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Antiparos: The Island That Has It All

In our exploration of the Greek islands, we tend to gravitate towards the more remote ones. We had thought that Antiparos would have that same wildness that Paxos had, but it surprised us with its extravagance.

Antiparos appears to be a remote island for the wealthy, rich, and famous. Tom Hanks famously has a house somewhere on the island, and we saw quite a lot of people in designer-wear clothing strolling around.

Despite this reputation, we were able to also find what we were looking for: wild, rocky beaches, crystal clear water to swim in, and remote points for hiking. Alongside a more adventure themed visit to the island, one can pair a long day outside with sundowners at the bar on the west side of the island, and a fancy dinner on the east side. Antiparos really has it all.

A typical beach on Antiparos – mostly rocky but crystal clear waters.

How To Get To Antiparos

Antiparos is a short distance from the larger island, Paros. There are daily ferries between the two. If you arrive at the Paros port, you can take a 30 minute ferry directly to Antiparos for €5 per person (in 2020). You can also take a 20 minute bus ride south to Pountos (€2 per person in 2020), then take a 10 minute ferry (€1,20 per person in 2020) across the small channel to the Antiparos port. To book a ferry easily, check out Ferryscanner.

Getting Around

Depending on how long you are on Antiparos, there is a slim chance you will ever need any form of transportation, unless you want to go to the south side of the island. Everything is within walking distance, and you can walk from the east to the west side for the sunset within 10 minutes. There are ATVs, motorbikes, and cars available for rental if you need them, and we also saw taxis.

Where To Stay

There are some small villas and houses to rent in more remote parts of the island. If you want to be near the life of the party it’s best to stay near the port. We are pretty sure most of the shops just stay open 24/7! There are plenty of hotels and apartments to rent everywhere, and it’s relatively quiet, despite the night life.

We stayed at Kouros Village, which is a mix of a hotel and apartment in one. We would highly recommend this hotel for families, as they have a kitchen in the room, bunk beds for the kids, and a separate room for the parents. There is a very nice pool, great views of the ocean, and friendly staff.

Where To Eat

There are many wonderful restaurants in Antipaxos. We had some good, local Greek and seafood, but can highly recommend two restaurants: the Damis Family Taverna and the Kalokeri.

The Damis Taverna has some of the best, local, traditional Greek family style food on the island. Located in a beautiful garden area tucked away from the streets, we were very impressed with the service, the food, and the ambience. Most of the people inside the restaurant were local Greeks, which made for a great people watching spot and really helped us feel more like we were in Greece.

While our wine experience in Santorini was a bit lacking, the local white wine here was excellent, and served in a metal pitcher. We also had the tastiest Greek salad I have ever had, delicious fried zucchini, and heaping plates of grilled pork and fries. It was far too much food, and the prices were astonishingly low.

The picturesque Damis Taverna

On the other hand, the Kalokeri restaurant was a gourmet experience. Wonderful in a very different way, it is located more in the center of the town. Once again, we were surprised that the local Greek wine was very good (maybe it’s just Santorini that isn’t up to par???), and can highly recommend their seafood. We had shrimp pasta and grilled tuna – some of the most excellent tuna I can remember. Instead of ouzo at the end, we were served another local liquor that was just as tasty, mastika. It’s a bit more of an expensive experience, but well worth it.

All over the island are juice bars, bakeries, and gelato shops. Any one of these are worth visiting when you need a snack.

What To Do

We visited Antiparos to relax, and have a few recommendations along those lines.

Visit the beaches just south of the town. They are wide, with trees for shade and chairs for rent. We didn’t see any refreshment shops or bars so bring your own drinks and snacks. Be careful entering the water as there are some sea urchins hiding in the coral!

Take a 5 kilometer hike around the northern point of the island. We went for a run and tried cutting through some goat fields which turned out to be a bad idea (lots of cactus and spiky plants). Stick to the shore and you will be rewarded with some beautiful ocean views.

There is a small bay on the west side of the island with a few bars. It was a bit confusing to find, but if you are able to find the main square there is an arched doorway to walk through which then leads down to the bay.

The western bay was a very popular place for the locals. It has bigger waves than the east side of the island, which is more protected by Paros. There were still plenty of swimmers here, and even some divers. Head here for sundowners and watch the sunset.

Within Antiparos town are many places for shopping and eating. There is also a small, strange remnant of a castle, but there was no information about why it was there. Antiparos also has a museum, but it was closed while we were there (July 2020, during Covid times).

Why We Recommend Antiparos

If you are looking for a bit of a laid back vibe, plus a lively night scene, Antiparos is the island for you. This island is friendly to families and couples, with lots of opportunities for outdoor sports alongside a laidback beach scene. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, lots of shopping, and there is even a beach campsite if you don’t want to stay in a hotel. We highly recommend Antiparos, purely for its unique, mixed party and relaxed scene.