Naoussa, Paros

Naoussa is something of a hidden gem, at least that's what we were told. The man in our hotel in Naxos told us definitely not to miss it. Local guides hyped it as rivalling Mykonos. And so on our first night in Paros, we took the car 5ish kilometres up the road for dinner.

Our first struggle was to find parking. The town is right on the water and the road leading to the old fortress town is blocked off to vehicles. When we eventually parked and walked, we were greeted with a stunning little port, home to the yachts of the rich and not so famous.

The geography of the town is a bit difficult to explain, but turning out of the main promenade lots of restaurants line a little quay.

Further in, narrows lanes with little artisan shops and restaurants wind their way down into another wide pedestrianised street.

I continue to be obsessed with all the beautiful doors and windows.

We arrived in time for sunset and the light played beautifully on all of the white buildings. And as the sun went down, people came out in droves. The lanes got busy and tangled and finding a restaurant with a free table became very challenging. The day's beach zen quickly left us. Eventually, we had a very mediocre dinner and then a long wander past the yachts, making up stories as we went before heading back towards the car.

I get why people love Naoussa and it's clearly a beautiful place. But after a few hours there, Paul and I were ready to head back to our little village calm. And that's where we stayed for ensuing evenings. To us, Naoussa wasn't worth the stress.