Hiking & Hike Walks on Paros Island:
Parikia-Aghios Fokas walk, arched edifice and temple of Delion Apollon
A walk that we highly recommend to those interested in combining their holidays with walking excursions is the one beginning in Parikia and ending on the tip of cape Aghios Fokas –covering a distance of 6 kilometres. Aghios Fokas is situated at the entrance of Parikia harbour and is the site of a chapel dedicated to Aghios (Saint) Fokas and Ascension. To get there, you need to walk along the coast that goes around the bay of Parikia until you reach the tip of the bay, where you will find a sandy beach (with plenty of seaweed) and a lighthouse greeting the boats that arrive in Parikia harbour. You will pass by Livadia, Krios and Marcello beaches and several sandy coves on the way there.
About halfway there, just before you reach the Krios camping site, you will find the remains of an arched edifice measuring 23 meters in length and 8.40 metres in width, the façade of which has collapsed. The building was probably used as a conservatory or nymphaeum (a sanctuary consecrated to the nymphs) in antiquity or otherwise as a villa during Roman times. On the eastern side of the building, you can discern a sort of a stage comprising nine marble seats that come from the ancient voting assembly of Paros.
On top of the hill situated directly above Krios lie the remains of a temple dedicated to Delios Apollon and Artemis, erected in the 9th-8th centuries BC. Inside the temple, the faithful would make votive offerings to the statues of Artemis and Apollon. Today the statue of Artemis is on display in the archaeological museum of Parikia. It is one of the few statues of its kind passed down to us from antiquity. The statue (an archaic Kore) is 3.10 metres tall (with its base) and consists of 41 marble pieces. It dates from 490-480 BC. Unfortunately, the statue of her brother Apollo has not been recovered.
To reach the top of this hill, you can go up the asphalt road leading to Kalami, taking a left at the sign “Temple of Delion Apollon”. Otherwise, you can go up the road that leads to the Krios camping site. Once you have reached the main road going to Parikia, you take a right turn, followed immediately afterwards by a left turn and continue going up the hill (at some point, the road becomes a dirt road) until you reach the top of the hill from where you can enjoy the view of the bay that lies beneath your feet.