By Ted Thornhill

Copyright independent

“Did they wear pirate hats?” my eight-year-old daughter asks our skipper, Vasilis.

“Of course. I’m sure they did,” he replies, happy to humour her.

We’re gently bobbing in a speedboat, moored during a private cruise in a stunning hidden cove off the coast of the Greek island of Paros, and learning from Vasilis that pirates once used this very spot for smuggling loot.

These marauders plundered Paros for hundreds of years from the seventh century, forcing natives to leave and villages to be built inland, out of sight from coastal raids.

Countless others left their mark, too, with the island variously inhabited by Cretans, Minoans, Ionians, Arcadians, Macedonians, Romans and Byzantines.

These days, I discover, it’s mostly Italian and French tourists that occupy the Cycladic gem, with the numbers of the latter demographic swelling significantly when the group I’m with arrives for an August break.

We’re made up of five families with 10 children between us in tow, and over half of our ensemble are French.

We practically take over Nissiotiko Hotel in the village of Dryos and by the end of our stay we’d conclude that this property and the island it nestles on is hard to beat as an option for a family getaway.

It’s a joyous place for children, crowd-free even in peak season, and as idyllic as you’d imagine a Greek island to be from watching Mamma Mia, with dreamy shorelines and villages straight from Greece central casting. Though our arrival isn’t exactly like a scene from the movie.

The first leg is a 6.10am easyJet flight from Gatwick to Mykonos, the plane mostly populated by poseur passengers wearing yoga outfits and rigid Botox expressions.

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After touching down, waiting chauffeurs distribute them to the island’s chic hotels, while we head straight to the docks to catch a ferry to Paros.

The port is big and bland, though the “Cantina” cafe here serves nice pastries and decent coffee. Unfortunately, deafening dance music is also on the menu.

With beats loud enough to cause ripples in our drinks, we decamp to a quiet, shaded waiting area. From there, we occasionally emerge into the blowtorch heat to witness the enthralling sight of enormous ferries docking amid choppy, azure waters.

It’s the Piccadilly Circus of ferry hubs, with services departing for islands all around the Cyclades, as well as Crete and mainland Greece.

Our Seajets catamaran is a disheartening 90 minutes late and the journey is bookended by slightly chaotic scenes.

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We board via the cavernous car deck ramp with hundreds of others wheeling similarly huge suitcases to ours and struggle to stack our luggage on metal shelves as the ship rocks from side to side in the swell.

Cunard this isn’t. Though our business class seats (that cost only about €10, or £8.70, extra) are very comfortable, we have a huge table to play Dobble on and wake-watching from the upper deck is a thrill.

It’s Paros ahoy after just 40 minutes or so and we spill out from the belly of the boat with the horde at the energetic port of Parikia, the island’s capital, inching forward in a sea of sunglasses and sandals.

So no rustic Mamma Mia jetty, but Paros’s charms are quickly revealed.

After taking a €25 (£22) taxi south to the airport to pick up an Alamo Suzuki Swift (booked with ease via booking.com), we drive for 20 minutes to the fishing village of Dryos (also spelt Drios) on the south-east coast, home to hotel Nissiotiko.

This 22-room haven, run by the towering but affable Fragiskos, is a brilliant base for exploring the island, but also a beguiling spot for dawn-till-dusk relaxation.

Such is the magnetic appeal that excursions never get under way before around midday, despite best intentions. Here, time seems untethered.

The property – which has unpretentious but comfy and spacious air-conditioned rooms, with surprisingly fast wifi – is in a soul-stirring location, perched right above a small beach and the inviting waters of the Aegean, with a pathway threading through a sea-view rock-garden terrace that links it with shops, tavernas and other small hotels.

Looming with mysterious intent in the background, meanwhile, is the mountainous Naxos – the biggest island in the Cyclades archipelago – and opposite uninhabited Drios Island.

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A daily routine is quickly established – an itinerary is sculpted over breakfast beneath the lofty Aleppo pine tree on the terrace, a quick dip in the turquoise waters follows for most, and with the sun still at gas mark two, I run along the cliffs to nearby Golden Beach.

This spot carries the reputation of being the all-round best strip of sand on the island. Largely, I should imagine, on account of its imperious sweep of golden grains; bath-warm, shallow waters, and the plentiful amenities, ranging from tavernas and sun loungers to windsurfing lessons and inflatable doughnut rides.

We enjoy a short spell here, but throughout the week prefer using the 34-mile-long main road that loops the island like a strand of spaghetti to discover more secluded beaches.

Tripiti beach, a few minutes west of Dryos, is a great spot, with a liberal peppering of French tamarisk trees providing the shade and refreshments courtesy of the excellent Glyfa Café, which offers friendly service, moreish coffee and to-die-for Greek salads.

