Mikri Santa Maria Beach, Paros: The Small Calm Bay 1km Past the Main Santa Maria Beach, With a Large Free Section, a Diving School, and Naxos on the Horizon

Greece | Plastiras Bay | Paros, Cyclades

The big Santa Maria beach gets the waves when the Meltemi blows across the northeastern coast of Paros. The small one — Mikri Santa Maria, one kilometre further along the same coast in Plastiras Bay — stays calm. The bay geometry is the specific difference: the main beach faces more directly into the northerly Aegean fetch, while Mikri Santa Maria sits in a deeper, more protected cove. On a windy July afternoon when the main beach has a noticeable chop, Mikri is often flat. This is the practical reason regular visitors make the slightly longer drive.

Mikri Santa Maria means little Santa Maria — the distinction from the famous neighbouring beach is built into the name. The beach is approximately 2 kilometres from Naoussa on the northeastern tip of Paros. The island of Naxos is visible on the horizon from the sand — the largest of the Cyclades just across the channel to the east.

The beach has two distinct sections: an organised part with sunbeds and umbrellas managed by the beach bar, and a large free zone toward the southern end where visitors lay towels on the sand without paying anything.

Getting There: 2km From Naoussa, 10–15 Minute Drive, Small Parking Area, Bus to Santa Maria Then Walk

From Naoussa, drive northeast following signs for Santa Maria beach. Continue approximately 1 kilometre past the main Santa Maria parking area to reach Mikri Santa Maria. The road is paved to the main beach and then continues on a narrower track. There is a small parking area near the beach but it fills quickly in July and August — arriving before 10:30am is the consistent recommendation.

Local buses from Parikia (the main port) and Naoussa service the Santa Maria area during summer. From the Santa Maria bus stop, the coastal path to Mikri Santa Maria is approximately 1 kilometre along the shore — a pleasant 15-minute walk with views of the Aegean and the island of Naxos on the eastern horizon.

The beach is a high-season destination only. Everything is closed outside the May–September window — the beach bar, the diving school, the sunbed service. Out of season, the bay is empty and beautiful, but plan to bring everything yourself.

The Beach: Sandy, Calm, Clear, Organised Section and Large Free Zone, Good Snorkelling at the Rocky Edges

The sand is fine and soft throughout. The water is shallow for a good distance from the shore — the gradual sandy seabed is the specific quality that makes it suitable for families with young children alongside the calm conditions. The clarity is consistent even in peak season because the bay’s protected position prevents the wave action that stirs sediment on more exposed beaches.

The organised section has good-quality sunbeds and umbrellas managed by the beach bar. The lounge music is kept at a level that fits the unhurried character of the bay rather than competing with it. The free zone at the southern end is genuinely usable — not a residual strip but a proper section of the beach with adequate space even in high season.

The rocky edges of the bay are the snorkelling habitat — the clear water and the rocky perimeter create the marine life density that purely sandy-bottomed beaches lack.

Find Stavros: The Diving School at the Beach

The Find Stavros diving school operates from Mikri Santa Maria during the summer season, offering PADI-certified courses and guided dives along the northeastern Paros coast. The calm conditions and the clear water make Mikri Santa Maria a good base for first-time divers. The rocky underwater topography around the headlands of Plastiras Bay provides the habitat variety that more experienced divers use.

The Coastal Path to Main Santa Maria: 1km With Naxos Views

A coastal path connects Mikri Santa Maria with its larger neighbour — a 1-kilometre walk along the rocky shoreline that reveals the full geography of the Plastiras Bay coast and gives the clearest view of Naxos across the channel. Walking the path before settling at the beach is the specific approach for the photograph of both beaches and the island on the horizon in a single composition.

Naoussa: The Nearest Town, 2km, Best Restaurants on the Island

Naoussa — the most charming and cosmopolitan town on Paros, with its Venetian harbour, its cluster of fish restaurants, its white-walled alleyways, and its summer nightlife — is 2 kilometres from Mikri Santa Maria. The combination of the beach in the morning and Naoussa for lunch or dinner is the natural programme from this base. The harbour restaurants serve the freshest fish on the island and the harbour itself, in the early evening light, is the specific Paros image that most visitors carry home.

Mikri Santa Maria Beach on Paros is the calm sandy bay 1 kilometre past the main Santa Maria beach, 2 kilometres from Naoussa — calmer than the main beach on windy days from the deeper Plastiras Bay position, organised section with sunbeds and lounge music, large free zone at the southern end, Find Stavros diving school, snorkelling at the rocky edges, Naxos visible on the eastern horizon, small parking area (arrive before 10:30am in peak season), and open only May to September.

Drive past the main beach. The small one is 1 kilometre further.