Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The name comes from the monastery of Agios Ioannis Detis, which stands just behind the beach. The whole headland around it is a protected environmental park, and that protection is why the cove looks the way it does.
What it is like
A short arc of sand and fine shingle with clear shallow water, sheltered by the rock arms of the bay. Because it faces into the gulf rather than out to open sea, it stays calm when the north coast is being blown about, which is its practical advantage over Santa Maria and Kolymbithres nearby.
There is a beach bar and loungers at the centre and quieter ground at the edges. It is not undiscovered, but it is contained: the park limits what can be built.
The park behind it
Paros Park occupies the whole Agios Ioannis headland. Walking trails run out over the rock to a lighthouse and a series of small coves, there is an open-air cinema and summer events in season, and the monastery sits at the centre of it.
That combination is the argument for Monastiri over the other north-coast beaches: you can swim, then walk out onto a headland with nothing built on it, which is rare on Paros.
Getting there
Two ways, and the second is better:
- By road around the bay from Naoussa, then into the park.
- By the small boat that crosses the bay from Naoussa harbour in season, which takes minutes and saves the drive.
The boat is the pleasant version and it is how most people without a car get here.
Last checked August 2026. Seasonal boat services and park events change - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
Where is Monastiri beach on Paros?
On the north coast, inside the headland that closes the bay of Naoussa, within the Paros Park nature reserve.
Is Monastiri beach sheltered?
Yes. It faces into the bay rather than out to open sea, which keeps it calm when the exposed north-coast beaches are windy.
How do you get to Monastiri beach?
By road around the bay from Naoussa, or by the small boat that crosses from Naoussa harbour in season, which is the quicker and more pleasant way.
What is Paros Park?
A protected environmental park covering the Agios Ioannis headland behind the beach, with walking trails, a lighthouse, small coves and an open-air cinema in summer.
Is there a monastery at Monastiri?
Yes, Agios Ioannis Detis stands just behind the beach and gives the cove its name.
Next
Read best beaches in Paros, Kolymbithres, or Naoussa.