Blink and you might miss it. A tiny island in the Greek Cyclades, Antiparos cuddles up to its big sister Paros, separated by only a mile of crystal-clear water.
But that mile of water makes a huge difference. Step off the boat at Antiparos and life immediately slows down. Suddenly, you’re on an island that has essentially changed little since it was “discovered” by back-packers in the sixties. Yes, there are now chic boutiques catering for up-market holiday-makers hoping to spot a Hollywood celebrity or two, but you do not have to probe very far below the surface to find the authentic island. And Antiparos’ popularity owes itself to this authenticity, and nothing else.
When you stay on Antiparos, you might well imagine that you are on some far-flung island thousands of kilometres from home, but in fact it takes very little time to get there. The ferry from Piraeus takes three hours to reach Paros; the plane takes about 40 minutes. From Paros to Antiparos takes only 30 minutes. And when you arrive, Antiparos is your new home, and then getting there takes no time at all.
So surprising as it may seem, Antiparos was the perfect place to host “the smallest international photo festival in the world”.
We should add “the friendliest”.