Hiking around the lighthouse

It’s mid April, spring is here for good and it’s a perfect day for a bit of hiking. Today we went to the lighthouse in the northern part of the island, in the western peninsula that embraces the bay of Naoussa. The whole area, which includes the monastery of Ai-Yiannis Detis a shipyard and an outdoor theatre where events take place in summer, forms the Environmental and Cultural Park of Paros and is protected.

There are several well marked paths around the whole peninsula and the landscape is simply unique.

The lighthouse stands on the northern edge of the rocky peninsula, in a particularly dramatic landscape. On a day with good visibility like today, Siros, Tinos and Mykonos can be seen clearly.

The monumental rock formations together with the low vegetation of wildflowers, herbs and bushes form a magical setting for an afternoon walk.

Walking around the peninsula views constantly change.

One moment we are facing north, admiring the blue colours of the sea and the other islands in the background. In a while we are heading south-east, getting a panoramic view of Naoussa standing in the heart of the bay and after a short walk we are facing west, getting a good view of the sun as it falls in the sea at the end of another day.

After a couple of hours of hiking we are heading back to the car. The car park is just next to the beach of Monastery and the open air theatre. In summer there is a variety of cultural events presented there and at the nearby beach there are parasols and sunbeds and a beach-bar operates during the summer months.

NOTES

You can access the Environmental and Cultural Park either by car/bike or, during summer, by boat form the port of Naoussa.