Paddle or swim from the boat
A Paros sea kayak day and a snorkelling boat both put you in the clear water off the island’s rocky coast, but they ask very different things of you. The kayak tour is a guided paddle of 3.5 to 6 hours, rated 5.0 from 211 reviews. The boat leaves Naousa for three hours and three swim stops. Here is what each price covers, who each one suits, and which to book.
Quick answer
The short answer. A confident swimmer who likes an active day? Book the Paros sea kayak tour at $129 per person: a certified guide, breaks to swim and snorkel, short walks and a snack or picnic of local products. Want the swimming without the paddling? The snorkelling boat from Naousa costs $78 per person for three hours, with fruit, local cheese and wine on board.
Side by side
Both prices are per person, so they compare directly. Ratings are the live listing figures.
| Trip | Price | Length | What you do | Food and drink | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea kayak tour with snorkelling | $129 per person | 3.5 to 6 hours | Paddle with a guide; swim, snorkel and walk on the breaks | A snack, or a snack and a picnic of local products | 5.0 · 211 |
| Snorkelling boat from Naousa | $78 per person | 3 hours | Ride with a small group; three stops to swim and snorkel | Fruit, local cheese, wine, water and soft drinks | 4.9 · 72 |
The kayak tour
A guided paddle with breaks to swim, snorkel and eat, as the listing describes it.
You meet your guide at the beach and receive all the paddling and safety equipment. Before anyone gets wet, the guide explains how to use the gear, how the day is planned and how to paddle properly and safely. Then you set off along the shore, close enough to touch the rock.
The listing describes granite and limestone coastline that is part of a locally managed environmental park, and small beaches with no road to them, only a hiking path. On the breaks you rest, swim, snorkel, take short walks to viewpoints and eat a snack or a picnic made of local products. Along the way the guide shares local history and culture, paddling tips and facts about the sea life around Paros, and takes photos of you on the water to share with you afterwards.
There are two versions. The complete one starts in the morning, lasts longer and includes a snack and a picnic. The shorter evening version comes with a snack, paddling as the light fades. Guides speak English and French. The tour is rated 5.0 from 211 reviews.
Two possible routes
The route depends on the wind and on the version you book, so treat these as options, not a fixed plan.
On some trips you continue along a more remote coastline of cliffs and rock formations, with a visit to a lighthouse.
The other option is to paddle with the wind and waves behind you to the clear water of Kolymbithres beach.
That downwind route ends on a small island with a Greek chapel, for a well-earned break.
Your guide chooses on the day. The listing gives no fixed itinerary, only these two directions.
Before you book
The listing is clear about who the kayak suits. If any of these gives you pause, the boat is the better pick.
Knowing how to swim and feeling at ease in the sea are essential, the listing says.
You paddle over deep water, and a fear of kayaking there rules the trip out.
Good fitness is ideal and recommended. Beginners are suitable, but expect an active day outdoors.
Sun protection and 1.5 litres of water per person are required to take part.
Boat trips from Naoussa Paros
No paddling, three swim stops and snacks on board.
If paddling is not your idea of a holiday, this is the easy way into the same clear water. The trip leaves the port of Naousa and cruises the northern coast of Paros with a small group. It makes three stops to swim and snorkel: Lageri, Tourkou Ammos and Agios Kalli. Fruit, local cheese, wine, water and soft drinks are on board. The route depends on the sea, and the listing asks you to arrive 15 minutes early.
It costs $78 per person and is rated 4.9 from 72 reviews. Kate from the United Kingdom: «The swimming spots were amazing & the snacks were delicious.» Jolie M from the United States: «Stopped at gorgeous swimming spots.» Jenni from Australia: «It was a great way to spend 3 hours.» Adam, also from Australia: «I would recommend this for families.»
Next to a Paros sea kayak day it is shorter, cheaper and asks nothing of your arms. What you give up is the paddling itself, the guide’s lessons and the walks ashore on the breaks.
How to choose
Answer them in order, and the right trip picks itself.
Book the Paros sea kayak tour at $129 per person: 3.5 to 6 hours of paddling with breaks.
The snorkelling boat takes three hours from Naousa, $78 per person.
Pick the boat. The kayak listing calls swimming and comfort in deep water essential.
The morning kayak version includes a snack and a picnic; the boat serves fruit, local cheese and wine.
Pack for the water
Each listing names what it needs from you. Here are both lists in one place.
The snorkelling boat asks for a swimsuit, sunscreen, a towel and a hat.
On the kayak, 1.5 litres of water per person and sun protection are required.
Neither description says whether masks are handed out, so check the listing before you go.
The boat asks you to be at the port in Naousa 15 minutes before it leaves.
Our verdict
Book the Paros sea kayak tour if you swim well and want the coast up close: $129 per person, a certified guide, snorkel breaks and food, rated 5.0 from 211 reviews. Book the snorkelling boat at $78 per person for three easy hours, three swim stops and wine on board. Both come with free cancellation.
Book direct
The kayak tour, the snorkelling boat, a private boat from Naousa for up to 5, and our top pick. Check whether each price is per person or for the whole group.
★ 5.0 · 211 reviews
★ 4.9 · 72 reviews
★ 5.0 · 652 reviews
Common questions
Yes. The listing says beginners are suitable, with good fitness ideal and recommended. Two things are essential: you must know how to swim, and you must be comfortable in the sea and not afraid of kayaking in deep water. The guide hands out the paddling and safety equipment and explains how to use it before you start.
3.5 to 6 hours, depending on the version. The complete version starts in the morning, lasts longer and includes a snack and a picnic. The shorter evening version includes a snack. Check the starting times on the listing.
The three-hour boat from Naousa stops at Lageri, Tourkou Ammos and Agios Kalli on the northern coast for swimming and snorkelling. The route depends on the sea on the day. It costs $78 per person.
Sun protection and 1.5 litres of water per person are required on the kayak tour. Wear something you can swim in, since the breaks include swimming and snorkelling. For the boat, the listing asks for a swimsuit, sunscreen, a towel and a hat.
Yes. Both trips come with free cancellation, and both let you reserve now and pay later. Check the cut-off time on the listing when you book.
Pair it with a boat trip
Paddle one day and spend another on a boat. Our top pick, the full-day trip to Antiparos with lunch and drinks at $213 per person, swims at the Blue Lagoon, stops at Mastichari Cave and serves lunch on Despotiko; with 652 reviews it is the most booked trip on this site. Compare all ten boat trips, with what each price covers.
Go deeper
Boat trips from Paros to Antiparos compared: the lunch cruise, the swim cruise to Despotiko and the private boats, with prices and length.
Despotiko by boatBoat trips to Despotiko and Antiparos: the kaiki with BBQ, the full-day cruise and the private boat, compared.
Catamaran cruiseThe catamaran cruise from Paros with swimming, a meal and drinks: route, length and what the price covers.
Sailing to the Small CycladesThe sailing day from Paros to Iraklia, Schinoussa and Naxos with lunch: what the price covers and how long it takes.
Self-drive boat rentalRenting a boat to drive yourself on Paros: the small boat, the newer boat, how many people and what each price covers.
Sunset boat tripsSunset boat trips from Paros: the shared trip with wine and the private sunset boat to Antiparos, compared.
Paros Antiparos: Full-Day Boat Tour with Lunch & Drinks
★ 5.0 · 652 reviews · 7 hours
