A Genuine Look at Naousa’s Best Adventure Tours
Naousa on Paros is, frankly, more than just its incredibly pretty harbor filled with fishing boats. You know, you see the pictures everywhere, and they are definitely beautiful. To be honest, the true character of this piece of the Cyclades reveals itself when you step just a little outside that postcard frame. As a matter of fact, the best way to do this is by trying out one of the local adventure tours. We actually looked into quite a few options to find the ones that offer something a bit special. So, we wanted to find experiences that connect you with the sea, the land, and the island’s long story. Basically, these are our top five picks for getting your heart pumping and making some really good memories in and around Naousa.
1. A Sea Kayaker’s Dream: Paddling to Kolymbithres
So, there’s just something about launching a kayak into the Aegean Sea on a bright morning. The water around Naousa Bay is, you know, this amazing shade of clear blue, and it’s almost totally calm. Our guide for this trip was a local man who, apparently, knew every single hidden cove along the coastline. He actually told us that we’d be paddling to places most boats can’t reach, which sounded pretty exciting. He was totally right, too. We slid our kayaks into these tiny, quiet sea caves where the water glowed in a very unreal way. I mean, the sound was just the gentle dip of our paddles and the water lapping against the rock walls.
The main destination is, of course, Kolymbithres Beach. Honestly, you’ve probably seen pictures of its bizarre, smooth white rock formations. Well, arriving by sea kayak offers a completely different perspective, sort of. You, like, paddle right up to these natural sculptures that have been shaped by wind and water for thousands of years. It feels more or less like landing on another planet. We spent a good while just climbing over the rocks and swimming in the ridiculously clear water between them. By the way, our guide pointed out a small octopus hiding among the stones, something we definitely would have missed on our own. It’s a slightly physical day, yet so rewarding that the tired arms are, at the end of the day, a small price to pay.
Read our full review: [Naousa Sea Kayaking Full Review and Details]
See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now ([Book Your Kolymbithres Kayak Adventure])
2. Ancient Trails by Horseback in Paros Park
Frankly, getting away from the coast for a bit gives you a totally new appreciation for Paros. This particular tour takes you into Paros Park, a huge protected area on the peninsula just across the bay from Naousa. Instead of a bus, your ride for the day is a really gentle and well-cared-for horse. For instance, I got a lovely brown horse named Hermes, and we sort of bonded right away. The guide gives you all the basics you need, so it’s fine even if you’ve almost never ridden before. The feeling of heading up into the hills on horseback is, honestly, just incredible. It’s so quiet and peaceful.
The paths you ride on are, as a matter of fact, old stone tracks called ‘monopati’. The guide explained that these were basically the original roads of the island, used by farmers with their donkeys for hundreds of years. So, you’re literally riding over history. The air itself is, you know, scented with wild thyme and sage that gets kicked up by the horses’ hooves. The views just get better and better as you climb. Seriously, you can see the whole of Naousa Bay, and on a clear day, you can apparently spot the neighboring island of Naxos. The final stop is the lighthouse at Cape Korakas, which is a very dramatic and windswept spot. It’s a pretty amazing way to connect with the raw, natural side of the island.
“Actually, feeling the rhythm of the horse beneath you as you look out over the Aegean is a core memory. You kind of forget all about schedules and just exist in the moment.”
Read our full review: [Paros Park Horseback Riding Full Review and Details]
See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now ([Reserve Your Paros Trail Ride])
3. Sip and Cycle: A Paros Vineyard Experience
Alright, so not every adventure needs to be about scaling cliffs or exploring the deep sea. This one, in a way, combines some gentle exercise with one of the island’s most delightful products: wine. This biking tour takes a fairly flat and easy route through the island’s agricultural heartland, just a little inland from Naousa. It’s really not a race, so you can just pedal at your own pace. The journey is pretty much part of the fun. You bike past old farmhouses, little white-washed chapels, and fields of grapevines that seem very ancient.
The destination is, naturally, a family-run winery. We visited the famous Moraitis Winery, which is located conveniently close to Naousa. The tour is, basically, guided by someone from the winery, often a member of the family. This makes it a very personal experience, you know. They show you the cellars and explain how they make their wine, a tradition that on Paros goes back literally thousands of years. It’s kind of amazing to think about. After the tour, of course, comes the best part: the tasting. You get to sample several different local wines, from crisp whites to rich reds, usually paired with some local cheese and bread. At the end of the day, it’s a perfectly civilized and thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.
Read our full review: [Paros Wine Tasting Bike Tour Full Review and Details]
See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now ([Book Your Sip and Cycle Tour])
4. Underwater History: Diving the Beaufighter Wreck
For those who want a bit more of a genuine thrill, there’s a whole other world waiting just off the coast of Paros. We, obviously, signed up for a scuba dive to explore a sunken World War II plane. This isn’t just a dive; it’s a pretty moving experience. The dive center was incredibly professional, and they made sure everyone, regardless of their experience level, felt completely safe and prepared. You, like, get a very detailed briefing about the wreck’s history—a British Beaufighter plane that went down in 1943. So, you go into the water with a real sense of what you’re about to see.
Dropping down through the water column is, in some respects, a surreal feeling as the world above just disappears. Then, it slowly comes into view. The wreck of the Beaufighter sits on the sandy bottom, largely intact and now functioning as an artificial reef. Actually, it’s covered in marine growth and is home to schools of fish. There’s a certain quiet and solemnity to the site that is really powerful. Floating over the wings and peering into the cockpit where the pilot once sat is an incredibly poignant moment. It’s a dive that combines adventure with a very real connection to history. It’s honestly one of the most memorable things you can possibly do on Paros, provided you have a diving certification, of course.
Read our full review: [Paros Scuba Diving Wreck Full Review and Details]
See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now ([Schedule Your Beaufighter Wreck Dive])
5. Walking Through Time: The Koukounaries Acropolis Hike
Finally, this last adventure takes you up, offering arguably the best views on the entire island. The guided hike to the Mycenaean Acropolis at Koukounaries is just a fantastic blend of physical activity and ancient history. The trail itself is a bit of a scramble in places, so you really feel like you’ve earned the view at the top. The path winds up a rocky hill that stands guard over Naousa bay. You’ll definitely want good shoes for this one. But, you know, the guide leads the way and points out interesting plants and geological features as you go.
Reaching the summit is a truly breathtaking moment. First, the 360-degree panorama of the sea, the bay, and the town of Naousa is simply spectacular. Then, your guide begins to bring the ruins around you to life. As a matter of fact, you are standing on a fortified settlement that is over 3,200 years old. You can clearly see the foundations of the walls and buildings from the Mycenaean era—the time of the Trojan War. Standing there, with the wind blowing and the guide explaining the site’s history, you just get a profound sense of time. It really puts your beach holiday into a much larger context. It is an amazing feeling to, sort of, walk on the same ground as people who lived so very long ago.
Read our full review: [Koukounaries Acropolis Hike Full Review and Details]
See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now ([Reserve Your Hike to the Acropolis])
