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Antiparos, Greece
Seeview of Antiparos island, Greece. 
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Antiparos (Αντίπαρος) is a small island in the southern Aegean, at the heart of the Cyclades, which is less than one nautical mile (1.9 km) from Paros, the port to which it is connected with a local ferry. Saliagos island is the most ancient settlement in the Cyclades, and Despotiko, an uninhabited island in the southwest of Antiparos, is a place of great archaeological importance.
]Antiparos, Greece. The Community of Antiparos was founded in 1914 and was promoted to a municipality in 2010 with the implementation of the Law "Kallikrates", under the principle of "each island a municipality".
It occupies an area of 45.182 square km, including the island of Antiparos and Despotiko. It has, according to the 2011 census, 1,211 permanent residents and a density of 27 inhabitants per km². The island's economy is based on tourism, fishing, farming and less on agriculture in the plains.
It is known for its distinctive Cycladic beauty with white houses, cobbled streets and beautiful flowers that thrive in the yards of the houses. It is a popular tourist resort in the summer for Greeks and European visitors, as well as land investors from the United States.
The main settlement lies at the northeastern tip of the island, opposite Pounda on the main island of Paros, whence a ferry sails for Antiparos harbour. The historical center is located in the Venetian castle of Antiparos, which is connected through the shopping streets in the picturesque coastal street.
Other settlements are the famous resort of St. George in the southwest edge, Soros and Kampos and popular beaches in the wider area of the center are Psaralyki, the Sifneiko, Ag Spiridon and the camping beach. The most popular beaches are: Soros, Glyfa, Apantima, Monastiria.
Antiparos is well recognised for its relaxed, authentic atmosphere. It has many beaches on all sides and offer a nice alternative to the more crowded and hectic islands around it. Like its "parent island" Paros, it is also know for its excellent wind conditions for wind- and kitesurfing. An area on the northern shore is a well-known official nudist beach.
Get in
By sea. There are two ferries from Paros: Pounta - Antiparos, ten minutes with departures every hour from early morning until late night and Parikia - Antiparos, half an hour with about ten daily departures each way. There are several ferries to get you as far as Paros, notably from Athens and Santorini.
By plane. The nearest airport is Paros Airport. Olympic Airways and AirSea Lines operate a daily air service from Athens.
Get around
Being a small island, public transport is scarce. There are however several rental shops by the port that offer bicycles, scooters, ATVs and cars. Note that many of the smaller roads are in poor condition and that the ATV is likely to be the best mean of transport, though all companies offer 50CC quads that are not quite powerful enough to pull two adults up the steepest hills.
The town of Antiparos is best explored by foot, and several beaches are within fifteen minutes of walking from the main street.
Sights
In the center of the island is the famous cave of Antiparos, one of the most beautiful and mysterious caves in the world. The cave has been used as a natural shelter from the Neolithic period onwards. The area was also used for pottery, and for the worship of the goddess Artemis, while at the entrance to the site is the plain but magnificent church of Agios Ioannis Spiliotis.
Signs and scratches on the stalactites and stalagmites attest to the passers, as the inscription on the altar of the generals of Alexander the Great and King Otto.
• The cave of Antiparos. The cave is very extensive, and extends at several levels. The lyric poet Archilochus of Paros is said to have left an inscription in the cave. In 1673, marquis de Nointel, French ambassador to the Ottoman Empire visited the cave for three days with numerous companions and celebrated mass on Christmas Day in it. Later visitors who carved their names included Lord Byron and the first king of Greece, Otto.
During the German occupation, part of the cave was destroyed. The cave is fully exploited in the second half of the 1900s with funds from the EU by erecting barriers, building adequate steps, installing lighting, security cameras and loudspeakers to inform visitors.
• The Cave 12 km (7 mi) south of Antiparos town. 9AM-3PM. It is an easy 340 steps down, but remember you have to go the same steps back up! €3.50.
• Despotiko. This small island to the south west hides architectural components of a Doric temple built around 500 BC. Excavations have been ongoing since 1997.
• Castle (Kastro) of Antiparos. The Venetian Castle of Antiparos is a typical example of the fortified settlements established in the Cyclades the period of Latin in 13th-16th century. Its construction dates to the mid-15th century when the Venetian Giovanni Loredano decided to marry Mary Sommaripa of Antiparos.
The original version had a ‘motte’ (mound) at the centre and houses round the perimeter. The houses were built as one continuous block construction, the outer walls providing both the defensive wall of the fortified settlement. The only entrance was at the south wing.
Inside the main settlement the houses developed as three-storey structures, each having a separate entrance which leads to an external staircase. In the course of the settlement was extended outside the south wing to form a rectangular ring called "Xopyrga" and within the original enclosure around the base of the circular tower.
In modern times, the original architectural style of the castle has altered, with the church of Christ being inserted as a religious element, while the central mound was used as a water tank tower. Today, the homes retain a satisfactory level of their original features, despite the collapse of the upper floors, and any intervention required permission from the archaeological department.
Today most homes are developed in one with two floors and have a maximum ground-like trapdoor. Many now face outwards and have become shops facing onto the main street. An integral part of the castle of Antiparos are the small bats that come with dusk and fly around the tower to the east.
Do
There are many beautiful beaches and coves to see and enjoy, though the rarest gems are on the far south or west coast of the island, for instance Sostis Bay, Monastiria and Livadi. Mind that some of the roads are very poor, particularly to Monastiria (only suited for ATVs or tough 4x4 cars - not SUVs).
Blue Islands Divers in the main street offer snorkeling and diving trips/classes, as well as wind- and kitesurfing classes.
Alexandros, Captain Ben and Iason are the names of three wooden boats offering trips around the island including refreshments, barbecue and time for bathing/snorkeling. Captain Antonis of the former offers excellent octopus, sea urchin, tzatziki, local sausage and souvlaki, while being generous with his bottle of Ouzo.
Eat
There are many tavernas in the main street and along the port of Antiparos, as well as a few hidden gems in the small alleys. The one thing they have in common is good food; it is virtually impossible to go wrong on Antiparos. There are also fairly good taverns on the larger beaches. Prices differ slightly, but the quality is largely very good and the all serve traditional Greek food such as salads, grilled meat and fish.
Sleep
There are several hotels in Antiparos town and along the port, as well as a camping area on the northern coast, a ten minute walk from the main street.
The seefront of Antiparos island, Greece. Foto: Dimorsitanos / Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
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