Located on the west coast, at the bottom of a bay protected from northern winds, the town of Parikia , capital and main port of the island, occupies the site of a townantique. It is built by the sea and all around a hill dominated by the Byzantine church of Agios Constantinos (1684): a masterpiece of popular architecture.
Arriving at the port is tiring because there are always crowds in summer, some arrive, others leave. The seafront, too touristy, is crowded with restaurants and bars which follow one another all along the coastline. Only the mills and the fishing port retain a local color, particularly early in the morning during the sale of fish at the auction.
To appreciate Parikia , you must quickly go into the heart of the city and discover its winding streets which have retained a lot of charm. On the main street, there are a whole succession of stores mainly aimed at tourists. To the right of the central street, stand the ruins of the Kastro , an ancient Venetian castle built in 1260, on the site of the Ancient Acropolis. Column shafts from an Ionic temple, as well as fragments from Byzantine buildings, were used in its construction. Today itOnly part of this rampart remains where we can admire this heterogeneous mixture of elements.
Around the Kastro are the old districts of the city, characterized by narrow paved streets, often vaulted, fragrant with jasmine, dazzling white houses, generally two-storeys, old fountains, stately homes and an infinity of chapels nestled among the houses.
Located on the northern edge of Parikia , on the site of an older church, the Church of the Panagia Katopoliani is the third early Christian basilica in Greece . It houses, among other things, a basilica-shaped baptistery with dome and apse and a cruciform baptismal font with a small column in the middle, unique in Greece .
The archaeological museum , to the right of the church, houses a very beautiful collection dating from the Neolithic era to Roman times.
To the north of the town is a vast sandy beach lined with tamarisk trees. The road runs along the bay to the cape of Agios Fokas . There are many sandy beaches such as Krios beach .
Public services : banks, post office, caiques service serving the surrounding beaches, hospital, pharmacies, police station, buses, taxis, shops.
