Experience Naxos, The Largest of the Cyclades Islands

Naxos is the largest of the Cyclades islands and is slowly becoming more popular for tourists. With an airport for internal flights and excellent ferry links, its not a difficult place to get to and is great if you’re looking to stay on one island or as part of an island-hopping trip. In this blog we’re going to show you why, if you’re looking at the Cyclades, Naxos should be your first choice.  

The Portara looking towards Naxos Town

How to get there
As we mentioned earlier Naxos has a domestic airport and excellent ferry links. If you’re going to fly we recommend flying into Naxos via Athens, Mykonos or Santorini. As Naxos is on the main Cyclades ferry line, boats are regular and so it is not difficult to get to, no matter where you are coming from. We will sort ferry times to line up with flights at the time of enquiry.

Come for the beaches
Many people come to Greece for the beaches and Naxos can certainly deliver on that front. Being the largest island in the group, it has plenty of beaches (over 90kms). It has several organised beaches but there are many which aren’t and can be a lot more private. Most of these organised beaches are in Naxos Town or the nearby Agios Prokopios. Those looking for the smaller, more quiet beaches can travel around the island, either via public transport, excursion or hire car. Most of Naxos’s beaches have fine white sand, there are however some pebble beaches and rocky ones as well. Its many beaches make it perfect for a number of water sports such as kitesurfing and windsurfing. 

Mikri Vigla Beach

Explore the town
There is so much to see and do in Naxos Town, sometimes called Chora. The whole town is looked down upon by a magnificent castle which was built by the Venetians in the 13th century. Just outside of the port stands Naxos’s most famous landmark, the arch from the unfinished Temple of Apollo. This temple is a popular attraction and also provides a spot for the island’s most beautiful sunset. Within the town are many bars, restaurants and cafes which fill the bustling streets and are open all year round, unlike places on the rest of the island. For another stunning view, walk along the ports promenade and get a panoramic view of the harbour

Naxos Town

Discover the villages of Naxos
The size of Naxos means that if you want to escape the rest of the tourists, you don’t have to travel far to discover the more traditional feel to the Greek islands. The interior of the island is still primarily dedicated to farming and with mountains, springs, valleys and plains it is a superb choice of island if you like to go walking. Naxos’s villages and interior hold many of the island’s historical landmarks, visit Sangri to see the Temple of Demeter and Bazeos Tower. There are great monasteries and churches to visit at Melanes, Halki and Danakos. For a hidden away trip on Naxos, visit the village of Halki, where you will find a traditional distillery which makes a lemon liqueur very similar to Limoncello, just maybe a bit more potent. There is a wonderful café/tearoom where you can try it with some homemade cake

The Village of Apollonas

Similar to Mykonos and Santorini without the price point
Along with Mykonos and Santorini, Naxos is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Cyclades. Naxos Town is bustling with bars, cafes and restaurants and has the whitewashed houses associated with the Cyclades. As well as these comparisons there are some beautiful places to watch the sunset and has many fantastic beaches. If you’re looking for an island similar to Santorini and Mykonos but you don’t want the price point that comes with it then Naxos is the best choice.

We hope this has helped you see what Naxos has to offer and why it stands out from the rest of the Cyclades Islands. To find out more about the rest of Greece, take a look around our website or call us on 01157843388. If you know where you’re looking to book call us, email [email protected] or fill in our contact form with what you’re looking for. Don't forget to follow us on social media to find out the next Destination of the Week and for all your Greek Holiday needs. If you've been to Naxos, where was your favourite place? What was the best thing you did or do you think we missed anything? Let us know in the comments or on social media, just click the buttons below which take you to our social pages.

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