The Complete Naxos, Greece Travel Guide
Overall vibe of Naxos, Greece:
After starting our 2.5 week Europe trip in Milos, Greece (and absolutely falling in love with it), I felt like there was no way Naxos would compare. But we ended up falling in love with Naxos too. Milos was full of beautiful, unique beaches whereas Naxos is a bigger Greek island with so many cute little mountain towns to explore, hiking (I was shocked at how expansive the mountains were) and beautiful beaches. We took a ferry from Milos to Naxos; it’s a great way to island hop in the Greek islands!
The main part of Naxos town is also really fun, cute and lively (not overly swarming with tourists like some of the more popular islands like Mykonos or Santorini). I’d definitely recommend going to both Naxos and Milos if you have time; they’re both so different but magical in their own ways.
Naxos Town
Quick Guide to Naxos, Greece:
Overall vibe: bigger Greek island with a lot of character and cute mountain towns, hiking (I was shocked at how expansive the mountains were) and beautiful beaches
How long to stay: 3-5 nights
Where to stay: Naxos town is best overall but we stayed in Agkidia (8 min drive to Naxos town) and it was perfect for us
Getting around: rent a car (there’s SO much more you can explore) and take the ferry to island hop
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How long to stay in Naxos:
We stayed in Naxos for 3 nights which was perfect for us, although you could easily do 4-5 nights. If you stay more than 3 nights, I’d do a day trip to Paros, the island right next to Naxos, which you can easily ferry to. We didn’t go to Paros but definitely would have if we’d stayed longer.
Where to stay in Naxos:
We stayed in Agkidia, which was a quieter area and only an 8 min drive to Naxos town, and it was perfect for us.
Naxos town is probably the best overall area to stay (especially for walkability) but the place we stayed made it SO worth it to not be in a walkable location.
We stayed at the Naxos Pantheon Luxury Apartments and it was one of my FAVORITE places I’ve ever stayed. The views were beautiful and we had our own private hot tub. The owner gave us tons of great recommendations and his mom brought us homemade Greek treats (like cheese pies, jam and crackers) every single day. When we arrived there was a giant bowl of fresh fruit for us and when we left there was mini liquor bottles of homemade Mastika for us. They went above and beyond to make the experience really comfortable and special. If you stay here (I couldn’t recommend it enough if you can’t already tell), ask the owner if his mom will make you the pizza (I don’t think that’s what they’d call it but it was basically bread/dough topped with meats and melted cheese and it was SO good).
Getting around:
We rented a car, which I’d highly recommend because there’s so much more you can explore with a car (like the cute little mountain towns, hiking, more secluded beaches, etc). We used Automoto Falcon, which was recommended by the owner where we stayed.
Something to be aware of is that some of the roads are steep, narrow, dirt roads so make sure you are comfortable with that. I was a little scared at first but got used to it quickly.
Where to eat and drink:
Rotunda (Instagram: @rotunda_naxos): This is a must-go, VERY beautiful restaurant with amazing views and food (great for lunch or dinner). We got the Naxian Salad, Chicken With Bulgur and Fried Gruyere Cheese and loved all of it. It had the vibes, the views, the food and the drinks (basically everything you could ever want in a dining experience). I was also obsessed with the complimentary post-meal drink/shot (think orange, clove, cinnamon and all the good feels in your stomach). We loved it so much we went back a second time.
Ayaka Sushi and Asian (Instagram: @ayakanaxos): We loved this place. It’s pretty casual and right in the main Naxos town area. The sushi and friend rice were sooo yummy and the perfect change of pace from all the Greek food we’d been eating.
520 Cocktail Bar (Instagram: @520premium): Rooftop cocktail bar in the main Naxos town area with beautiful sunset views.
520 Cocktail Bar
Toro Cocktail Bar (Instagram: @toronaxos): Trendy rooftop cocktail bar in the main Naxos town area. We loved the vibes here (similar to Tulum with the boho decor and jungle-chill-house music).
Supermarket Koutelieris (Instagram: @koutelierismarket): If you happen to need to go to a grocery store, this one had a great selection. We cooked at home a few times and it had everything we needed and was much better than AB Market.
What to skip: Nomad. This place was recommended by SO many other blogs but we thought it was over-rated. It was definitely instagrammable and beautiful but we were the only people there and the vibe was kind of dead (not sure if it’s more of a late night spot or if it’s just not actually a vibe).
What to do:
Go to the Beach: I recommend Hawaii Beach, Mikri Vigla Beach and Agios Propios Beach (more details/photos below).
Hike Mount Zas: We did the 3.5 mile out and back trail and it was a really great hike (beautiful views and a good workout but not overly strenuous). Bring bug spray just in case - I got attacked by wasps or yellow jackets and it was not fun. I think it was a 1 in a million kind of situation but I couldn’t not tell you LOL. In case you want a good laugh, imagine me ferociously washing my hair with hand soap in the bathroom sink (google told me it would help the stings) at a fancy restaurant and people walking in on me looking at me like I was a crazy person. True story.
Mount Zas Hike
Explore Naxos Town: There are tons of cute bars, cafes and shops. The town really comes to life in the evening (like past 9pm) which makes it so fun to walk around, bar hop and go in all the shops at night.
Naxos Town Sunset
Explore the cute mountain towns:
We did a mini, half-day road trip, which I’d highly recommend so you can see a lot more of the Island. I highly recommend exploring Apieranthos and Chalkio, and getting lunch at Rotunda. Here’s all the stops we made in case you like to see and explore it all like we do:
View On Our Mountain Town Road Trip
Melanes: This quiet, little town was our first stop. It’s nothing super special but was a good starting point to stop and walk around for a few minutes. There are some cafes but it’s mostly residential homes and very quiet. This isn’t a must go but more of a “why not?” if you’re already heading to the other nearby towns.
Melanes Town
Apieranthos: I definitely recommend stopping here! It’s a really cute town overlooking the mountains with shops and cafes.
Apieranthos Town
Rotunda: This was where we stopped for lunch! You have to go - it was one of my fav restaurants ever!
Filoti: This is another mountain down we drove by. We didn’t stop but it looked really cute and maybe worth a quick stop.
Chalkio: This was our favorite mountain town in Naxos! It’s a super cute town with lots of shops and cafes and really cute streets. We got really good local olive oil, honey, truffle oil, salts and herbs at Naxia Natura to take home with us (highly recommend this store if you like this kind of stuff).
Chalkio Town
Best beaches in Naxos:
Hawaii Beach: This beach is SO magical. It’s more secluded and quiet but absolutely stunning.
Hawaii Beach
Mikri Vigla Beach: We loved this beach - it had beautiful water and mountains in the distance! It’s a lot bigger and longer than Hawaii beach so you can go for a good walk, which we loved. It’s busier than Hawaii beach but still isn’t too crowded or touristy and you can rent chairs and an umbrella for like 20 euros.
Mikri Vigla Beach
Agios Propios Beach: This is the most popular, touristy beach (it’s fully covered in umbrellas and chairs). It was a nice beach but I definitely recommend Hawaii and Mikri Vigla beaches over this one just because they are less crowded and commercialized.
Agios Propios Beach
Google Map of All Naxos, Greece Recommendations
I saved all of my recommendations for you in the map below to make it super easy to get around! Here’s the full link so you can save it: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=19Jnqrj7zG_30UVf9VmKuxF21IgFsp34&usp=sharing.
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