My most-booked Greek island this summer isn't Mykonos
Blue water, beach clubs, charming villages. Without the designer markup.
Hey travelers,
Mykonos is the Greek island summer that most people picture. The beaches are beautiful and the energy is electric. The windmills, the whitewashed streets, the dinners that turn into dancing. It delivers.
What’s changed is that delivering it has gotten expensive. The dining scene has tilted toward high minimums and beach clubs feel more like velvet-rope experiences than a great afternoon at the water. The shopping is designer and the harbors are full of megayachts. And even at those prices, you’re still sharing the streets with tons of cruise ship day-trippers. Greece introduced a €20 per-passenger levy on Mykonos last summer just to manage the volume of cruise visitors.
The island still has what made people fall in love with it. It’s just increasingly built for travelers who can spend their way to the best version of it.
Which is why I keep sending clients to Paros instead.
It was voted the #1 island in the world by Travel + Leisure in 2025, so it's not a hidden gem. Paros has something close to what Mykonos had before the scene shifted, and it's still offering it at better value. For now.
The water here is even clearer than what you'll find on Mykonos. The Blue Lagoon, reachable only by boat, is the kind of turquoise that makes you understand why the Greek islands end up at the top of bucket lists. Beaches range from Kolymbithres, known for its striking granite formations rising out of the sea, to secluded coves and spots built for water sports. The beach clubs are here too, for long leisurely afternoons with cold drinks and lively music.
And if you're coming for the energy, Naoussa has it. It's the hub of the island, a real fishing village that got chic without losing itself. Narrow whitewashed streets, boutique shops, a harbor lined with restaurants that fill up every night. The evenings here are vibrant. The waterfront tavernas are made for long dinners that spill into the night, with table dancing and white napkins twirled overhead.
Through all of it, Paros has managed to hold on to a Greek feel that other islands have slowly given up.
If you want a day away from the coast, Lefkes is a medieval village in the hills that most visitors (wrongfully) skip entirely. It has terraced marble houses, a quiet central square, olive groves running all the way down the slope, and authentic dining.
And when you want to leave the island without going too far, tiny neighboring Antiparos is the island’s boho alter ego. It’s laid-back, charming, and just a 10-minute ferry ride away.
Where you stay in Paros depends on how close you want to be to the action.
I've stayed at Cosme Paros and it earns the recommendation. It sits right on the beach with an infinity pool overlooking the sea, a beachfront restaurant and club, and a service level that makes you feel looked after. It's walking distance to Naoussa but set apart enough that it has its own quiet.
Parīlio is the design pick if you want something inland and more intimate. It’s a member of Design Hotels with 33 suites set in a valley of amber fields above Naoussa, with an acclaimed kitchen that makes it easy to just stay put for dinner.
And Andronis Minois, on the western side of the island, is a Small Luxury Hotels of the World property with 44 suites by the sea, Olvo restaurant for dinners over the Aegean, and a quieter pace than the Naoussa end.
The best time to visit Paros is early June or late September, when Naoussa is lively without being overrun and you’re not fighting the meltemi winds. September is when the water is at its warmest.
Built This Week
A trip I just put together.
A California coastal road trip for a client who wanted a real summer vacation without leaving the country. The route runs north from San Diego, with a couple of nights in Santa Barbara for beaches and wine tasting. Then up to Cambria Beach Lodge, a boutique stay right on Moonstone Beach, before visiting Hearst Castle and making the iconic Big Sur drive up Highway 1, which reopened earlier this year after nearly three years of closure. Bixby Bridge, McWay Falls, the views that make you pull over again and again. Ending in Carmel-by-the-Sea, the charming storybook village with a ban on chain restaurants.
It's a road trip summer, and California does this better than anywhere. Windows down, beautiful weather, and the scenery shifting from dramatic coastline to wine country to sun-soaked beaches, all in one drive.
Worth Packing
One thing that earns its spot in the bag.
The Trtl neck pillow. I’ve tried many travel pillows and this is the only one that actually solves the head-bobbing problem on a long flight, without a lie-flat seat of course. It’s a wrap pillow with internal support that holds your head to one side so you can actually sleep, and it takes up almost no space in your bag compared to traditional neck pillows. I won’t fly to Europe without it.
Whether Greece has been on your mind or you’re thinking about a road trip summer, I’d love to help put something together. You can see how I work at Gold Dust Travel.
If someone came to mind while you were reading this, feel free to forward it their way.
— Kelsey, founder of Gold Dust Travel