Antiparos
Chora and the cave on Day 1, Despotiko and the south-coast beaches on Day 2.
Just a 7-minute ferry from Paros, Antiparos is what Paros was thirty years ago — slower, smaller, with a single Chora built around a 15th-century Venetian castro and one main pedestrian street where the day's life happens. The famous cave on Agios Ioannis hill plunges 85 metres into the earth and contains the oldest known stalagmite in Europe. Boats from Agios Georgios cross to the uninhabited island of Despotiko, where ongoing excavations of an Archaic-era Apollo sanctuary continue to surface new finds. Tom Hanks owns a house here. So do a lot of quietly wealthy Athenians. The island has been discovered, but it hasn't been spoiled.
2-day itinerary for Antiparos
Day 1: Chora, the Castro & the Cave
- · Antiparos Port
Arrive on the small ferry from Pounta or Parikia. The port spills directly into the main pedestrian street. Drop your bags and start walking up — everything in Chora is within 5 minutes. - · Castro of Antiparos
The 15th-century Venetian castro built by the Loredano family — a fortified settlement where houses share their outer walls as the castle wall. Most original structures still inhabited. Walk the inner square and the four medieval gates. - · Lunch — Taverna Yorgis
Family-run taverna in a small flagged side-street near the main square. Octopus, fava, lamb chops, homemade tsipouro at the end. The kind of place where Jenny will tell you what's freshly made today. - · Cave of Antiparos
10km south of Chora, on Agios Ioannis Hill. A vertical cave plunging 85 metres into the rock — 411 steps down. Contains the oldest known stalagmite in Europe (45 million years). Lord Byron carved his name on a wall in 1810. Open 10am-3pm in summer. - · Soros Beach
On the way back from the cave. Long sandy crescent on the southeast coast — deeper water than most island beaches, so good for actual swimming rather than wading. A taverna or two at the back. - · Sunset — Sifneiko Café
Behind the main town on Sifneikos Gialos. The west-facing cove gets the best sunsets on the island. Order a drink and stay for dinner — the food is decent if you can grab a table.
Day 2: Despotiko & the South Beaches
- · Agios Georgios
Tiny resort village 12km south of Chora — a handful of tavernas on the waterfront and the small boat harbour for crossings to Despotiko. The beach itself is fine but you're really here for the boat. - · Despotiko Sanctuary of Apollo
Uninhabited island a 15-minute boat ride from Agios Georgios. Major Archaic-era sanctuary of Apollo dating to the 7th century BC, still actively excavated. Marble columns and reconstructed temple walls in extraordinary isolation. Boats run hourly in summer. - · Livadi Beach (Despotiko)
Silver-white sand beach on Despotiko, just south of the sanctuary. No facilities, no shade — bring water and a hat. The water clarity is among the best in the Cyclades. The boat back leaves at 4pm. - · Captain Pipinos
Classic fish taverna on the Agios Georgios waterfront, where they dry the day's catch — octopus and fish — outside the kitchen. Order what's hanging. House wine, sea view, no pretensions.
Top beaches of Antiparos
Soros Beach
The best swimming beach on Antiparos — long, sandy, with deeper water than most Cycladic shallows so you can actually swim rather than wade. Sheltered from the north winds when the rest of the island is windswept. The southeast position means morning sun.
- Type
- Fine sand
- Length
- 500 m
- Depth
- Medium to deep — proper swimming, not wading
- Facing
- Southeast-facing — sheltered from the meltemi north winds
- Facilities
- Moderate: a couple of tavernas, some sunbeds, parking. Less developed than the western beaches.
Apantima Beach
Quieter east-coast beach with the famous Beach House Antiparos club at one end. Soft golden sand, calm shallow water in the morning. The club is one of the more expensive day-bed setups in the Cyclades but the views and the scene make it the most photographed beach on the island.
- Type
- Fine sand
- Length
- 400 m
- Depth
- Shallow to medium — gradual sandy entry
- Facing
- East-facing — calm in the morning, can pick up wind in the afternoon
- Facilities
- Well organised: Beach House Antiparos club with sunbeds, restaurant and full service. Pricey but the setting earns it.
Psaralyki Beaches (I & II)
Two consecutive sandy coves separated by a small headland, both walkable from town. The shallow water and full facilities make this the default family beach. Psaralyki II is the wilder of the two and has fewer crowds.
- Type
- Fine sand
- Length
- 300 m + 200 m
- Depth
- Very shallow — perfect for children
- Facing
- South-facing — warm and calm
- Facilities
- Fully organised: tavernas, sunbeds, water sports. 10-minute walk south of Chora.
Livadia Beach
Unspoiled east-coast beach reached by a short drive from Chora. The Rooster Hotel — one of the best small luxury properties in the Cyclades — is built into the hillside above with private access. Otherwise mostly empty even in August.
- Type
- Fine sand and pebble
- Length
- 300 m
- Depth
- Shallow to medium
- Facing
- East-facing — sheltered, calm
- Facilities
- Quiet — no organised beach service. The Rooster Hotel sits in the hills above.