Naxos is a beautiful island that came highly recommended by one of my friends and it sure didn’t disappoint. Naxos was our first island on our 17-day trip to Greece and was exactly what we needed; beautiful weather, great beaches and tons of things to do and see.
Portara
Portara must be the most well known site on the island of Naxos. This doorway is over 2,500 years old and stands approximately 100 feet tall. It was originally built as the entrance to a temple that was never completed.
If you have time one morning I definitely recommend waking up early enough to check the sunrise from here. It is absolutely incredible.
Agios Prokopios Beach
Agios Prokopios Beach is probably the most well known and most popular beach in Naxos with crystal clear water and white sand. I could have easily spent all day laying on the beach and hanging out in the water.
It can get pretty busy so make sure you get there early so you can snag some beach chairs and an umbrella (about 15€). There are tons of restaurants and shops across the road from the beach, many of which offer service to beach.
There is much room for parking but the bus comes right to the beach, which was really convenient.
Castle of Naxos
The Castle of Naxos is located in Chora (Naxos town) and was one of the many beautiful things we explored while wandering the streets of Chora. The castle was originally built under the supervision of Markos II Sanoudos as a protective shield to his fortress.
Note: They are currently working on restoring the castle so there was quite a bit of work being done to it while we were there and some section that were blocked off completely.
Apeiranthos
Apeiranthos is a picturesque village located approximately 45 minutes from Chora. This village will be a great change in pace with beautiful building and cobble stone streets. Apeiranthos is probably one of the most photographed villages in Naxos so I’m sure you’ve come across many photos of it during your research.
If you are going to take the time to explore any of the villages in Naxos I definitely recommend this one. It is absolutely stunning and makes for a great afternoon exploring.
Temple of Demeter
Temple of Demeter is an archeological site located near the village of Sangri, which is approximately 30 minutes from Chora (Naxos town). This temple is made from the finest Naxos marble and is believed to date back to the 6th century BC. Demeter was the ancient goddess of grain so people used to build temples close to fertile areas.
This is a great site to check out for history buffs and anyone looking to admire the beautiful marble. The temple is pretty inexpensive to see costing approximately a few euros.
Chora – Naxos Town
Chora is the main town in Naxos and is the perfect place to get lost exploring. We easily spent hours walking the narrow streets admiring the white washed houses and boutique shops with hand crafted gifts.
Along the waterfront are tons of cafes, restaurants and shops perfect for sitting at, grabbing a drink and doing some people watching! This is also where the ferry docks to let passengers on and off and along the way to Portara (the door to nowhere).
Plaka Beach
Plaka Beach is located approximately 10 minutes away from Agios Prokopios Beach and probably the second most popular beach in Naxos. I really enjoyed our time on Plaka Beach as I found it wasn’t nearly as crowded as Agios Prokopios Beach.
Similarly to Agios Prokopios Beach, Plaka Beach had quite a few restaurants across the road and had chairs and umbrellas for rent for approximately 10€, although some restaurants will give them to you for free as long as your order from the restaurant – this worked well for us because we were planning on ordering some drinks anyways!
I always recommend showing up in morning in order to guarantee a chairs and an umbrella as the beaches can get pretty crowded in July and August.
Hike Mount Zas
The hike to Mount Zas starts at the village of Filoti and is approximately 5.6km and takes roughly 2.5 hours to complete – depending on pace and how often you stop to take a break.
Mount Zas is the tallest mountain in the Cyclades standing at 1,003 meters and offers great views of the landscape.
For more info on routes, click here.
Day Trip to Mykonos, Paros or Santorini
Mykonos is located approximately 30 minutes from Naxos and depending on the ferry schedule you could easily spend 5-6 hours exploring the island before catching the ferry back to Naxos.
Paros is also located approximately 30 minutes from Naxos and depending on the schedule you could easily spend 8 hours exploring Paros. I would certainly suggest Paros if you are planning on doing a day trip as it close to Naxos and you will get to spend the most time there compared to Mykonos or Santorini. Paros also won’t be nearly as busy as Santorini or Mykonos so it will make exploring the island a lot easier.
Santorini is located approximately an hour to an hour and a half from Naxos and depending on the ferry schedule you could easily spend 6 hours exploring Oia or relaxing on the red beach or one of the many black beaches Santorini has to offer.
Agia Anna Beach
Warning: Agia Anna Beach is a full nude beach.
Agia Anna is another beautiful beach in Naxos down slightly from Agios Prokopios Beach. This beach isn’t nearly as crowded as some of the others most likely due to the fact that it is a nude beach. There also no beach chairs or umbrellas so make sure to come prepared when visiting Agia Anna beach.
If you don’t mind the nudity then this is probably the best beach to visit as there were maybe only 10 people on the beach when we were there and it was very calm and quiet (no screaming children running around) and the water is just as incredible as any other beach in Naxos.
