The ferry from Naxos to Paros is a key Cyclades connection. The crossing takes about 20 min on the fastest vessels, with tickets from €15. Every day sailings run through the season, operated by Blue Star Ferries, Seajets, Fast Ferries and Golden Star Ferries.
Only about 11 nautical miles of water separate Naxos Chora from Parikia, so this is one of the shortest and most frequent island hops in Greece. Travellers use it in every possible way: as a day out from a Naxos base, as the next leg of a Cyclades circuit, or simply to switch from Naxos's long, quiet beaches to the livelier scene of Paros and its harbour villages.
Paros is smaller and more polished than Naxos. Parikia, where you land, is a working port town with a maze of whitewashed lanes and the Byzantine church of Panagia Ekatontapiliani; Naoussa on the north coast is the island's stylish harbour for dinner and drinks; and the south and east coasts hold windsurfing beaches and quiet coves. From Paros you are also a short boat ride from Antiparos.
Choosing a sailing is easy. If price matters, take a Blue Star ferry: slower but a fraction of the high-speed fare. If you want the quickest trip, pick a Seajets catamaran, but check that it is a direct run, because some high-speed boats call at other islands and take over three hours. Car space on the conventional boats is the only thing that regularly sells out in August.
