7 Stunning Beaches Near Naoussa [Under 15 minutes]

Naoussa is the most popular town in Paros, and while the town gets a lot of love for shopping and its food scene, it’s also the BEST town to be for easy access to the beach.

Almost every beach worth visiting on the north coast is within a 15-minute drive of town, and a few are short walks from the harbor.

We’ve spent weeks in Paros across multiple visits and we’ve been to every beach on this list (including a few we never heard about until visiting personally).

And as you can imagine, we have some strong opinions on which ones are worth spending a full day at, which ones are overrated, and which ones we’d only visit off-peak season.

Each of the following 7 beaches near Naoussa are easily accessible from anyone in town, and by the end, you’ll know exactly which beaches to add to your itinerary, when to go, and how to plan around the crowds.

Best Beaches Near Naoussa

The best beaches near Naoussa are Kolymbithres for the iconic Paros photos, Monastiri for the actual beach day with fewer crowds and the same blue water, and Santa Maria if you want a long stretch of sand. All seven beaches in this guide are within a 15-minute drive of town, and a rental car or scooter makes hopping between them easy.

Note: Sunbed prices reflect peak summer. Shoulder season runs lower across the board.

Piperi Beach (Closest Beach In Naoussa)

Distance from Naoussa: 5-minute walk
Crowd Factor: High
Best For: Quick swims
Sunbed Price: €40-50
Closest Hotel: Avant Mar Paros

Piperi Beach is the main town beach in Naoussa, a five-minute walk from the harbor and the easiest swim if you don’t want to drive

It’s is the closest beach to Naoussa town center, and while it’s not as scenic as Kolymbithres or as spacious as Santa Maria, it’s the most accessible swim on the list.

If you’re staying in town and you just want a quick dip without renting a car, this is the move.

The water is calm, the seabed shifts from a mix of sand and rocks near the shore to sandier as you wade out, and the beach itself is small at about 100 meters long. Sunbeds run €40-50 per pair in summer, but you can also bring a towel and set up your own spot on the sand or even the rock formations along the side.

The catch is the crowds.

It’s a small beach in a popular town, so it fills up fast in July and August. The good news is people don’t usually linger long. If there’s no spot when you arrive, wait 5-10 minutes and something will open up.

We’d recommend Piperi for a 1-2 hour swim break in the middle of a day spent wandering Naoussa, not as your main beach destination. If you want a real beach day, Monastiri Beach is 13 minutes away and worth the drive.

Agioi Anargyroi Beach (Best Town Beach)

Distance from Naoussa: 5-10 minute walk
Crowd Factor: Medium
Best For: Families, gentle water entry
Sunbed Price: €30-50 / pair |
Closest Hotel: Kalypso Hotel

Agioi Anargyroi is the bigger and more comfortable of the two town beaches in Naoussa, and the better pick for families with kids

Agioi Anargyroi Beach sits on the other side of Naoussa from Piperi, about a 5-10 minute walk depending on where you’re staying in town. It’s bigger, the sand is softer, and it has a more traditional beach feel with sunbeds, cabanas, and a small dock. It’s also the local family pick on weekends, which tells you something about the swimming.

The water is the biggest selling point. The slope into the sea is unusually gentle, so you can wade out 30-40 meters and still touch the bottom. That makes it one of the safer spots for kids and weaker swimmers in the Naoussa area, especially compared to the rockier entries at Piperi or Kolymbithres.

Sunbeds run €30-50 per pair, which is steep for a town beach but in line with what you’ll find anywhere on the north coast.

If you want to stay right on Agioi Anargyroi Beach, Kalypso Hotel is the most accessible option, and Cosme Luxury Boutique is a step up if you’re after the resort experience. Most other Naoussa hotels are still close enough that you can walk over in 10 minutes or less.

We’d recommend this beach for travelers with young kids or anyone who wants a real beach without leaving town. If you’re not in either category, the drive to Monastiri or Santa Maria is worth it for the upgrade in scenery.

Siparos Beach (Off-The-Radar Beach)

Distance from Naoussa: 8-minute drive
Crowd Factor: Low
Best For: Quiet swims, snorkeling
Sunbed Price: Limited rentals
Closest Hotel: Paros Comfy Suites

Siparos Beach (also known as Xifara) is the under-the-radar pick on this list. It’s an 8-minute drive east of Naoussa, the crowds are minimal even in peak summer, and most guides skip it entirely. We almost did too, and it ended up being one of the surprises of the trip.

