August 2021 – 7 nights with the extended family
We wish that we could add visiting a new Greek island to our list every year. Eventually, we would visit them all, but since we don’t have another 220 years to live, that’s just a great ambition – but an impossibility. At any rate, for this trip, we chose to visit the greenest island of all the Cyclades at the recommendation of a Greek cousin (the other popular islands are ones you are more familiar with, including Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, etc).
While we wouldn’t say Naxos is the best of any of all the Greek islands we have been to, it is a solid choice for having a bit of everything. In other words, Naxos provides a great mix of everything you would want for your vacation on a Greek island. There are lots of sandy beaches that aren’t too crowded, both modern restaurants and casual food choices, classic whitewash hilltop towns with narrow cobblestone streets, beautiful arts and craft shops, warm Greek hospitality, and mountains to hike. It’s a good choice to add on to your visit to the stunning Santorini or the small and uncrowded Koufanisi.
Like the rest of our travel guides, this is not an all-encompassing account of everything we did. We have purposely avoided making a list of ‘Best’ or ‘Must-Do’ experiences since we know that each person’s level of enthusiasm depends on their personal preferences. These are only our personal favorites – and they are divided into two groups: “Avventura Favves” and “Other Things We Liked.”
Overview
Naxos is a relatively large island as Greek islands go, but there isn’t much that is inhabited. The majority of the roughly 20,000 people that live there are clustered in the main town on the western coast. While some people choose to stay close to town, we decided that we wanted to be a bit further out to be nearer to the beach. We rented an Airbnb within walking distance of Plaka Beach and the beautiful design and architecture of the house and pool proved to be one of the best parts of our trip.
The house reflected our overall impressions of Naxos with its more contemporary and trendy feel than most other Greek islands and a more refined and professional sense of hospitality. We were there during Covid and everybody kept apologizing for the slower, or lower level of service, citing that they couldn’t hire enough staff. In reality, we didn’t notice. Well, except for the evening when our waiter left halfway through serving us dinner to go hang out with his friends at the bar! (We’re not sure that had anything to do with Covid!)
We spent a week on Naxos after a month in Kefalonia. But you can get a good feel for the island even if you plan a shorter trip of four to five days. We enjoyed a combination of relaxing beach and pool days, meandering through narrow streets in beautiful towns, and some strenuous hiking. Although we were there for seven days, there wasn’t enough time for all the restaurants that our hosts had recommended. And the food was absolutely delicious at almost every restaurant we chose.
Avventura Favves
Seaside Naxos Holiday Villas – The pictures we have don’t quite do this Airbnb justice. Takis is an incredible host. He provided many excellent restaurant recommendations, but that only made it harder for us to decide between going to another restaurant for dinner or staying home and grilling some fish by the pool of what felt like our own private five-star resort. Thankfully we had plenty of days to do everything. Unlike other Greek islands, much of Naxos is flat. So it doesn’t offer the amazing views of the water that you experience in other places, but the advantage is that the house is an easy five-minute walk to an endless stretch of sandy beach.
Mount Zas Hike – For some reason, we can never quite follow the recommendations regarding the right time of day to hike. Most people would recommend this consistently uphill trek in the early morning (at sunrise ideally). We instead chose to do it under the blazing hot sun of midday…and it was hot. But the effort was worth it, and the views were incredible. We did the easier route from the Saint Marina Holy Chapel and it took us about three hours round trip with the kids.
Alyko Beach (and Hawaii Beach around the corner) – Although we had endless beaches just outside our Airbnb, we can never pass up the chance to explore a new beach. We took the opportunity to head south to check out the more remote and rocky beaches. We loved them. It was fun to climb down to the water through the picturesque rocks. Like most experiences, if you go early in the day you’ll get good parking and may even have the beach to yourself. They do get crowded later.
Taverna Axiotissa – This very popular restaurant has the reputation of being the best taverna on the island. And it might just be. The food is delicious, although a bit less traditional than most Greek restaurants. We loved the spicy burgers and good beer choices, the service is outstanding and the whole place has a fun vibe. You must reserve a table in advance and true to its reputation, it was packed, even for lunch, during the week.
Yazoo Summer Bliss – At first we thought it could do with a better name, but in retrospect, it was a blissful summer experience. This restaurant is exactly what we meant in the original description of Naxos in that it is modern and trendy. The food here is no less delicious, and it is served in a beautifully designed setting right on the beach. Our waiter did disappear to hang out with his friends halfway through the meal, but honestly, we were so happy with the food and cocktails that didn’t matter.
To Elliniko Restaurant – Another delicious taverna with great choices is located downtown and I would recommend you choose it if you’re either staying in the area or want to walk around the shops before dinner. It’s best to park a bit away in the municipal parking lot and then walk.
Nomad Naxos – The adults escaped to this trendy beachside bar one night for cocktails with mussels and fries. A fun night out.
Amorginos Tavern – Our Airbnb host Takis recommended this restaurant near the hike of Mount Zas in the charming town of Apeiranthos and it is delicious. Traditional food in a traditional setting with a nice view.
Samaradiko – Tasty loukoumades (fried balls of dough drenched in honey) were a well-deserved treat after the Mount Zas hike. And for an added plus, it is along the marble streets in the pedestrian town of Apeiranthos near Amorginos Tavern.
