Antiparos

holiday report and Antiparos map

Antiparos

ANTIPAROS is a small island that lies south-west of Paros in the Cyclades group of islands. It is thinly populated with a few run-of-the-mill beaches, many scattered churches and the famous vertical cave full of the most remarkable stalactites.
Although relatively small Antiparos can get very busy in the summer as tourists cross the narrow channel, mainly to visit the caves and the main village port of Antiparos, also called the Chora or Kastro.
The boat trip from Paros to Antiparos only takes 10-15mins, leaving the Paros port at Pounta, or about 30min for boats sailing from the island capital Parikia.
Chora is a straggling port with a central square packed with shops and tavernas to catch the daily trippers. There are a few bars and clubs that liven up at the height of the summer season. The beaches around Chora are also popular beach party sites.
The islet of Antiparos is a little too large to walk around and, although there is a local bus connecting Chora to the cave, you will probably need a car or bike to explore the rest of it.
Antiparos is about 12km long and 5km wide with a 57km coastline and only 1,000 permanent residents. The tallest peak is Profitis Elia at 399m in the centre of a mainly barren volcanic landscape.
Antiparos is surrounded by a number of uninhabited islets. A drive to the southern end of the island takes about 20 mins where there is a good beach at Agios Georgios with views across to the uninhabited islet of Despotiko, where there are the remains of a temple to Apollo.
The main attraction of Antiparos is the large cave system with its many impressive stalactites. The cave is reached by a narrow, winding passage and is about 150ft sq and 50ft high.
Russian soldiers cut many of the stalactites down during the war of 1700-1774, taking them home as souvenirs. German and Italian soldiers did the same during World War II.
Many impressive sights remain and inscriptions (or graffiti depending on your point of view) carved into the formations include those by Bishop De Gabrie (1673) and the Greek king Otto(1840).