Below are excerpts from two emails that Karin and I sent to some English friends that had seen an advertisement for a holiday flat for sale in our village of Aliki.

From Karin:
Aliki is a small village, but growing. It is on a bay, has 3 swimming beaches, one right in the village center. Aliki has a petrol station, 1 wonderful large bakery, 2 "supermarkets" , one very traditional and the other more gourmet. In winter, the gourmet one becomes a bit more traditional, as in season it caters to the people from Athens and abroad. We have a friendly butcher and wife, a very helpful and friendly woman pharmacist, a Doctor comes 2 or 3 days a week.

We have bus service to Parikia. We have a language school. The village center wraps around one of the beaches, and has 6 restaurants, some out on the water on a pier/jetty. We have a small souvlaki takeaway, an ice cream shop in summer, a kiosk with a little childrens playground in center of town on the beach, and a larger playground, sports field and tennis courts in a different location, a shop that is slightly touristic, yet sells wonderful gift items, shoes and a small line of clothing, a scooter rental and in summer a shop that sells Paros items such as wines, soaps, sweets, etc.

While this is a lot for us, it still maintains a small village atmosphere. However, the surrounding area is growing with more summer homes now; yet it is still rural. We live in Piso Aliki on the beach, with sheep running around and goats in the fields in front of us. It is quiet except for the chickens in the morning.

The street that runs along the sea in front of restaurants is closed off to traffic in summer from 7:00 PM until midnight, so that families can stroll and kids can ride bicycles.
Aliki is a safe place to be...I have walked home at 2:00 AM in the morning alone and never even given it a thought to not feel safe. Also, just today, I commented on how wonderful it is to see children playing on the beaches, running around so carefree with parents assured of their safety. People know people. People care about their neighbors, often the Greeks share there veggies and fruits with us. The tavernas and cafes here are full of people meeting friends. It does attract tourists during summer months, so there are several hotels blending in with the homes.

Because of 3 beaches, it can handle all the tourists in August without a problem of being overcrowded. If you are thinking about all year, then I can tell you more about winter here, but am presuming that you are interested in summer only?

From Michael:
I just wanted to add a bit more to what Karin wrote.
I drove by this area but could not tell the exact building. There are some recently completed and some under construction. So this area has become an extension of the main village. Right now it is a long walk--5 minutes--to the village centre and its shops. But we have been told a new supermarket will be built across from the new bakery.

The new bakery is across a side street from this area. That is a plus for convenience but a negative for weight gain. Same sort of thing that the area is next to the sports field and lighted tennis/basketball courts. Is that a plus or minus? It is quite close to one of the three beaches in the village. The area--I guess it has a name but I don't know it, probably St. Nicholas for the small church there--is at the edge of development so it is a short walk to the countryside and to our favourite walk along the undeveloped coast.

In short, I like it and that price a buyer can't go wrong. It will both be easy to rent and will certainly appreciate in value. You ought to come take a look for yourself.

Here is a link to a Google satellite photo: Click for Aardvark Map

Any comments? What is your ideal location for a holiday (vacation) home?