Snorkelling in Paros: The 8 Best Spots by Boat, and 4 from the Shore
The short answer. The best snorkelling in Paros is off the boats, not the beaches: the rock and sea caves of south Antiparos at Mastichari, the reef in Faneromeni bay and the seagrass meadows around Despotiko. The Blue Lagoon is the easiest first snorkel, shallow over sand. Most boats supply the gear; two from Pounta list mask, snorkel and fins.
Put a mask on in the right place around Paros and you look down on rock, reef or seagrass; in the wrong place you look at sand. The Paros boat trips reach both, so choose by the stops under you, the gear you are handed and the time you get in the water.
Snorkelling gear and time in the water, boat by boat
Every boat names its own gear, and the wording differs: a mask only, snorkelling equipment, or mask, snorkel and fins.
| Boat | Leaves from | Gear on its own list | Time at the swim stops | Length | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pounta Blue Lagoon half day | Pounta | Mask, snorkel, fins | 2 h at three swim stops | 3 h 30 min | $75 per person |
| Aliki half-day cruise | Aliki | Snorkelling equipment | 2 h 30 min at four stops | 4 h 45 min | $88 per person |
| Naoussa half day | Naoussa | Snorkelling equipment | 2 h 30 min at three bays near Naoussa | 3 h | $91 per person |
| Pounta full day | Pounta | Mask, snorkel, fins | 4 h at four stops | 6 h 30 min | $134 per person |
| Dive-centre day | Pounta | Snorkelling equipment | Seven listed stops of up to 1 h each | 6–7 h | $135 per person |
| Gulet full day | Piso Livadi | Snorkelling equipment | 3 h 50 min at three stops | 8 h | $135 per person |
| Glaraki full day | Pounta | Snorkelling equipment | 2 h 30 min at four stops | 7 h | $199 per person |
| Mezzes caique | Aliki | Mask, plus foam noodles | 4 h at four stops | 6 h 30 min | $218 per person |
| Brama catamaran day | Parikia | Snorkelling equipment | 5 h at three stops | 9 h | $319 per person |
| Private half day | Aliki | Snorkelling equipment | 3 h at three stops | 4 h | $880 per group, up to 9 |
Three boats name no snorkelling gear: the barbecue caique from Pounta, the catamaran from Piso Livadi, and the $58 full day from Parikia, whose crew has equipment on board.
The short way to a mask, snorkel and fins
3 hours 30 minutes, three swim stops and the full kit, from $75 per person.
The 8 best snorkelling spots around Paros by boat
The order runs from the channel outwards. The coast is described stop by stop in what you see on a Paros boat tour; this is what you find under you.
1. The Blue Lagoon at Panteronisia
The Blue Lagoon is shallow water over white sand among the Panteronisia islets: the easiest place for your first snorkel, and for a child's. Boats stay from 30 minutes to two hours. Swim to the edges of the islets, where rock and seagrass start, for more to look at. The Paros half-day boat tours that cross the channel anchor here.
2. Agios Nikolaos islet, off Pounta
This small islet gets 45 minutes on the Pounta Blue Lagoon half day, as long as the lagoon itself. The boat anchors off its shore, which you follow with mask and fins.
3. Faneromeni bay, Antiparos
A calm bay with a rocky reef to follow. The Pounta full day gives you an hour here, and several full days keep it for the last swim of the afternoon.
4. Mastichari, south Antiparos
White rock, caves at the waterline and deep, clear water: on a still day this is the best snorkelling of the trip. The Pounta full day stays an hour. The caves and the route are in the sea caves of south Antiparos.
5. Epitaphios cave
Further along the same coast, and quieter. The Pounta full day gives you an hour around the cave, enough for a long, slow snorkel.
6. Despotiko bay
Nobody lives on the islet, and a stop here is a swim in the bay beside it. Seagrass rings the shore, so you float over a meadow instead of bare sand. The private half day from Aliki gives the bay an hour.
