Paroikia was built in the middle of the western shore of Paros, around the large, sheltered, natural bay. It is the island’s capital city and its governmental and commercial centre, hosting the island’s merchant and passenger port. The city’s name derives from the Byzantium and literally means “colony” or community in the sense that the residents “belonged” to and worked for Ekatontapyliani, something like share-croppers. As more “paroikoi” settled in the old town the name was changed from Paros to “Paroikia”.
Today Paroikia is a modern town providing services to cover the needs of every traveller. There are branch offices of several major banks, a post office, a Medical Centre, Internet Cafés, travel bureaus and rental agencies. There are many hotels, hundreds of rooms/studios and 3 camping facilities (Livadia, Krios and Parasporos) offering each visitor the opportunity to find the type of accommodation that suits them. As such we want to inform potential visitors that comfortable and quality accommodation is assured when you book in advance at one of the legally recognized businesses operating on the island. We recommend that visitors don’t risk entrusting their accommodation to whoever may offer lodgings when they arrive in the port.
