We visited Naxos, Greece during our 2021 trip and had the best time exploring this island. Naxos is an island in Greece located in the South Aegean Sea and some believe it is the best Island to visit! It is the largest Island in the Cyclades. Naxos has something for everyone and is a great destination. We spent four days here but could have spent a couple more, as there were a few things we wanted to see but ran out of time.
Before we visited Naxos we had heard about Naxian Marble, Naxos cheese, Naxos potatoes and Kitron. Much of Naxos has marble throughout its villages and also in the countryside as it is quarried here. Naxos cheese and potatoes are local and taste so fresh and delicious. As a matter of fact, Naxos food is some of the best we have ever dined on. Naxos prides itself on being a self sufficient island and also have livestock and grow many other vegetables and fruits. Kitron is a citrus liquor and although I thought it quite strong, it is flavorful. You can recognize it by it’s bright green color.
We arrived in Naxos by ferry but you can also arrive by air. We rented a vehicle here and all in all had no problem driving on the island. That being said, roads are narrow with plenty of curves and some roads are unimproved.
Exploring
There is so much to explore in Naxos. Each town and beach seem to have their own characteristics yet are distinctively Naxos. The beaches were all pristine and also well kept.
Naxos Town
Naxos town is the main town of Naxos Island, also referred to as Chora. This is where you will arrive if you come by ferry. We enjoyed walking around Naxos town and also the port. Make sure you check out the Old Market, walk along the port and enjoy one of the many places to eat or snack here.
Kastro
The Kastro, or castle is located in Naxos Town. Built in 1207 by a Venetian Emperor, the Kastro once fortified the old Venetian town. It is located on the top of the hill in Naxos Town. You can’t miss it.
Portara
The Portara, also known as the Temple of Apollo was built in 530 BC and was never finished. This large marble gate is all that is left. Standing on a hill, it overlooks both Naxos Town and the Sea.
Apeiranthos Village
Apeiranthos Village is set in the mountains and close to the central part of Naxos. In addition, the drive here is absolutely beautiful. This lovely village is unique and authentic, I had heard that this is the best village in Naxos Greece to visit so made it a must stop. The people of this village have a unique accent as they are descendents of the island of Crete. We arrived here early afternoon. Although there were very few people out and about, a lady welcomed us with a warm smile and hello as she waved from her window! We would have liked to spend more time here and will definitely return if we are in Naxos again.
Catamaran Tour
We enjoyed a catamaran tour while in Naxos. During the tour, we visited several beaches and had a great time snorkeling and swimming in the Aegean Sea. We were aboard the Danae operated by Naxos Yachting which you can read more about if you click the link. I highly recommend this company.
Kalamistia Monastery
Kalamistia Monastery was tops on my list to see and I would say for me, this was the very best thing to see in Naxos and also one of my favorites in Greece. Known as the Jesuit Palace, this out of the way ruin was so much fun to explore
Melanes Kouros
Naxos is known for their Kouros and there are two of them near the village of Melanes. Although there is some walking involved on finding these giant statue, the walk is very peaceful and the Melanes Kouros are worth checking out.
Apollonas and Apollonas Kouros
The small village of Apollonas is on the North part of Naxos and a bit of a drive but we were near and wanted to check out the village as well as the Apollonas Kouros. The Kouros was just off of the road above the village and up the steps as seen below. If you look close, you can see me at the foot of this marble giant.
Mount Zas and Cave of Za
Mount Zas is the largest mountain in Naxos so of course we wanted to hike it. In addition, along the way is the Cave of Za where the god Zeus was raised.
Temple of Demeter
The Temple of Demeter dates to 530 BC and built of marble from the Island. Unfortunately, we did not get to go into this area as it closes at 3:30. We did view it from outside the fence though and it looked amazing.
Beaches
Lionas Beach
We loved this little rocky beach on the Northeast side of the island. A bit tricky of a road to get there, but we were glad we did. Lionas Beach is at the end of a small fishing village. Very peaceful and also very picturesque.
Plaka Beach
Plaka Beach is the longest beach in Naxos, Greece and possibly the best beach if you want to lay out and sunbathe. This sandy beach has loungers and places to eat along it. We stayed at Naxian on the Beach here while in Naxos.
Hawaii Beach
Hawaii Beach is a unique beach located in the south east part of Naxos. We enjoyed just walking along here.
Great Places to Eat
Tortuga-Plaka Beach
Tortuga was located at our hotel and was fantastic. Breakfast each morning was delicious. Diner was a fine dining experience with impeccable service and food. Steve had swordfish and says it is the best he ever had.
Taverna-Naxos Town
We ate here twice. The name is actually Taverna. The view was lovely. The food was fantastic. We loved sampling the cheese and we both enjoyed souvlaki both evenings.
Ntoyzenia-Lionas
We absolutely loved this taverna. The food was fantastic. Steve’s shrimp was caught that morning! We really enjoyed just being here.
Arolithos-Melanes
This was the most peaceful place we ate at. The views were magnificent and the food was wonderful.
Waffle House-Naxos Town
We stopped here for ice cream. Twice. Highly recommend it!
Where We Stayed
Naxian on the Beach-Plaka Beach
Naxian on the Beach was the perfect place to stay. This bo-ho boutique stye hotel was comfortable and accommodating. The view of Plaka Beach was perfect from our balcony. The perfect place to unwind after our busy days. The manager was especially helpful and assured we had a great stay.
Car Rental
We rented a car from Motonaxos and couldn’t have been happier. I emailed the company before our trip and they replied promptly. We took advantage of the option of having the car delivered and picked up from our hotel. This worked out perfect for us.
Conclusion
We absolute loved Naxos, Greece and believe we found the best things to do here. Although I suspect there are many more great places and villages. Naxos has such fantastically fresh and delicious food. I would love to go back someday!
Planning
While planning our trip to Naxos I found the DK Eyewitness Top 10 Greek Islands Guide to be very helpful. It has sections on many top 10 aspects of the Island plus a separate section for each area. The section on the Cyclades helped me choose which island to visit.
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Follow these Links for more of my posts from Naxos
Lionas Beach and Apollonas Kournos, Sept 2021
Hiking Mt Zas and Cave of Za, Naxos, Sept 2021
Catamaran around Naxos, Sept 2021
Kouros of Melanes, Naxos, Sept 2021
Kalamitsia Monastery, Naxos, Sept 2021
The Portara of Naxos, Sept 2021
Links to our 2018, 2019, 2012, and also 2022 (2023 and 2024 are still pending). Trips can be found in these posts:
Two Weeks in Greece-Delphi, Meteora, Corfu, Santorini, Athens 2022
14 Days in Greece, Crete, Naxos, Santorini, Athens, 2021
10 Days in Greece Athens, Crete, Santorini 2019
8 Days in Greece, Athens, Milos, Santorini 2018
Diary of a Gen-X recommendations for hotels, restaurants, & tours are based on our own experiences.Our trips our solely funded by us. We are not sponsored by any company nor do we receive sponsored compensation for recommending places we travel to for hotels or restaurants. The only hotels & restaurants we recommend are places we stay which are clean, comfortable, and also provide exceptional hospitality. We are affiliate of both Amazon, Viator, and Klio Tea along with a few others. Purchases from these links do earn me a small commission at no cost to you.