Kolymbithres, Beach area in Naoussa, Paros, Greece

Kolymbithres is a coastal settlement and beach area on the west side of the Bay of Naoussa, about 4 km from Naoussa and 11 km northeast of Parikia. It is not a single beach but many small sandy coves hidden between huge vertical rocks. Weathering has carved these rocks into shapes and natural hollows that fill with seawater and resemble baptismal fonts, which gave the place its name.

Kolymbithres takes its name from the rock hollows that erosion has carved into shapes resembling baptismal fonts. The settlement was first recorded as a separate village in 1981, within the community of Naoussa. Nearby, on a height above the beach at Koukounaries, stand the ruins of a Mycenaean acropolis. The 2021 census counted 28 residents.

Fishermen from nearby Naoussa have relied on these sheltered coves for centuries as safe anchorage points. Today you still notice their presence through fishing nets and boats that rest against the rocky shores.

You can reach the different coves by boat from Naoussa or by walking along the rocky coastline. Wear shoes with good grip since the paths and rock surfaces are uneven and sometimes slippery.

The name Kolymbithres comes from the Greek word for baptismal fonts: weathering has hollowed the huge vertical rocks into basins that fill with seawater and look like fonts. The settlement was first recorded as a separate village in the 1981 census and had 28 residents in 2021.