The main beach area sits next to Paros Comfy Suites, which is one of the better beachfront stays on the north coast.

But the cool part is what happens further down the shore. The beach extends past Siparos Seaside Restaurant and stretches out toward the islet of Nisida Oikonomou. At low tide, the small sand path between the mainland and the islet expands into a double-sided beach with sunbeds, snorkeling, and water sports on both sides. It’s the kind of spot you can post up at for a few hours and feel like you have your own private cove.

There’s no major beach club operation here, so sunbed availability is limited compared to Kolymbithres or Santa Maria. Bring a towel, plan to swim, and treat it as a quiet alternative to the busier north coast spots.

We’d recommend Siparos if you’ve been to Paros before and you’re looking for something most travelers don’t write home about, or if you’re spending a full week on the island and want a low-key beach morning between the bigger destinations.

Kolymbithres Beach (Most Famous)

Distance from Naoussa: 9-minute drive
Crowd Factor: High
Best For: Sightseeing, water sports, the iconic photos
Sunbed Price: €40-60 / pair
Closest Hotel: Astir of Paros

Kolymbithres Beach is the most famous beach in Paros, known for its giant granite rock formations and the photos every traveler takes home from the island

Kolymbithres Beach is the headline beach in Paros, with wild granite rock formations along the shore are the most photographed natural feature on the island, and the crystal-clear water with a soft sandy seabed makes it one of the better swimming spots in the area. It’s a 9-minute drive across the bay from Naoussa, or a quick water taxi ride for €3 per person.

The activities are part of the appeal. Paros on the Rocks operates right on the beach, so you can rent paddleboards, snorkels, or book waterskiing without leaving the sand. The beach also has a popular bar and restaurant scene that gets busy in the evenings.

The honest tradeoff is the crowds.

Kolymbithres is small for how famous it is, and most of the sand gets covered with rented sunbeds in peak season. Sunbeds run €40-60 per pair, and if you bring your own gear, you’ll likely end up sunbathing on the rock formations or one of the smaller beach pockets between them. We’ve been here on a quiet morning in May and on a packed afternoon in July, and the experience is genuinely different.

Our advice: come before 11 am if you want a normal beach experience, or come for the photos and energy and don’t expect to settle in for a full day. If you want the same blue water with significantly fewer people, Monastiri Beach is five minutes further down the road and it’s our pick of the two for a beach day.

Santa Maria Beach (Long Sandy Shores)

Distance from Naoussa: 11-minute drive
Crowd Factor: High
Best For: Sunbathing, windsurfing, beach club energy
Sunbed Price: €50 / pair
Closest Hotel: The Sand Collection

Santa Maria Beach is the second-most popular beach in Paros, with a long sandy stretch, beach clubs, and the best windsurfing on the north coast

Santa Maria Beach is the runner-up to Kolymbithres in popularity, and it’s the move if you want a real stretch of sand instead of small rocky coves. It’s a 10-11 minute drive from Naoussa, the beach is long enough that it never feels as overcrowded as the other major beaches, and the vibe lands somewhere between laid-back lounging and beach club energy.

The water depends on the weather. On windy days the waves can pick up, which makes it ideal for windsurfing but less great for casual swimming. On calmer days, it’s one of the better swimming and snorkeling spots near Naoussa.

Sunbeds run €50 per pair, and there’s also a small watersports center that rents kayaks and paddleboards.

If you want to skip the rental cost, both ends of the beach have free public space where you can set up your own towel. The middle is where the beach clubs operate, and that’s where most of the energy concentrates.

Koom Beach Bar and Santa Maria Beach Bar are the two on-site food options. They’re fine for a quick bite and drinks during the day, but for a real meal we’d recommend driving back to Naoussa rather than sitting down for lunch here.

Monastiri Beach (Best Beach Day)

Distance from Naoussa: 13-minute drive
Crowd Factor: Medium
Best For: Swimming, paddleboarding, hiking
Sunbed Price: €40-50 / pair
Closest Hotel: Kymo Luxury Suites

Monastiri Beach is our top pick for an actual beach day on the north coast of Paros. It’s about 5 minutes past Kolymbithres on the same peninsula, the water is the same shade of blue, and it consistently feels less hectic than its more famous neighbor. If you have to pick one beach for a half-day with sunbeds and swimming, this is the one.

