You can see Antiparos from Paros, it sits right there across the strait, close enough that a ferry does the hop in minutes. But islands reveal themselves from the water, not from a ferry queue. So during my week on Paros, I booked a private day charter with Hellenic Riviera Yachting, based in Naoussa’s marina, and did the classic loop properly: Paros, Antiparos, Despotiko.
The Boat
Their yacht, the Eōthiní, is a Saxdor 320 GTO, a 10-meter Scandinavian-built weapon with twin 300hp engines that gets you between islands fast, then turns into a floating sun deck the moment you anchor. Fold-out side platforms open the boat up at swim stops, there’s a proper freshwater shower for after, and a sound system that understands golden hour. It takes up to eight people; we were fewer, which felt exactly right.
The Route
Out of Naoussa, the first act is Paros’s own coastline, coves you simply cannot reach by road, volcanic walls dropping straight into deep blue. Then across to Antiparos, where the pace drops by half: water so clear the boat appears to levitate over its own shadow, and swimming stops chosen by a captain who clearly keeps his favorites off the map.
The finale is Despotiko, uninhabited, raw, and home to an ancient sanctuary of Apollo that you reach with salt still drying on your skin. Standing near a 2,500-year-old temple site with not a single tour group in sight is the kind of moment Greece hands you only when you arrive by sea.
Lunch, Anchored
Somewhere between swims, the table filled: grilled sandwiches, fruit, pastries, a cold bottle of Greek white, served over water so turquoise it looked color-graded. No taverna terrace on either island has this seating.
The Details That Mattered
Eight hours felt like the correct length, long enough for three islands and four swims, short enough to be back in Naoussa for dinner. Masks and swim gear come with the boat; they’ll also load a paddleboard or a Seabob if your group runs on adrenaline. Day charters start from €1,550 for the boat, split between a group, it’s less than many people pay for a beach club bed on the “famous” islands, for a private day at sea.
Verdict
Paros gave me my favorite base in the Cyclades this summer. This day on the water is why it edged ahead: the best of three islands, zero logistics, one boat. If you’re staying anywhere on Paros, this is the day trip to build the week around.
