Despite what the travel experts say, off-season is a good time to visit a Greek Island

Conventional wisdom says don’t visit a Greek island in the winter. Just about everything is closed, and the weather isn’t conducive to fun in the sun. It’s much better to wait until the summer, the travel sites advise.

But when you start your year of traveling in and around Europe in winter, you can’t always go by conventional wisdom. We knew the caveats, but were motivated by a simple desire: stay as warm as possible. Traveling for a year means packing light. We don’t have much cold weather gear, so temperatures in the 50s on a Greek island are infinitely preferable to below freezing temps on the continent. So we booked a week on Paros from Jan. 14-21.

There are more than 200 inhabited islands in the Greek archipelago, so it can be difficult to chose. We wanted to stay south of Athens—better chance of being warmer—and we wanted someplace with the quintessential white and blue homes perched on a hillside. We didn’t need an island touted for its nightlife. History, culture, and scenery rank well above partying on our must-have list when we’re deciding where to go.

We chose Paros based on Lonely Planet’s description of it as “Mykonos without the hype and price tag,” on the availability of an attractive and affordable Airbnb apartment on the harbor in Naoussa, and because it’s a reasonably short ferry ride from Athens—about 4 hours. The island does have an airport and it’s only about a 40-minute flight, but part of the fun of traveling is seeking out alternate forms of, well, travel, so we opted for the big boat.

The ferry left bright and early (actually, dark and early) but it proved to be a good choice. We saw a beautiful sunrise over the Aegean, and glimpsed islands and other ships on the voyage.

Paros also proved to be a good choice. We had a wonderful week on the island. The scenery was breathtaking, the water clear and beautiful, the people warm and friendly.

That doesn’t mean it was perfect. The experts were right. A lot of things were closed—most shops that cater to tourists had “be back in April” signs on the door—and it isn’t warm enough for fun in the sun. But since we’re not big shoppers or the type to spend hours lazing on the beach, that wasn’t a major obstacle.

In fact, in many ways the offseason proved to be the perfect time to visit the island.

Because so many restaurants that cater to tourists were closed for the season, it guaranteed that every meal was eaten with locals. We ate a couple of times at Kiranos Café, just a few steps from our apartment on the waterfront. It’s the place the locals hang out. It’s always packed, mostly with people drinking coffee. We asked if it was busy because it’s one of the very few places open. No, the waitress said. It’s even busier in the summer. Savory crepes are the big thing on the menu. They are huge, stuffed with chicken, cheese, mushroom, spinach.

We met the owner of the Mediterranean restaurant just up the street, one of the few higher-end establishments open year-round. He said most of the shop owners go to Athens in the offseason, but he prefers to stay on the island because it’s a safe place to raise his children.

During one of our drives around the island we stopped for coffee at Angelo’s Café in Piso Livadi. a lovely village on the water. The owners shook my hand and wished me a happy new year. It was just past noon, and some of the locals were sitting at the bar smoking and drinking a few beers. A couple of men at another table were sharing a bottle of wine. Another man came in and greeted everyone in the place with handshakes and hugs. He was invited to the wine table, where he was given a glass, and a fork to share the dish. We were clearly the outsiders, yet were made to feel welcome.

After coffee we headed to the harbor, where we made friends with a ginger cat and talked to a fisherman who was trying to catch octopus with a hand line. His English was as good as our Greek (nonexistent) but he communicated that he wasn’t having any luck.

Further exploration led us to a picturesque little cove, and a chance encounter with Al, a Canadian from Nova Scotia who came here about 4 years ago, fell in love with the island, and bought a house. He’s here about half the year, and back home about half the year running a souvenir shop.

We met Nikos and Katerina on a walk around Naoussa. Nikos heard us talking, and asked if we were American or Canadian. He was born in Pensacola, Florida, after his parents emigrated from Paros. When they would go back for summers, he met Katerina. Over the years they fell in love. When they were old enough he moved back to the island and they married.

They invited us in for Greek coffee. We discussed American culture and politics. He rarely makes it back, because he says it’s not the same country he grew up in. We asked about life on the island. They rarely leave because they have all they need here. It just costs a little more because it’s shipped in. They teach at an English language school. They also make their own olive oil from olives harvested from their orchard, and grow pomegranates.

Nikos was very friendly and hospitable, but said he doesn’t talk to the tourists in the summer, let alone invite them in for coffee. There are simply too many.

The week in Paros was one of the highlights of our trip so far. There were lots of wow moments. The ferry ride on a sunny day. The frequent “I can’t believe we’re on a Greek island” realizations. A hike to the lighthouse in Paros Park. Plenty of coves, rocks, and sunsets to photograph. Meeting people who wouldn’t have time to chat during tourist season.

Visiting a Greek island in winter might not be the perfect time, but for us it was ideal.

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