Plakafe – This is a beach club along the Plaka beach that offers free umbrellas and chairs, but we did our part in supporting their business by ordering some refreshing beverages. The kids also loved their pool where you could jump off of a bridge into the water.
Taverna “O Giannoulis” – This is frequently referred to as the most popular taverna on the island. They don’t take reservations, so you have to plan to get there early and likely spend some time waiting. We ate a super early dinner here (because my dad cannot possibly wait for food!) and it was good. Be warned that the portions are huge.
Pottery Limpertas Manolis – We saw this huge pottery shop on the side of the road and couldn’t resist pulling over. We stopped in and bought several beautiful items. There is a very expansive selection, nice owners, and they packed everything up. We took some of it with us and shipped the rest.
Matina & Stavros Tavern – This is a truly authentic Greek experience. We loved walking the many, many stairs in this charming village of Koronos to this picture-perfect family-run restaurant. The food is delicious. Highly recommended.
Other Things We Did and Ate
Bluefindivers Naxos – Our gift to Ali and Kai for their birthday this year was for them to gain their PADI certification. We worked with this five-star center to make this happen. They had completed the online portion before arriving and then spent three full days in the water. Dave and I joined them for a final dive. Although there is not much to see in these Mediterranean waters, this company is well organized. The kids had a lot of fun and enjoyed an amazing underwater experience.
Avaton 1739 – Coffee & Wine Roof – There are a few of these spots in the main town of Naxos where you can take the elevator to the roof for a view and a frappe. This one has a great boutique gift shop associated with it.
Platia – The drive to this restaurant was so beautiful as we watched the sunset while heading up the coast.
Basic food —
- Naxos Grill – We love gyros and always need a good takeout option when we’re not in the mood for a big dinner out. This one checks all the boxes. It is nothing spectacular, but it was affordable and fast.
- Naxos Bakery – Good pastries in the center of town. We picked up lots of tasty spanikopita for breakfast here.
- Liofagos Luxury Pastry & Bakery – This is a fancier bakery on the outskirts of town. They were out of traditional spanikopita when we went, so we tried the triangles and Joy had some non-Greek treats. It was all very good.
Rotonda Cafe & Bar Naxos (on the way to Mount Zas) – After the trek up Mount Zas, we promised the kids a cold drink, so we stopped at this cliffside restaurant with great views. Don’t tell my kids, but if you skip the hike, you can still get the views.
Zeus Childhood Cave – The kids were thrilled when we surprised them with this “bonus” hike on the way home from lunch after doing Mount Zas in the morning. We were promised a short 20 minutes and brought Bubba (grandma) along for the experience. It was rocky and slippery and definitely not 20 minutes. And there were no Greek god sightings! Half of our crew gave up, (well at least Bubba did!) but the other half experienced the thrill of accomplishment and a quick visit to a deep cave that had natural air conditioning. Was it worth it? Debatable, but memorable.
Waffle House Plaka – I mean, why would you go to a waffle house on a Greek island? Probably because you are with three children and their grandparents. It was fine. The kids liked it.
Sailing – While we love a day at sea (and especially on a catamaran) on any Meditteranean island, I would not recommend it on Naxos. Naxos is a famous spot for windsurfing because it’s super windy on most days. This was the case when we went out as well. It was way too windy to go very far and so we didn’t get to see anything further than what we could drive to (although we heard the inaccessible by car beaches on the southern coast are beautiful). And with the huge waves, we were getting sprayed and worrying about capsizing which made it a little hard to relax. We tried to get the company to reschedule our date, but they were unwilling to do so.
Go Kart Naxos – The grandparents spoiled the kids and took them here a few times. And of course, they loved it. It is inexpensive, not crowded at all, with a good track and very attentive service.
Logistics and Miscellaneous Notes
- You need reservations everywhere you eat on this island, especially if you are a large group. Try to organize your trip a few days in advance. While we know it’s more fun to be spontaneous, however, the best restaurants do fill up and it’s better to cancel them later on if you change your mind. We had this experience even during the Covid pandemic, so we imagine that it’s even more crowded now.
- We flew into Naxos after a connection in Athens, but it is also convenient to take the ferry. Only small planes can land on the runway here, so it’s only Aegean airlines, which isn’t great, to say the least. Our flight was canceled on the way out at the last minute, so we remained overnight in Athens, taking the early morning plane instead. On the way back the airline didn’t alert us that our bags were not stowed on the plane because it was overweight. So we were surprised when we disembarked and had no luggage. To avoid any stress, be sure to carry on your essential items and a change of clothes.
- Summer Cars and Bikes – Even though it can be more convenient to check rates and book with larger car rental companies, we always seem to have bad experiences with them. The scenario is typically the same and we waste too much time at the car rental counter (never a fun way to start a vacation after traveling). So when possible we prefer to find local companies, and this was a great example that the car rental experience doesn’t have to be a pain. They met us at the airport, everything was easy, and the cars were nice.
Next Time We Go
We had a great time, but since we’ve been there, we’d probably opt for one of the other nearby islands we haven’t visited like Paros, Milos, or Sifnos (or one of the other 220 islands).
Check out some of our other adventures on our Travel Guide page.
Have any questions or suggestions? Post them in the comments below or contact us at LewinAvventura@gmail.com.
The Avventura 