Naxos Island

The island of superlatives - that is how Naxos could be characterized the best; since with its area of 428 km², it is the largest island of the Cyclades (the archipelago including also the islands of Santorini, Andros,  Syros, Ios or Mykonos) amidst the Aegean Sea, and reputedly also the most fertile and the greenest with its valleys among the mountains. It has the highest peak among all the other surroundings islands, named Zeus (as a tribute to the supreme god), reaching more than 1 000 m, and it can also boast the longest beaches.

Nonethelss, despite all those words of praise, it doesn’t receive so much attention as it would deserve. Yet it is maybe this very fact that the island’ main asset, for it preserves its natural beauty without being to exposed to the impact of the developping tourist industry. If you are interested where exactly Naxos is located and how you can travel on the island, see the section Naxos Island Map.

Naxos: Weather and climate

Naxos, bearing the name of its first ruler, stands out for the extraordinary variety of its charming nature, landscape, and many natural contrasts. All over the island, there are hills and mountains stretching and sloping down to the seacoast and the sea, followed by valleys full of green vegetation and rivulets, while the turquoise sea is thoroughly divided from the land by beaches with goldish sand. And it is just for the fertile ground in the lowlands that the island is self-sufficient and its inhabitants are not so dependent on tourism as it is the case of other islands.

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There is never enough information about Naxos Island. And who would be more familiar with the island than those who have spent there their holiday? We would like to ask you to dedicate a few minutes of your time evaluating your holiday on the island, telling us what you liked there and what Naxos means to you, or possibly also to give us tips and advice that could be useful for other visitors who are interested in the island and are thinking of going there for holiday.  

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Therefore many locals continue living on farming (for a detailed description of the island climate, see the section Naxos - Weather). The main products of the island are wine and olive oil - which are excellent and with their top quality, they belong to the essential trade articles of the island. The inhabitants themselves, who are rightly proud of their island, have their own distinctive explanation of why it was them who were endowed with this abundance, traditionally based on the Greek mythology, saying that it was Dionysus, the god of harvest, fertility and wine, who was born and got married on the very island of Naxos, And no one less important than the supreme God Zeus, Dionysus’ father, spent there his childhood and youth.

Naxos beaches

Naxos beaches that are said to be the most beautiful in the whole Greece, are renowned for their crystal clear water, long stretches of sand, and charming landscape in the surroundings. From the countless number of the beautiful beaches, let us name the most popular ones: Agia Anna (a charming long beach with all the necessary comfort, in the summer offering enough night entertainment), Agios Georgios (a very popular, very vast, long and also bustling beach with fine sand and many options to practie water sports), Agios Prokopios (one of the very popular sandy beaches, almost 2 km long, with tourist services and water sports), Aliko (a beach with sand dunes and beautiful surroundings), Kastraki (a perfect beach if you are searching for a bit more privacy, hot sand and clean water), Maragas (quite a busy beach with fine sand and clean water), Mikri Vigla (a beach endowed with huge waves, thus perfect for the lovers of water sports), Orkos (a calmer beach with beautiful scenery and many different water sports), Plaka (a calmer beach with genuine sand dunes where nudists are tolerated) and Sahara (a sandy beach aside from the crowds of tourists, therefore not offering so much comfort). Whether you are searching for peace or a bit of excitement, on Naxos there is something for everyone.

Naxos places of interest

The capital town of Naxos Island is Hora, located on the western coast. Above the angular white houses built on a slope, the Venetian Castle is towering, guarding the island of Dionysus, although at first sight, you will probably notice the ancient gateway called Portara, rising to the height on a neighbouring island and completing the characteristic atmosphere of the main port of Naxos. Besides those unique historical sites, there are more to be seen in the local museums. And like on every town, you will find there cafés, restaurants, tavernas and shops of all kinds. Don’t forget to taste some of the typical island dishes, e.g. the cheese, the delicious potatoes grown on the island, fresh fruits and vegetables, honey, wine and liqueurs.As a souvenir, you can bring home hand-made jewellery, clothings or ceramics. And once you have discovered the capital, you can travel deeper into the island interior where you will find traditional mountain villages living at a more peaceful pace.

How to get to Naxos?

The best way to get to Naxos is by ferry or a boat, simply by sea - there are regular lines from Piraeus and Athens. Naxos also has its own tiny airport where domestic airlines from Athens and some other islands arrive. On the island territory, it is recommendable to use a car so that you can travel all the importa places and know all the island’s beauties. Obviously the island is also perfect for hiking - the alternately mountainous and lowland surface offers different levels of difficulty, and magnificent sceneries. Don’t forget to bring your camera as you will have thousands of opportunities to take photos on the island.

Recommended tours and travel agencies

There are not many travel agencies that would offer tours to Naxos. See the section on our website, Naxos - Tours centre and the travel agencies in the chart as the offer keeps changing and the sellers don’t always manage to include all the special offers and discounts on time.

Places of interest in the Naxos surroundings

Given it location in the midst of the Cyclades, Naxos is the perfect point of departure to explore its wide surroundings. You will find the islands of Mykonos and Delos in the north, Paros and Antiparos in the west, Ios and Santorini in the south, and Koufonisia, Donousa in the east, Amorgos in the south-east and Turkey a bit further.

Naxos video

And here is a video showing all the beautiful secluded places of Naxos:

Video

Video

Where to go to Naxos?

Travel agencies offer tours mainly to the resort of Naxos - Chora

Places nearby