The beach takes its name from the Monastery of Agios Ioannis Detis, which sits on the hill above and gives the area a quiet, almost reverent feel in the morning hours. It’s also part of Paros Park Nature Reserve, which has hiking trails leading to more secluded beaches, rock formations, and historic sites if you want to make a day of it beyond the beach itself.

The setup is well-organized. Sunbeds and umbrellas line the main stretch, there’s a beach bar serving food and drinks, and you can rent paddleboards to take out on the water.

The water itself is the highlight. It’s calm almost every day, and the seabed stays shallow for nearly 100 meters offshore, which makes it one of the easier spots to swim, paddleboard, or just float around with a drink in hand.

It does get busy in peak season, and sunbeds aren’t cheap. We’d recommend arriving before 10 am or visiting in the shoulder months if you want the best of it. Getting there is easy with a rental car, there’s plenty of parking on-site, and you can also catch a water taxi from Naoussa harbor.

But if you just want to hang out at the beach, it’s still worth visiting! The beach is well-organized, with sunbeds, umbrellas, and a beach bar serving food and drinks. You can also rent paddleboards to take out on the water, which is almost always calm and stays shallow for nearly 100 meters offshore.

Like Kolymbithres, it gets busy in peak season, and sunbeds can be pricey, so it’s best to arrive early or visit in the shoulder months.

Lageri Beach (Sunsets And Solitude)

Distance from Naoussa: 15-minute drive
Crowd Factor: Low
Best For: Sunsets, secluded swims
Sunbed Price: Bring your own
Closest Hotel: White Dunes Luxury Boutique Hotel (Santa Maria)

Lageri Beach is a long, peaceful shoreline 15 minutes east of Naoussa, with one of the only west-facing sunset views on the north coast

Lageri Beach is the secluded option on this list, and the most peaceful place to spend a quiet afternoon near Naoussa. It’s a 15-minute drive east of town, the shoreline is long and lined with trees that provide natural shade, and the crowds stay manageable even in peak summer because most travelers don’t make it out this far.

The view across the bay back toward Naoussa is the underrated part. Lageri is one of the only west-facing beaches on the north coast, which means you can stick around for sunset and watch the village light up across the water. We’d recommend timing a visit for a late afternoon arrival, swim, walk, and stay until the light goes.

It’s also the best-known nudist beach in Paros. The more secluded section south of the white house is the unofficial nude area, but you’ll see naturists scattered along the rest of the beach as well. Worth knowing if you’re traveling with kids or strict on the family-beach front.

Getting here is the catch. The dirt road to the parking area is rough, especially on smaller rental cars, so drive carefully if you’re not in a higher-clearance vehicle. From the parking lot, expect a 5-10 minute walk to reach the sand. There are no sunbed rentals on the beach, so bring a towel, water, and snacks.

How To Get Around

The easiest way to reach the beaches near Naoussa is by rental car or scooter, with water taxis from Naoussa harbor as a backup for Kolymbithres and Monastiri

A rental car is the most flexible way to bounce between beaches in a single trip. Parking is available at every beach on this list except for the smaller coves at Lageri, and the drives between beaches rarely exceed 10 minutes. We use DiscoverCars for booking and have paid as little as €25 per day in shoulder season.

A scooter or ATV is the more fun option if the weather is good. BikesBooking is the easiest way to compare prices and book in advance. Scooters run about €20 per day and ATVs about €30, and our scooter rental guide covers what to know before you book.

Water taxis from Naoussa harbor are a good backup for Kolymbithres and Monastiri specifically.

They cost about €3 per person each way, run frequently in summer, and they’re a fun alternative to driving. The catch is that you’re locked into the boat schedule for getting back, which can be a hassle if you want to leave on your own time.

For a fuller breakdown of every transportation option on the island, our guide on getting around Paros covers buses, taxis, rentals, and the rest.

Frequently Asked Questions

The beaches near Naoussa are the strongest argument for either staying in town or making sure your Paros itinerary includes a full day on the north coast. If you only have time for one, make it Monastiri for the actual beach day or Kolymbithres for the photos. If you have two or three days, work in Santa Maria for the long sandy stretch and Lageri for the sunset.

Once you’ve sorted out your beach plan, the rest of our complete Naoussa guide covers where to stay, where to eat, and how to plan your evenings, and our 4-day Paros itinerary shows you how it all fits together.