A Paros jeep safari swaps the coast roads for dirt tracks that climb to inland villages, ancient marble quarries and quiet bays. Plan the rest of your island days with Greece Tours.
Below you will find the bookable trips, the stops, the licence rules, the season and the questions travellers ask.
What is a Paros jeep safari?
A Paros jeep safari is a guided drive in a four-wheel-drive vehicle on off-road tracks and mountain roads. The route turns off the tarmac and heads into the hills. Paros is an island in the central Aegean Sea.
Paros belongs to the Cyclades island group. It lies 8 kilometres west of Naxos, across a narrow channel. Its capital and main port is Parikia, on the western side of the island. The wider island, from its towns to its ferries, is covered on our Paros page.
The island covers 165 square kilometres. Its greatest length is 21 kilometres and its greatest breadth is 16 kilometres. A single mountain of 724 metres forms the island. It slopes evenly down on all sides to a maritime plain. A Paros jeep safari drives off-road into these hills and mountains.
An off-road vehicle is built to travel on unpaved roads and surfaces. These include trails, forest roads and other low-traction ground. Such a vehicle needs low ground pressure and high ground clearance. Its wheels must also stay in contact with uneven surfaces. Wheeled models use large tyres and high, compliant suspension for this.
Jeeps began as military vehicles during the Second World War. Civilians then took them up as utility vehicles. That shift marked the start of off-roading as a hobby.
Which Paros jeep safari can you book?
Three booking cards cover a Paros jeep safari, led by a private jeep photo tour of 6 hours. Two shorter off-road trips use an ATV or a buggy and last 3 or 4 hours. All three cards name a location on Paros itself.
Each card below gives the vehicle, the length and the group format. None of the three cards states a hotel pickup. Each entry ends with the location the card names.
- Jeep photo tour: a private tour by jeep, off-road into the hills and mountains of Paros. It lasts 6 hours. One private group of up to 8 people books it. The card names Krotiri as the location.
- ATV 4×4 tour with Lefkes village and a marble quarry: a guided tour by 4×4 ATV. It lasts 4 hours, and a private option is available. The card names Parikia as the location.
- ATV or buggy safari with a beach stop and sunset: a 3-hour trip by ATV or buggy. Guests choose a morning safari with a swim stop or a sunset safari. One booking covers a group of up to 2. The card names Paros as the location.
The jeep photo tour is the only card here that names a jeep. The other two name an ATV or a buggy. A Paros jeep safari in the strict sense therefore means the photo tour.
Pick the jeep photo tour for a Paros jeep safari with your own group over 6 hours.
Pick the ATV 4×4 tour for a guided ride of 4 hours. Pick the ATV or buggy safari for a 3-hour trip with a morning or sunset slot. Both run shorter than a Paros jeep safari.
Travellers who prefer paved roads to a Paros jeep safari can look at a Paros bus tour instead.
Which villages does a Paros jeep safari reach?
A Paros jeep safari heads inland to Lefkes, the historic mountain village named on the ATV 4×4 tour card. Kostos lies on the road from Parikia to Lefkes. Prodromos and Marpissa stand on the eastern side of the island.
- Lefkes: an inland mountain village 10 kilometres from Parikia.
- Kostos: an inland village at 150 metres above sea level, known for its farm produce.
- Prodromos: a village on an open plain in the east, once called Dragoulas.
- Marpissa: a hill village 19 kilometres from Parikia, listed by law as a traditional settlement.
On a Paros jeep safari, Lefkes is the village with a past as a local capital. In the late 19th century, it was the centre of the municipality of Iria. Iria was one of the ancient names of Paros. The tour card lists the historic village together with a taste of local delicacies.
Drivers who pass Kostos on a Paros jeep safari reach the birthplace of Athanasius Parios, an 18th-century theologian. Kostos is listed as a traditional settlement. Its community also covers the settlements of Isterni and Marathi.
A Paros jeep safari in the east meets three villages known together as the villages of Kephalos. They are Prodromos, Marmara and Marpissa. The name comes from the steep hill of Kephalos nearby. The monastery of Agios Antonios stands on its top, among the ruins of a Venetian castle.
Drivers on a Paros jeep safari who reach Marpissa find four windmills in its central square. The village is home to the Perantinos Sculpture Museum and a Folklore Museum. It also has houses dating from the 17th and 18th centuries.
What are the marble quarries on a Paros jeep safari?
The marble quarries on a Paros jeep safari are the ancient quarries at Marathi, where Parian marble was cut. The ATV 4×4 tour card lists a real 4×4 ride at the Marathi Ancient Marble Quarries. The Venus de Milo was carved from this stone.
The stone at the Paros jeep safari quarry stop is Parian marble. It is a semi-translucent, pure-white marble quarried on Paros in the classical era. A subtype called Parian lychnites was notable in antiquity as a material for sculpture. Its main rival in antiquity was Pentelic marble.
Paros exported its marble from the 6th century BC onwards. Praxiteles and other ancient Greek sculptors worked with it. The Venus de Milo, the Medici Venus and the Winged Victory of Samothrace were carved from Parian marble. Hermes and the Infant Dionysus, the Peplos Kore and the roof tiles of the Parthenon also used it.
