PAROS – ANTIPAROS HOTELIER ASSOCIATION
Naousa, Paros…
The picturesque jewel of the Aegean, where tradition meets authentic island beauty.
Naousa, Paros is the second most populous town on the island of Paros, after Parikia, located 10 km away from it. It is a coastal town with a small, safe harbor situated in the eastern cove of the picturesque bay that shares its name, Naousa Bay, at the northern tip of the island.
Its population in 1928 was 959 inhabitants, while the 2001 census recorded 2,316 residents. Since 1926, the town has had a primary school, a police station, and a telegraph office.
Today, Naousa serves as the seat of one of the seven municipal districts of the Municipality of Paros, which includes all the northern villages, such as Ampelas, Kamares, Kolymbithres, Laggeri, Livadia, Xifara, Protorgia, as well as some monasteries. The total population of the municipal district of Naousa is 3,027 residents (2001).
In the past, it was a municipality, the “former Municipality of Naousa”, in the Province of Naxos, which included all the villages of northern Paros, as well as the village of Kostos, with a total population of 1,750 residents.
As a settlement, Naousa is believed to have developed around its eponymous harbor during the Byzantine period. It had a fortified wall, part of which has survived to this day, ending in a small castle (kasteion), which served as a Venetian bastion, part of which also remains.
Finally, it should be noted that both the Byzantine and post-Byzantine eras are reflected in the old houses and in the small but historic churches of the wider area. The main church of Naousa is dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary.
