Guide: Greece – Naxos

Naxos is the largest of the Cycladic islands and is known for its delicious Greek & Naxian cuisine. This island is great for day time adventurers, foodies, and is very budget friendly.

Contents

• Where to Stay in Naxos
  • Naxos Town
  • Chalki or Filoti
  • Agios Prokopios & Agia Anna
• Activities & Things to Do in Naxos
• Beaches in Naxos
• Dining in Naxos
• Nightlife in Naxos

Where to Stay in Naxos

Naxos Town

The Chora, also known as the downtown – Naxos Town is the main port in Naxos and where you will arrive if you are traveling to Naxos by ferry. In my opinion this is the best place to stay in Naxos as you have access to a nearby beach, plenty of hotels, restaurants, and its central location on the coast makes it easily accessible to other areas of the island for day trips (such as Plaka, Chalki, & Filoti). We chose to stay in an Airbnb which was walking distance from the port where the ferry dropped us off, and had a beautiful view of the sunset at night. We chose an airbnb for two reasons – 1) this was our second island and figured we’d want to do laundry at this point in the trip and 2) it was more affordable ($160/night) than a hotel. We had a lovely stay at Filippo’s home, and he even gave us a BUNCH of local recommendations before we arrived. The apartment was extremely spacious, nicely decorated, and perfect for what we needed.

Naxos Town also has the Portara (ruins of Apollo’s temple), other unnamed castle ruins which are cool to explore, and the best view for watching the sunset.

Chalki or Filoti

To experience Naxos like a local, you can stay in the villages of Chalki or Filoti which is a 20-30 min drive up through the mountains in Naxos. Chalki is also where the Vallindros Kitron Distillery is located. Kitron is a local liquor (similar to limoncello). Staying here is ideal if you plan on hiking every day, or want to talk a break from the beach and enjoy the view of the mountains.

Agios Prokopios & Agia Anna

If you prefer to get away from the hustle & bustle of downtown Naxos, but want to stay near the beach, then these two beach towns may be the right choice for you. Agios Prokopios is the larger/busier beach, but I remember driving through both and liking the vibe of Agia Anna better. Both beach towns have a few restaurants and bars and are only a 10-15 min drive from Naxos Town, making them an easy day trip to option to explore another beach.

Getting Around Naxos

Naxos is the largest Cycladic island in Greece, so renting a vehicle is definitely recommended. While motorbike is my go to choice, renting an ATV or car is also an option on this island. If you are renting a car and going during the summertime, I would recommend reserving a car in advance online. One thing to keep in mind is if you plan on driving up through the mountains and back make sure your gas tank is FULL before you leave! We went through an entire tank of gas cruising around on our motor bike in just 1 day on Naxos, and there are very few and scattered gas stations up in the mountains/villages.

Naxos also has a public bus system similar to NJ Transit (air-conditioned and comfy seats) and a ticket usually is 2 to 7 euro each way depending on distance. While this is a much more affordable option, during peak season (summer) the lines to get on the bus can be quite long depending on the time of day. We did not take the bus so I have no first hand experience, but for more info check out NaxosBuses.com

Activities & Things to Do in Naxos

• Hike Mount Zas – the highest point in the Cycladic Islands and where Zeus was born and raised. We chose the trail that stopped by the Cave of Zas (Zeus), where Zeus grew up. Needless to say this was a very difficult hike for me (you can read all about it in my other blog post here), but I would actually do it again. There is also a moderate trail from a different starting point here, but it doesn’t pass by the cave. If you choose to do the more difficult trail, this travel blogger does a great job of outlining it so you don’t get lost (especially on the way down).
  
