New Golden Beach
Best for. Windsurfers and kitesurfers who want the strongest, most reliable wind in the Cyclades, and swimmers who time a calm early morning before the breeze fills in.
Best spot. The organised centre by the surf schools for kit and lessons, with an early arrival the move for a calm swim before the afternoon wind.
Know this. This is a board venue first and a swimming beach second, windier than Golden Beach next door, so a still morning is the prize and the afternoon belongs to the sailors.
New Golden Beach, or Nea Chryssi Akti, known to regulars as Tserdakia, is the windiest beach on Paros and proud of it. It is a small, compact bay of golden sand on the southeast coast, just north of its longer namesake Golden Beach, and it has hosted PWA World Cup windsurfing for decades because the wind here is the most reliable and strong on the island, often a force or two above everywhere else. Fully organised around its surf schools, it is a beach built for boards, sails and kites rather than for lounging.
The honest read is that this is a watersports venue first and a swimming beach second, and it does not pretend otherwise. On a calm morning the water is clear and inviting, but as the day warms the Meltemi fills in and the bay becomes the preserve of the sailors and kiters, with chop, blowing sand and rigs along the shore. The beach is smaller and less scenic than the famous Paros coves, the service is straightforward surf school fare, and a non sailor arriving at two in the afternoon will wonder why everyone looks so happy in the wind.
Come to New Golden Beach for one of two reasons. If you sail or kite, this is the island's premier venue, with established schools renting kit and teaching all levels through the season, and the World Cup pedigree to match. If you do not, come early for a calm swim before the breeze, then move on to sheltered Faragas in the south or the protected Naoussa coves for the afternoon. Golden Beach next door is a touch calmer for a family day. The smart play is to read the wind and let it decide whether you bring a board or a book.
A board venue, not a club
New Golden Beach runs on windsurf and kitesurf centres and organised sunbeds rather than a dressed up club. For a polished club day, see the Paros beach clubs guide.
Photo: Paros Windsurf Center via GoogleWindsurf and kitesurf centres
New Golden Beach is organised around its watersports centres, with respected windsurf and kitesurf schools, sunbeds and a beach bar rather than a single named club. It is set up for the wind and the boards, not for bottle service. For a refined club day, scenic Monastiri and design led Faragas are the island picks, and the big pool club Punda Coast sits along the coast at Pounda. Kit hire, lesson and sunbed prices are set locally and to be confirmed.
On the southeast coast near Drios
New Golden Beach sits on the southeast coast just north of Golden Beach and about three kilometres from Drios, roughly twenty to twenty five minutes by car from Parikia and the airport. A summer bus serves the southeast beaches, and the road is easy, so a hire car or scooter is the simplest way to arrive and to move on if you are not sailing.
There is parking behind the compact bay that fills on a strong wind day when the boards are out in force, so come earlier for a space and the calmer morning water. Natural shade is limited, so bring or hire an umbrella, and if you plan to windsurf or kite the centres on the sand rent kit and run lessons through the season.
Photo: penelope frantzi via GoogleBook a beach club
New Golden Beach runs on surf schools rather than a single club. Tell us your dates and we can point you to a daybed at a Paros beach club to match your day. We reply by email.
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Common questions about New Golden Beach
Why is New Golden Beach Paros famous?
It is the windiest beach on the island and a long established PWA World Cup windsurfing venue, with the most reliable strong Meltemi wind in the area, often a force or two above other Paros beaches. That consistency has made it the premier windsurf and kitesurf spot in the Cyclades since the early 1990s.
Is New Golden Beach good for swimming or families?
Early in the day yes, when the water is clear and calm, but it is a watersports beach first. As the wind fills in through the afternoon it becomes the preserve of sailors and kiters, with chop and blowing sand. For a calmer family swim, Golden Beach next door is gentler, and Faragas in the south calmer still.
Can you windsurf and kitesurf at New Golden Beach?
Yes, it is the island's premier venue for both, with established schools on the sand renting kit and teaching all levels through the season. The Meltemi gives reliable strong wind in July and August in particular. Conditions vary by day, and kit hire, lesson and sunbed prices are set locally and to be confirmed.
What is the difference between Golden Beach and New Golden Beach?
They are neighbours on the southeast coast. Golden Beach is the longer, gentler sweep that suits families on a calm morning, while New Golden Beach, or Nea Chryssi Akti, is the smaller, windier bay just north and the stronger board venue. Windsurfers prefer New Golden Beach for its more reliable, stronger wind.
When is the best time to visit New Golden Beach?
For the boards, July and August bring the strongest, most reliable Meltemi. For swimming, June and September are easier, with warmer calmer water and lighter crowds. On any day the mornings are calmest before the wind fills in. Conditions are typical rather than guaranteed, so check the forecast.
