In the heart of the Aegean Sea, lies the enchanting island of Paros, a place renowned for its sun-kissed beaches, charming villages, and a rich history that stretches back millennia.
There, you’ll find plenty of activities to enjoy everything that this stunning island has to offer, including beautiful hikes that will allow you to see Paros in a completely different way and marvel at its nature.
The Byzantine Road is such a hike, and it will take you through some of the most beautiful villages in Paros through a landscape of olive trees and bushes of aromatic plants. The scent of thyme and oregano, and the sound of leaves rustling against each other will not leave you all the way from the centre of the island to the beautiful village of Prodromos – and even to the sea.
So, read on to find all the information you need to hike the beautiful Byzantine Road in Paros!
A bit of history: the Byzantine Road in Paros
The Byzantine Road is the oldest trail in Paros, dating back to the Byzantine era, and it starts in the beautiful Lefkès. The town of Lefkès was built in the Middle Ages on the top of a hill, overlooking the entire island and the sea. Because of this strategic position, it was once the capital of Paros – which is now Parikia. The Byzantine Road connects Lefkès to another mountainous village: Prodromos.
The Byzantine Road, paved with Parian marble, is the absolute best way to visit two of the most beautiful villages of Paros. You can also extend the hike and visit the stunning Marpissa and go all the way to the sea, in the charming Piso Livadi.
A guide to the Byzantine Road hike in Paros
Before leaving: important things to know
- It is an easy hike, with not much elevation, that doesn’t require specific equipment, apart from good walking shoes (no flip flops!). It is also very easy to follow.
- Length of the hike: around 3.5 km or 2.3 miles
- Duration of the hike (one way): around an hour if you want to fully enjoy the views and take your time
- Start of the hike: usually in Lefkès, but you can start in Prodromos too.
- Things to bring: plenty of water, sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses.
- There is no shade for the majority of the hike, so you may want to start early in the morning.
How to get to Lefkès
You can reach Lefkès with a car or your own transport, but since the hike is not a loop, that means you’ll have to do the hike both ways. However, not relying on public transport will allow for much more flexibility.
The best way to get to Lefkès to hike the Byzantine Road is to go there by bus, walk to Prodromos, Marpissa or Piso Livadi, and then get the bus back from there to wherever you want to go. Just make sure that you check the timetable and that you allow yourself plenty of time! If you miss a bus you might have to wait for a full two hours before you get the next one!
If you are staying in Parikia, like we did during our four days in Paros, you just need to hop on a bus from Parikia’s station. The bus is comfortable and not too crowded and takes around 20 minutes to reach Lefkès.
It will leave you on the outskirts of the village and from there you can wander around the village first (recommended!) or go straight to the hike.
Exploring Lefkès
I highly recommend walking around Lefkès and wandering in its beautiful and peaceful streets, then going up to the church of Agia Triada to admire the view over the surrounding countryside.
Even in the middle of August, Lefkès seemed far from the tourist crowds, and really struck me for its peacefulness and quietness.
Finding the beginning of the Byzantine Road trail path
Once you have wandered about the peaceful streets of Lefkès, maybe bought something to eat or stopped at a café, it is time to head to the start of the Byzantine Road. We did struggle a bit with this, but finally saw several signs in the centre of Lefkès that pointed towards the start of the hike. You have to go a bit outside of the centre, next to Louki’s café, where the trail path starts.
Hiking the Byzantine Road from Lefkès to Prodromos
After you find the start of the hike, it is very easy to follow the trail that goes from Lefkès to Prodromos. It is often paved with Parian marble (but don’t expect fancy polished marble of course), and sometimes it is just a regular dirt trail.
A big portion of the hike in this way (Lefkès to Prodromos) is actually down hill, and the path is quite even and not very complicated to hike.
We absolutely loved all the panoramic views that you get from the hike: on the surrounding olive groves, the cute Cycladic villages nearby, the deep-blue sea and the neighbouring island of Naxos. The Byzantine Road is truly a hike for all your senses, with the sound of wind and cicadas and the smell of aromatic herbs accompanying you all the way through to Prodromos.
Arriving to Prodromos
The Byzantine Road will lead you all the way through the outskirsts of Prodromos village, which was personally one of my favourite villages in all of Paros. I highly suggest wandering around its narrow alleyways, marveling at the stunning bougainvillea trees – probably the most beautiful I have seen in Paros – and finally finding a cute café to stop for a fresh drink in the shade.
After resting a bit in Prodromos, you have three options:
- walking back to Lefkès through the Byzantine Road (beware that this means you will mostly walk uphill)
- taking the bus to go wherever you want to go (don’t forget to check the schedules as sometimes there is only one bus every 2 hours)
- continuing to walk all the way to Marpissa.
It is the last option that I will develop here.
Continuing your hike after the Byzantine Road: from Prodromos to Marpissa
After a refreshing iced tea by a white bougainvillea tree in a cute alleyway of Prodromos, we continued our hike to go from Prodromos to the beautiful village of Marpissa.
We thought that it would be an equally beautiful hike than the Byzantine Road, but it turns out that we mostly walked by the road, which was definitely not so pleasant as the ancient trail path we were previously on – but not as bad as it sounds, as there weren’t a lot of cars anyway.
You will reach Marpissa after about 20-30 minutes and an incredibly steep hill, but it is worth it, as the village of Marpissa is another incredibly charming Cycladic town, with loads of traditional white chapels and small churches.
Again, you should absolutely wander about the beautiful streets and take in all the peaceful vibes of a traditional Greek village that is not (yet?) invaded by tourists.
From Marpissa, you can also walk to Piso Livadi, by the sea, for a nice refreshing swim in the turquoise waters of the Aegen sea.
Conclusion
The Byzantine Road is a beautiful and easy hike that everyone will enjoy. It is perfect to see a different side of Paros than the beaches, and it will allow you to see at least 2, if not 3 or 4 of the most beautiful villages of the island.
If you are in Paros, check also my post about the most beautiful villages in Paros and about the best things to do in Paros in four days. If you want to island-hop in the Cyclades without going to the super touristy destination, I highly recommend my 10 days Cyclades itinerary that will allow you to see the stunning Milos and Paros.
