I rented a car for two days during my stay in Paros. The first day I spent circumventing the island focusing on beaches and towns. The second day I decided to dig a little deeper into the ancient history of Paros and explore the neighboring island of Antiparos. 

I started the morning with a 7 minute car ferry ride from Pounta (just 10 minutes south of Parikia) to Antiparos port. The cash only ferry runs every 30 minutes all day as long as the weather cooperates.  If you’re going to be on foot, there are passenger ferries from Parikia to Antiparos. 

The ferry lands just outside the main town on Antiparos. The classic blue domed Agia Marina church welcome me to the quiet island. 

At the end of October, much of the businesses were closed for the season, so wandering the deserted streets of the town was a meditative way to enjoy the town.  A picturesque main street flanked with boutique stores leads away from the water into the heart of the Venetian Castle. 

The base of the main tower from the original 1440 castle still remains as does one of the Gothic gateways. The interior of the castle is closed off and the area isn’t well taken care of, but I still am in awe of the century’s old architecture incorporated into everyday life. 

After grabbing a sandwich at one of the only open bakeries for lunch later – I knew there would be no other options for the day – I headed to the center of the island to visit the impressive Antiparos Cave. 

As the only vertical cave in Europe with a depth of 85 meters, climbing down the 400+ stairs into the heart of the cave brought me further and further away from the bright sun of the outside world. Stalactites and stalagmites are constantly growing and reshaping, so there were places where the stairs seemed to melt into the cave walls.  

Estimated to be 45 millions years old, the cave houses the oldest stalactite in Europe. Not only does the cave feature natural history, but the engravings of past explorers on the cave walls represent the history of cave exploration dating back to 600s BCE.  

By the time I reached the bottom of the staircase, I was the only person in the cave. It was an eerie experience to be so far down in the cave with only the glow of the lights and the dripping of the water to accompany me. 

I took my time climbing back up the staircase. Before leaving, I took a quick glance at the tiny church just outside its entrance: Ai Yiannis Spiliotis. Having taken in the depths of the cave and mountain views of the island, it was time to head back down to the coast to find a beach to swim, relax, and have lunch.

I stopped at the small roadside Glyfa Beach. I had the whole place to myself so I enjoyed the peaceful sounds of the waves and birds and the cool waters of the ocean. 

I had a little time before the next ferry, so I walked along the harborside past some vacation lodging and waterside restaurants. The island is known for fresh seafood, so when I came across some octopi drying on a line, I knew that this reputation was well warranted. 

After disembarking from the ferry back in Pounta, I headed inland to Marathi to find some ancient ruins. The Ancient Marble Quarries.  The largest quarry, quarry of Nymphs was fenced off, but I was able to venture into the quarry of Pan. Still, I only scratched the surface of the cave as I had had my fill of cave experiences for the day. Instead, I wandered around the site taking in the building ruins, defunct mining equipment, and views of the area.  Parian marble extracted here was used in the Louvre, Napoleon’s tomb, and other ancient Greek sites, so just walking around the area is special in itself. I also enjoyed cuddling up with the litter of kittens that greeted me when I arrived. 

The Delion Apollo ruins are situated on the hillside above the Church of Agios Fokas. Once a temple dedicated to the gods Apollo and Artemis, these 5th century ruins are now just a low stone wall and a few scattered columns.  I’m always in awe of these historic remnants, but the drive up the dirt roads to this site aren’t quite worth it. Also, since my visit, the site has even been removed from Google Maps, so I’m wondering if the people living nearby are trying to prevent random people from accessing their roads. 

I stumbled across ancient ruins randomly during my visit to Paros. From the 6th century pottery workshop near my lodging to the 8th century BCE cemetery remains just outside Parikia’s main square, ancient history lives side by side with modern life in Greece.