Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
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Last updated on June 26, 2022
This spot is located on the northern shore of the bay of Parikia, the main town of Paros, where most visitors stay when visiting the island. The beach is easily reached by following the coast (1.5-2km from the port of Parikia). The best area for snorkeling is after the last buildings, but you can get into the water before.
Water entrance, from a sandy beach, is very easy.
Parikia Beach has a very gentle slope, with depths ranging from 1 to 7ft/30 cm to 2-2.5 meters.
On this spot, the seabed is rather poor and not very varied. You’ll mainly snorkel above large sand areas, interspersed with some rocks and patches of posidonia. Some sea urchins, sea cucumbers and hermit crabs are found in the shallows.
Sand steenbras and sargo are the fish species that you are most likely to see in Parikia. The pearly razorfish is also a species that enjoys the sheltered sandy beds of the bay. The heavy ferry traffic in the bay is probably one of the reasons for the poor local underwater life.
This spot is close to Parikia, the main town of the island of Paros, where there many restaurants and accommodations are located.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