The ancient quarries lie on the northern side of the mountain once called Marathi. They sit below a former convent of St Mina. Fieldwork has also identified open-pit quarries at Chorodaki and Agios Minas.
A Paros jeep safari to Marathi reaches ground where marble was once cut by lamplight. Tunnels were driven into the rock, level or at a descending angle. The marble from them took the name lychnites, from lychnos, a lamp. A relief to Pan and the nymphs marks the entrance to one tunnel.
These tunnels can still be seen today. The ancient marble quarries are the notable sight of the Kostos area. The major part of the remaining white marble is now state-owned. Like Pentelic marble, it is used only for archaeological restorations.
Which beaches and viewpoints does a Paros jeep safari reach?
A Paros jeep safari reaches inland tracks and coastal viewpoints. One ATV or buggy card names a beach stop and a sunset. The jeep photo card names no swim stop. Kolymbithres, Golden Beach and Naousa Bay rank among the island’s beaches.
The coastal plain around the island’s mountain is broadest on the north-east and south-west sides.
One ATV or buggy safari puts a beach and a sunset in its title. Its card does not name the beach. The jeep photo card lists no beach and no swim. A Paros jeep safari includes a swim only when its card names a beach. For a sunset from the sea, a Paros sunset cruise is the boat option.
These beaches and views lie around the Paros coast:
- Kolymbithres is a beach near Naousa, in the north-eastern corner of the island.
- Golden Beach, or Chrissí Aktí, lies near Drios on the east coast.
- Antiparos lies to the west, across a channel less than 2 kilometres wide at its narrowest.
On the north side, the bay of Naousa forms a natural, spacious harbour. In ancient times, a chain or boom closed it. Naousa Bay counts among the island’s beaches, along with Logaras and Piso Livadi.
Which driving licence does a Paros jeep safari need?
Yes, if you drive. Greece requires a licence for every type of motorised vehicle. A car falls under category B, with a minimum age of 18. No Paros jeep safari booking card states its own licence rule.
Here is what each Paros jeep safari card states about passengers and ages:
- ATV 4×4 tour: adults 14 to 99, plus children 13 and younger. It states no licence rule.
- ATV or buggy safari: groups of up to 2 participants, aged 99 and younger. It names no minimum age or licence rule.
- Jeep photo tour: groups of up to 8 participants, aged 99 and younger. It does not name the driver.
EU law harmonised driving licence categories across the member states. In Greece, cars fall under category B. It covers cars up to 3.5 tonnes gross weight and up to 8 passengers, not counting the driver. Greece sets 18 as the minimum age for category B. A self-drive Paros jeep safari needs a driver who holds it.
A licence from an EEA country is recognised across the EEA. It works while it is valid and the driver is old enough for that category. Non-EU drivers need an International Driving Permit in Greece, with exceptions. Countries with mutual recognition agreements include the United States, Canada and Australia.
When does a Paros jeep safari run?
A Paros jeep safari runs all year round on the booking calendars. They show open dates in every month from January to December. The Cyclades have a dry, mild climate. A strong, dry north wind blows across the Aegean in summer.
Greeks call this summer wind the meltemi. Its ancient name, etesian, comes from the Greek word for year. From late spring to mid-September, this wind peaks in the afternoon. It can last for days without a break. On a Paros jeep safari in summer, this north wind tempers the heat.
In the central Aegean, the meltemi blows from the north. A constant strong wind in the strait between Paros and Naxos makes the strait a favoured windsurfing location. The wind rises in clear weather without warning and is a danger to sailors. Check the forecast before you add a Paros boat rental to your plans.
Autumn and winter dates stay open as well. Each Paros booking card shows open dates in October, November and December. The calendars also list dates in January and February, outside the meltemi season. March and April show open dates too. Pick your day on the live calendar before you plan the rest of your stay.
What do travellers ask about a Paros jeep safari?
What do you bring on a Paros jeep safari?
For a Paros jeep safari, bring closed shoes, sunglasses, sun cream and water. A light scarf keeps dust off your face on the off-road tracks of the hills. One Paros booking card names a morning swim stop, so pack swimwear for that option. The cards give no kit list, so ask the operator through the booking page about extras.
How do you book and cancel a Paros jeep safari?
Book a Paros jeep safari on the booking page and pick a date on its live calendar. Booking closes 4 hours, 2 hours or 1 hour 30 minutes before the start, depending on the card. Each card shows free cancellation. The cards do not state the cancellation deadline, so check it on the booking page before you pay.
Which languages do Paros jeep safari guides speak?
Every Paros card lists English, and English is the default language on each listing. One card also lists Greek as a second guide language. The cards name no other languages for a Paros jeep safari. If you need French, German or another language, send the operator a message through the booking page before you book.
Does a Paros jeep safari include hotel pickup?
None of the three Paros cards states hotel pickup. Their labels cover duration, cancellation and the booking cut-off, but they say nothing about transport. Before you book a Paros jeep safari, ask the operator through the booking page whether hotel pickup is offered. Confirm the meeting point in writing, and note the start time for your date.