The Cyclades is a group of Greek islands, southeast of the mainland in the Aegean Sea. It centers on uninhabited Delos, considered the birthplace of Apollo, and home to some of Greece's most important archaeological ruins. Many of the islands are popular holiday destinations, known for their beaches, ancient sites, rugged landscapes and traditional blue-and-white stucco towns overlooking the sea.
The following is general advice based on our own personal research into how to get to Paros. There are no direct flights and so you have to transfer by ferry from either Mykonos or Athens. The easier of the two seems to be Mykonos solely based on the better ferry options and the shorter crossing time. Refer to Skyscannner and Direct Ferries for a better idea of what's available when planning your trip.
We haven't looked much into transferring via plane, though it is definitely an option and might make Athens for feasible. We believe it's a self transfer and so you'll have to manage your luggage...etc at the airport when you arrive to make sure it gets transferred too.
Mykonos is our personal preference, only because it's so close to Paros the ferry ride is a lot shorter and they are much more frequent.
The downside is that flights are from Gatwick. There are usually two flights each day, one afternoon and one early morning.
It's a nice island to explore if you get the chance, though it is expensive. Unless you want to tour the island a little we'd recommend getting straight to Paros rather than staying on Mykonos. The earlier flight allows time to get a ferry the same day, the ferry port is around 30 minutes by taxi from the airport.
To book a ferry try Direct Ferries. There is both a short and long option, the shortest ferry crossing takes around 40 minutes while the longest takes about 1h 35 minutes. The price doesn't seem to change much, roughly £130 per person for a return trip.
You can fly to Athens from Bristol, which is the perk of Athens, though the ferry crossing takes longer and you're less likely to find a ferry time that matches the flight time, so a stop off in Athens might be necessary.
The fastest ferry crossing from Athens is around 2hr 30 minutes, while the average seems to be around 4+ hours. Seajets are pretty good, they are usually the faster option and there are sailings around 7am and 3pm. There are other options scattered around the rest of the day, 4pm, 5:30pm. So it depends on your arrival time. Check Direct Ferries for more info.
Flights from Brisol are much less frequent than Gatwick to Mykonos. It seems you can only fly on Fridays or Mondays, and it seems you are restricted to one flight departing at 13:30pm, arriving in Athens at 19:20pm - this obviously restricts the ferry options somewhat and may require a stop over in Athens. Flights home from Athens leave around 20:00pm Greek time.
Parikia is the capital and the main port of Paros island. It is one of the most typical Cycladic settlements as it is distinguished by its narrow cobbled paths, the old churches, the small shops and the houses in blue and white. We will be getting married in the beautiful Town Hall. Time to be confirmed.
The reception will be hosted at a stunning venue on the side of a mountain overlooking Golden Beach, the Aegean, and with views of neighbouring Naxos.
Don't be concerned about the mountain location, transport will be provided and once you're at the venue we hope you'll see why we chose this beautiful place.
Fladakia, the venue, is situated above Golden Beach and takes around 30 minutes by car from Naoussa and Parikia.
We're on the case but we haven't decided yet. I think we're circulating around Noassa but even that I can't confirm. Once we know I'll post it here.
If you have time hop on a quad bike and explore the island, you'll circumnavigate it in around an hour and you'll get to stop in different towns and take in stunning vistas. We've included some of the highlights below and ideas where to stay.
If you're arriving by boat this is the first town you'll see. You won't appreciate it at first, we didn't. It just feels like somewhere to pass through and not spend a whole lot of time in. But if you get a chance the town really does have hidden depths and a beautiful harbour. This is where the town hall is located.
Parikia is Paros' capitol and its harbour is lined with amazing seafood restaurants and bars. Behind the harbour is a quaint warren of typical Cycladean streets with shops and cocktail bars. The Frankish Castle appears from nowhere within the little nest of streets and is worth a look.
Parikia is Paros' capitol but Naossa is its soul. Famous for its cocktail bars and nightlife you can easily spend the day wandering around it's picturesque white-washed streets and catching glimpses of the sea which runs right up to to the bars and restaurants. The best way to see Naoussa is to dip in and out of its many bars and soak up the chilled vibes and music.
At night Noassa transforms and the masses descend, a little overwhelming but good for a night or two and definitely worth seeing. If you're staying in Noassa try to avoid the absolute center but make sure you're walking distance away.
Close to the reception venue, Fladakia, Golden Beach is, as the name suggests, a perfectly golden stretch of sand that offers water sports and is quieter than Parikia and Noassa. There are a number of hotels here and some restaurants though we didn't get much time to explore them.
Right next to Golden Beach is the charming little seaside town of Piso Lavidi and here you'll find more seafood restaurants and a much smaller but quaint harbour. There are a number of boating excursions that leave from here.
You can't help but fall in love with Lefkes, right at the center of the island you'll want to set aside time to visit this wonderful village. It seems to capture everything it is to be Greek: amazing white-washed, blue-tipped, rabbit warren-like streets that you can easily and must get lost in. The most amazing, family run tiny little restaurants that you will ever eat in: you must try Sweet Smelling Kitchen, you'll be greeted by a wizened Greek lady who'll dance you through the menu and you'll want to order one of everything just because she is so sweet. The restaurant is on the side of what is effectively a cliff overlooking the church that is the focal point of Lefkes. Pop your head into the small homely kitchen to see two more generations of the family preparng the simple but delicious food.
The best way to see Lefkes is to hop on a quad bike and take it up the windy mountain pass that gets you to the village.
Of all the places we've travelled we fell especially in love with the Greek islands. The pace of life, the amazing food and the Greek attitude towards mealtimes, the white-washed buildings, quaint villages and beautiful harbour towns, along with stunning vistas captured both our imaginations and our hearts. Our love of travel was always to be incorporated into our special day, and we always wanted our wedding to be another adventure together and with our families. We hope that you fall in love with the Greek islands as much as we have.