with the Byzantine monastery of Agios Antonios and the ruins of a Venetian castle — from there, the view over all of southeastern Paros is breathtaking.

Sit in a shaded square, cool off, and let the feel of the journey settle. You have just crossed the island’s historic backbone.

The hike from Lefkes to Marpissa is more than a walk — it is an encounter with authentic Paros, a breath of freedom away from the crowds. Put on your shoes, take some water, and let yourself go. The island has a story to tell that cannot be heard from the beach.