• Tour the Vallindras Kitron Distillery and enjoy a guided Citron tasting , then explore the village of Chalki after $$
• Take a Naxian cooking class at a family owned Taverna $$
  
• Explore Aperianthos village & watch the sunset while enjoying cocktails & food at Rotunda
• Walk to the Portara (Apollo Temple) and watch the sunset
• Walk along the Naxos Town waterfront and into the town – explore its shops, hidden alleyways, and the amazing restaurants (click here for the best dining spots in Naxos!)
• Explore the Castle of Naxos (very Game of Thrones vibes)
• Visit the Temple of Demeter – Demeter was the goddess of agriculture and the temple was built completely out of marble on the greenest most fertile part of the island
• Relax on the beach

Beaches in Naxos

1. Plaka (organized) – this is the largest beach in Naxos and the northern part of the beach is lined with beach clubs and restaurants. The chairs on this beach were much closer together than the ones at Paros in my opinion, but the beach club we went to for lunch was really nice, Yazoo Beach Club

1. Agios Georgios Beach (organized) – a quick 5 minute walk from Naxos Town and you’ll reach Agios Georgios Beach. This beach has plenty of options from tavernas to beach clubs and were more spread out than Plaka beach which I liked. This beach is also very family friendly because the water is shallow and calm.
2. Agio Prokopios – we did not get to experience this beach but drove past it. It’s only a 10-12 min drive from Naxos Town and also the easiest to reach via bus.
3. Agia Anna – south of Agios Prokopios, this beach appeared less crowded than Agios Prokopios and still had a decent amount of shops/restaurants nearby.
4. Mikri Vigla Beach – white sand beach, good for wind surfing, much quieter and fewer chair rentals/restaurants

Dining in Naxos

Naxos is known for its incredible food since most of it is locally grown and produced. Every meal we had while we were here was DELICIOUS and to our surprise inexpensive compared to the other islands.

Best Restaurant with a View & Amazing Food – Rotunda (Aperianthos) $$

A 40 min drive up the mountains from Naxos Town, but well worth the trip. This restaurant is a MUST if you are visiting Naxos – not only are the views from Rotunda magnificent, but the fresh Naxian cuisine is superb. The menu is mostly Greek/Mediterranean dishes with an excellent cocktail menu and wine list. I highly recommend going here for appetizers and wine/cocktails to watch the sunset – However, reservations aren’t accepted between 7:30pm – 9pm, so we made a reservation for 6:30 or 7pm and stayed until after sunset, spacing out what we ordered to enjoy the food and the view.

Best Modern Greek/Mediterranean Restaurant – Nostimon Hellas (Naxos Town) $$

This restaurant is only open for dinner and is located deep into the town of Naxos – definitely not a place you happen to just walk by. A hidden gem, serving authentic Greek and Mediterranean dishes, the lamb meatballs & mushroom risotto were my favorite. Reservations highly recommended.

Best cafe with a HUGE menu – Scirocco Cafe (Naxos Town) $$

This cafe was a local recommendation from our AirBNB host. An excellent lunch spot with an amazing homemade moussaka, warm pita & hummus. If you want to try a little bit of everything – this cafe has it all – the menu was as thick as a textbook.

Best Cocktail Bar – Like Home (Naxos Town) $$

A roof deck bar with a chill vibe & perfect views for watching the sunset. Some of the cocktails also come in cool tiki glasses. If you like piña coladas, order the cocktail called Home – but it tastes like vacation.

Other Noteworthy Restaurants & Eateries (the first 3 we experienced, the last 3 were recommendations from our AirBNB host but we didn’t have enough time on the island to check them out)

• Oniro Wine Restaurant (Naxos Town) $$ – order the Naxian Gruyere Cheese in Kaitifi
• Milkato $ – Gelato , made of local milk and has vegan options
• Kitron Cafe (Naxos Town) $ – if you don’t have time for a tour of the Vallindras Kitron Distillery, you can still taste Kitron at their waterfront cafe in Naxos Town. To me, it tastes similar to limoncello and you can order is on the rocks or as a cocktail.
• Meze2 – Seafood spot recommended by our AirBNB host
• Typographio – in the base of Naxos Castle , seating is on two rooftop decks overlooking the village
• To Elleniko – traditional greek restaurant in open air patio

Nightlife in Naxos

At this point in our trip, we were quite tired so didn’t get to experience much of the Naxos nightlife. Like Home and Swing Cocktail Bar were great places for earlier in the night, but got crowded later on and there wasn’t much dancing. In general, it seemed that Naxos had more casual bars, not so much bar/clubs with dancing, but we also just may not have stayed out late enough.