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The complete travel guide to Naxos island, Greece
A trip by SophieTzatchickieThe complete travel guide to Naxos island, Greece
The largest and most varied of the Cyclades – four-kilometre golden beaches, whitewashed villages climbing toward Mount Zas, ancient marble gateways and a lively old town that has stayed wholly, stubbornly authentic.
La Grande Vue Suites Naxos
Cave villas with private pools and a long view over the Naxian coast.
9.9 Alternative places to stay
NaxosDay 1
Naxos Town & the Portara
Agios Georgios Beach
Chora's own beach – a shallow sandy crescent curving south from the old town, water so calm it feels like a lagoon. You can walk to it from the port in ten minutes, drop your bag at a beach bar, and be swimming before lunch. Families love the gentle shelf; the south end is where the windsurfers go out. The rocky islet with the whitewashed church is the photo.
Naxos Town (Hora)
A vibrant waterfront hub where serpentine alleys hide bakeries, boutiques, and tavernas serving the island's famous produce.
Castle of Naxos
The only Venetian castle in Greece continuously inhabited since 1207 – eight centuries of life behind fortress walls.
Portara (Temple of Apollo)
The Portara – a colossal unfinished marble doorway to a temple of Apollo, standing alone on the islet of Palatia at the harbour's edge. It is the first thing you see sailing in and the most famous place on Naxos to watch the sunset: walk out along the causeway as the sky turns and the great frame glows gold. Begun around 530 BC and never finished, it has framed the Aegean for two and a half thousand years.
Oniro Wine Bar
A rooftop in Naxos Old Town with a fantastic view over the rooftops to the sea, Oniro pairs a well-chosen list of Greek wines with small plates meant for lingering. Climb up for golden hour, order a glass of Assyrtiko or a Naxian label you will not find at home, and watch the Portara catch the last of the light across the water. An easy, elegant first or last night on the island.
NaxosDay 2
Agios Prokopios & Agia Anna
Agios Prokopios Beach
The most organized beach on Naxos – 1.5 kilometres of golden sand meeting some of the bluest water on the island. Sunbeds, beach bars and watersports line the shore, with calm, shallow swimming that is ideal for families, all a short hop from Naxos Town. Consistently rated among the finest beaches in Greece, and an easy first taste of the island's west coast.
Agia Anna Beach
A seamless continuation of golden coastline – tavernas lining the shore, gentle waves, and a village that lives for summer.
Paradiso Taverna
With your feet in the sand and the sun setting straight into the sea, Paradiso is the Plaka-beach taverna travellers come back for. Traditional Greek food – fresh fish, Naxian potatoes, village salads – served at tables set right on the long golden stretch of Plaka. Time a late lunch that drifts into sunset, or come for dinner and stay for the colour. No reservations on the sand: arrive early for a front-row table.
Picasso on the Beach
Mexican plates and Ibiza vibes on Plaka beach – Picasso is where the day loosens into the evening. The cocktails are seriously good (the litre margaritas are the stuff of Naxos legend), the music builds as the light drops, and the crowd spills barefoot from the sand. Come for tacos and a sundowner, stay for the kind of beach-bar night that defines a Cycladic summer.
NaxosDay 3
Halki & Apeiranthos
Halki & Vallindra Distillery
An elegant village in the fertile Tragea plain, where neoclassical houses frame a legendary citron distillery.
Filoti
The largest of Naxos's mountain villages, terraced on the slopes of Mt. Zas. A pause here is an institution: a coffee at Platano on the square, under the shady plane trees, while the village goes about its day. From Filoti you can set off up the mountain to the Cave of Zeus, or simply wander the stepped lanes and the big neoclassical Panagia Filotitissa church.
Apeiranthos
The 'Marble Village' where cobblestone streets, four museums, and centuries-old weaving traditions feel untouched by time.
Rotonda
High in the hills just before Apeiranthos, Rotonda is a large restaurant and bar with sweeping views over the valley and out to sea – the kind of view that stops conversation when you walk in. Come for a long lunch after the mountain villages, or for a late dinner that turns slowly into drinks as the lights of the island come on below.
NaxosDay 4
Cave of Za & Temple of Demeter
Cave of Za
A mythical cave on the Cyclades' highest peak – stalactites, Neolithic artefacts, and the birthplace of Zeus himself.
Temple of Demeter
A 6th-century-BC Ionic temple set in the green inland plain near Sangri, dedicated to Demeter and goddess of the grain. Partially reconstructed from its original Naxian marble, it sits alone on a low rise with wheat fields all around – a quieter, more atmospheric version of the ancient sites you queue for elsewhere. The on-site museum rounds out the visit.
Towers of Naxos
Thirty Venetian watchtowers still stand guard across the island – silent sentinels of a feudal past carved in stone.
Apostolis
Tucked onto a tiny whitewashed square in the heart of Naxos Old Town, Apostolis serves delicious traditional Greek food with a modern touch. It is the kind of place where the recipes are familiar but the plating surprises – grilled island fish, slow-cooked meats and Naxian cheeses, eaten under the bougainvillea as the lanes empty into evening. Book ahead in high summer; the square's handful of tables fill fast.
NaxosDay 5
Mikri Vigla & Aliko's cedars
Mikri Vigla Beach
Mikri Vigla splits into two moods on either side of a rocky headland: the northern Orkos side draws kitesurfers to its reliable wind, while the southern bay of Limanaki is long, sandy and sheltered – easily one of the loveliest stretches on Naxos. Golden sand, turquoise shallows and far fewer crowds than the beaches near town. Bring water and shade; facilities are minimal.
Aliko Beach
Aliko – locals call it Hawaii – is incredibly stunning and almost completely wild: small sandy coves tucked among low cedar-covered dunes on the island's quiet southwest tip. There are no facilities whatsoever, which is exactly the point; bring water, food and shade and you will have one of the most beautiful, undeveloped corners of Naxos largely to yourself.
To Elliniko
Worth queuing for a table. A lively Greek taverna near St. George beach whose garden terrace fills up the moment dinner service opens – the grill runs non-stop and the portions are generous in that old-school Naxian way. Souvlaki, slow-cooked lamb, fresh salads, simple Naxos-produce plates done well and priced fairly. Come early or book ahead in July–August.