7. Tsimintiri
The mezzes caique gives this islet two of its four hours in the water. It carries up to 14 guests and supplies a mask and foam noodles, so pack your own snorkel and fins.
8. Naoussa Bay
The north-coast choice, with no channel crossing. The Naoussa half day visits three bays near the town at 50 minutes each, and skips the lagoon. If you are staying in Naoussa, you save the drive.
What is under the water at Despotiko
Despotiko, its neighbour Strongylo and the sea around them form a Natura 2000 site of about 1,859 hectares, and the islet is protected by archaeological law too. So look, take nothing from the seabed, and float over the seagrass instead of standing on it.
Sand or rock: why the lagoon is not the best snorkel
The lagoon's colour comes from shallow water over white sand, and sand holds little to look at. One traveller in July 2025 found it clear and beautiful, with not many fish. Another, on the barbecue caique, liked the second stop best: a rock arch, and water full of fish. So a lagoon-only boat suits your first snorkel. If you came to snorkel, take a full day that reaches the south coast.
Came for the rock, not the sand?
The full days reach the cave coast and the reef.
Which boat to book if snorkelling is the point
- Shortest, fully equipped: the Pounta Blue Lagoon half day, with mask, snorkel and fins, three swim stops and about two hours in the water, from $75.
- Most stops: the dive centre's day from Pounta, with seven listed stops of up to an hour each and no cooked lunch.
- Longest at each stop, with fins: the Pounta full day with lunch, an hour each at the lagoon, Faneromeni, Mastichari and Epitaphios.
- North coast: the Naoussa half day.
On the Paros private boat tours snorkelling equipment is included, and your skipper picks the stop for the wind.
Where can you snorkel from the shore in Paros?
You can snorkel from the shore too. The Municipality of Paros describes four beaches that suit a mask:
- Logaras, beside Piso Livadi: sandy, shaded by sea pines, with a seabed the municipality calls ideal for snorkelling.
- Kolymbithres, on Naoussa bay: granite rock eroded into small sandy beaches, with calm, warm, very shallow water.
- Monastiri: sheltered from the winds, at the entrance of the 80-hectare Environmental Park.
- Faragas, on the south coast: three beaches sheltered by cliffs, with calm, clear water and little shade.
Skip the beach by the ferry port at Pounta, a kite and surf beach with a rough sea. The seven-minute ferry from there reaches Antiparos town and its beaches, not the lagoon: see reaching the Blue Lagoon without a tour. Kolymbithres and the park are in things to do on Paros.
When is the water best for snorkelling?
Wind decides your snorkel more than temperature. In a north wind the captain keeps to the channel and the south coast of Antiparos, and may drop an exposed stop. For the months, see the best time for a Paros boat tour and the sea and the wind month by month.
What to bring, and three rules in the water
- A towel: few boats supply one.
- A rash vest or T-shirt for the sun on your back.
- You must be able to climb the ladder back aboard; the Pounta full day requires it.
- Keep clear of the cliff base where others are jumping.
- Take nothing from the seabed at Despotiko.
Frequently asked questions
Is Paros good for snorkelling?
Do Paros boat tours include snorkelling gear?
Can you snorkel in the Blue Lagoon?
Is Despotiko protected?
Sand for the colour, rock for the fish. See which boats reach both, and what each one hands you at the ladder, on Paros Boat Tours.
Boats to book for the snorkelling
Pounta: Paros & Antiparos Cruise, Swimming & Lunch
Four hour-long stops and a Mediterranean lunch, caique or sailing boat.
From $134 per person
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Daily Boat Trip Antiparos & Despotico
A dive centre's day with seven named stops and snorkel gear, from Pounta.
From $135 per person
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Paros Half Day Boat Tour from Naoussa port and Bay .
Three hours in the bays near Naoussa, lunch and drinks on board.
From $91 per person
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