Naoussa Paros

holiday report and Paros map

Naoussa Paros

The picturesque village of NAOUSSA is the main tourist honeypot draw for the island of Paros. It is located about 6km north of the main port of Parikia, facing north but sheltered in a large bay with headlands opposite, rather like the claws of a giant crab.
The sugar cube houses of Naoussa are clustered around a couple of harbours with an attractive half-sunken Venetian fortress on a causeway that lends itself to tourist photographs.
Colourful fishing boats cram the tiny Naoussa harbours to add to the picturesque charm and taverna tables spill out onto the promenade and walkways that follow the shoreline.
Naoussa is one of the more popular holiday destinations on Paros and there is plenty of tourist infrastructure such as hotels, apartments, studios and rooms for rent.
There are countless restaurants, tavernas, ouzeries, bars, cafes and several nightclubs. Many of the traditional fishing sheds have been converted into tourist shops and boutiques that sell anything from souvenir trinkets to smart beach gear and designer clothes.
But Naoussa's popularity is its undoing as, in the high season, the place is packed, with coachloads of tourists trooping around the narrow streets.
Naoussa bay boasts some of the finest beaches on Paros. They include the renowned beaches of Kolimbithres, where rocks have been weathered into unusual shapes; Monastiri, where there is a large beach complex; Lageri and Santa Maria as well as the village beach of Piperi.
Other attractions in Naoussa include the Venetian castle, the small church of Agios Nikolaos, the Monastery of Agios Athanasios and its museum, and the Mycenaean Acropolis near Kolimbithres beach.
On August 23, Naoussa celebrates the re-enactment of a pirate raid with the “Koursariki Nychta” festival which includes fireworks and a boat procession.
Naoussa also has lots of churches. In the village is the 19th century cathedral of the Assumption of Virgin Mary and the 17th century church of Agios Athanasios. There is the church of Agios Nikolaos at the port and Agios Georgios, built in the 17th century which has some impressive icons.
In the area around Naoussa there are at least six monasteries, the most important of them being the Monastery of Longovarda. At the site of Protoria are the ruins of a small church, whose 12th century frescoes are now displayed in the Naoussa Museum of Byzantine Art.