Perched on a hillside at the geographical centre of Paros, Lefkes was the island's capital during the Ottoman era — a time when villages hid inland to escape pirate raids. Today it is the best-preserved traditional village on the island: marble-paved alleys, stone houses draped in jasmine, no cars, and a silence that feels almost theatrical compared to the coast. To arrive here after a morning on a busy Parian beach is to step into a different century entirely.
The Village
The historic centre of Lefkes is entirely pedestrianised. Park at the lower car park and walk up through a maze of kalderimi — cobblestone paths that date back centuries — past whitewashed walls spilling over with bougainvillea and stone archways worn smooth by generations of feet. The main landmark is the twin-bell-towered Church of Agia Triada, built from Parian marble and glowing white against the blue sky. It is the kind of building that makes you stop mid-sentence and just look.
The village square has a handful of café-tavernas where you can sit for hours over a Greek coffee watching almost nothing happen — which is exactly the point. A cat crosses the square. A motorbike idles somewhere in the distance, then falls silent. The light shifts slowly across the marble paving. Lefkes is the antidote to the coast's noise and crowds, and it works immediately.
The Byzantine Path
The real reason to come to Lefkes is the Byzantine Trail: an ancient marble-paved footpath that once connected the island's mountain villages and served as the main artery of inland Paros for hundreds of years. Today a 3.5km stretch runs from Lefkes down to the village of Prodromos through olive groves, dry-stone terraces, aromatic herbs, and open views toward the sea and the outline of Naxos on the horizon.
The walk takes about one hour each way at a comfortable pace — unhurried, with time to stop and look. The path is well-marked with painted waypoints and easy to follow throughout. Wear proper shoes: the marble surface is beautiful but gets slippery when wet, and some sections are steeper than they first appear. At the bottom, Prodromos is a quiet village with a kafeneion where you can order a cold drink and sit in the shade before making your way back. Arrange a taxi in advance — there are no cars waiting at the trailhead, and phone reception can be patchy.
In spring, when the hillside is covered in wild flowers and the air smells of thyme and oregano, this walk is one of the finest things you can do on the island. In summer, start early before the heat builds and the path turns dry and dusty.
- Go early. The village empties by 9am before the day-trippers arrive from Naoussa. Arriving at 8am gives you the alleys almost entirely to yourself.
- Getting there from Antiparos. Antiparos ferry to Parikia, then a 20-minute drive inland to Lefkes. Easy by rental car or scooter.
- Bring water. There is nowhere to buy drinks on the trail itself — fill up before you leave the village.
- Best light for photos. Mid-morning, when the sun catches the marble paving and the church facade without casting harsh shadows.
- Best season. May to June is peak: the hillside is in flower and temperatures are perfect for hiking. July and August are hot — start no later than 8am if you want to walk comfortably.
Where to Eat
Taverna Lefkes on the village square is the classic choice, and justifiably so. The menu is straightforward — simple grilled meats, village salads dressed with local olive oil, bread baked in-house, and a carafe of rough local wine that costs almost nothing and tastes exactly right in this setting. This is the kind of taverna that has been feeding people for decades without changing very much, and that is entirely to its credit.
For something lighter, the small kafeneion near the church does exceptional Greek pastries and jars of mountain honey produced from the wild herbs on the hillside around Lefkes. Buy a jar to take home. It is one of those small purchases that you will find yourself using long after the holiday is over, each time calling back something specific about the village and the light that morning.
Combine Your Day
Lefkes pairs well with a morning in Naoussa — the drive between them takes about 45 minutes and the contrast could not be greater: Naoussa's busy harbour and restaurant scene versus Lefkes' quiet lanes and mountain air. On the return to Parikia, it is worth making a 15-minute detour south to the Butterfly Valley (Petaloudes), a shaded gorge where thousands of Jersey tiger moths gather each summer in the cool of the trees. The two stops together make a very full day — bring a picnic or plan a long lunch in Lefkes before heading back toward the coast.