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Petri beach, a couple of coves further west, is a hassle to reach, but worth the effort. The “car park” here is a rocky patch of grass on the hillside and we have to traipse down a narrow pathway (possibly a ditch, actually) to reach the water. The reward – a tranquil inlet with breathtakingly clear water, space to spread out in and clumps of tamarisk trees stepping in once more to shield us from the sun while we picnic.

(There are no amenities, so come prepared.)

We also ringfence some time to explore Naoussa on the north coast, where modern meets rustic charm to mesmerising effect. Here, we roam from one glossy shop to another in a maze of ancient alleyways and enjoy a glorious lunch at the Comeback taverna as waves roll onto the beach beside us.

The quaint seaside villages of Aliki, where there are taverna tables on the actual beach, and Piso Livadi run Naoussa close for photogenic appeal. But in the centre of the island, beneath Paros’s highest peak, 2,529ft-tall Mount Agii Pantes, lies perhaps the island’s cutest settlement.

That would be 15th-century Lefkes, built away from the shores to escape those pirate raids.

Filling viewfinders here are labyrinthine, bougainvillea-adorned streets it’s a sheer delight to lose yourself in. And there’s a superb ice cream cafe by the main square to freeze out any potential tantrums from the children.

Lured partly by the prospect of spotting Tom Hanks, on the penultimate full day we take the 10-minute car ferry from the port of Pounda on the west coast to Antiparos, where the actor has a home, tucked away in the hills.

A shopkeeper divulges that he has been seen recently and frequents an ice-cream shop called Vicky in Antiparos, the main town that shares the name of the seven-mile-long isle.

The A-lister remains elusive, but the reasons why Paro’s smaller cousin draws Hanks and other famous types including Jason Statham, Eva Mendes, Ryan Gosling, Whoopi Goldberg, Jeff Bezos and fashion designer Diane von Furstenburg, become readily apparent.

In Antiparos town there’s a mix of smart boutique shops and enticing tavernas (and the vague remains of a crumbling 15th-century Venetian fortress with a substantial cat population), while beyond are secret coves and lost lanes, one of which we follow to the secluded and seductive Livadi beach, just below the swanky Rooster hotel, where much fun is had diving into gentle shorebreakers.

Despite being peak season, we share the sand with just 50 or so others.

Greater numbers join us at coastal cafe Sifneiko in Antiparos to watch the sun dip below the horizon, and the diminutive thoroughfares of the town we walk to find dinner bustle with tourists.

But the vibe is vibrant, not hectic.

All the highly rated tavernas on the main street that runs inland from the waterfront are booked up, so we opt for harbourside eatery “Stathero”, because it seems to be full of locals and there are octopuses strung up to dry outside.

Surely the sign of true authenticity.

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The food, it turns out, is delicious, with our table filled with the freshest whole mackerel, comforting meatballs and mouthwatering grilled feta.

It’s our favourite meal of the week. Though the service is easily the worst – our waiter is so grumpy it’s almost comical. Though he cheers up when we pay.

Our speedboat excursion is a last-minute addition to the agenda on the last day.

Fragiskos had recommended booking one from Aliki, home to the beachy taverna tables, but according to the websites we look at on the day, all the trips are sold out.

“Go down to the port,” says Fragiskos. “You might get lucky.”

His advice is a golden ticket.

We chat waterside with amiable staff from Seacret Cruises, who reveal they have one six-person speedboat available for a private sunset tour.

While the cost is not insubstantial – €490 (£424) – the experience is priceless.

At the hidden pirate cove, Vasilis tells my daughter to jump in and “look for treasure.”

In she leaps, with squeals of delight.

Beneath, we spot huge sponges attached to the rocks as shoals of fish dart hither and thither.

Next, we stop at the “blue lagoon”, a patch of water between Paros and Antiparos named for its striking sapphire hue.

Here, we share our swim time with a gigantic sea snail the size of a football feeding on the seabed.

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Finally, Vasilis drops anchor by an unnamed islet with an impossibly dinky church on it for snacks and wine and watch the last rays of sunlight reach out over the water.

And while we don’t discover any booty in it, it doesn’t stop Paros being Treasure Island as far as I’m concerned.

Easyjet operates 10 direct flights per week from London Gatwick to Mykonos, from £26 one-way. Alternatively, fly to Athens and then to the small airport on Paros.

Up to eight ferries depart daily from Mykonos to Paros, depending on the season, with services operated by Seajets, Golden Star Ferries, Fast Ferries and Blue Star Ferries. Fares from £25 one-way. Book with Ferry Scanner or Ferry Hopper.

Car hire is essential to make the most of your visit. Prices start at around £95, depending on the car and season. Visit Booking.com for more details.

Nissiotiko Hotel offers rooms from £100. Breakfast from £4.50 per person.

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