It is very difficult to rhyme anything with Naxos so please excuse the title. But it is true that we can say that we were highly enthusiastic (i.e. wacko) about our trip to the Greek Island of Naxos. We are not newbies to the Greek Islands having visited 10 different islands during 4 wonderful trips, so we have a little street cred when it comes to Greece and its islands. And Naxos is certainly one of our favs.
The Portara of Naxos (530 BC) is a massive marble doorway that is all that remains of an unfinished Temple of Apollo.
What do we like about the Greek Islands? Sunsets, Beaches, Wine, Food, Weather, People, Cats, Prices, Hiking, Architecture, Ouzo, History, Flora, Flair, Charm, Zest for Life and general ease of travel. Pretty much everything.
The Portara sits watch over Chora the main port and town of Naxos which lies in the Aegean Sea near its more famous Cycladic neighbors Santorini and Mykonos.
The Temple was never finished and over time most of the materials were removed and used elsewhere. But the columns supporting the Portara, at a weight of about 20 tons each, were too big to be moved and so the door to the Temple remains today.
We are not big on crowds and so we try and travel in the shoulder seasons – late spring or early fall are the sweet spots and we landed in Naxos in early May. No cruise ships in Naxos and so you hear more Greek than English though most everyone in the tourist trade speaks some English and most signs and menus include English. We took the 3 1\2 hour ferry in from Athens but you can also fly into Mykonos and make a quick ferry hop to Naxos.
Chora or Naxos Town is a lively port city with plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops.
There is a nice beach close to Naxos Town and there are also good bus connections to several other beaches. The water isn’t that warm in May but in September it is at its warmest.
The beautiful turquoise waters of Agia Anna beach.
In addition to the ancient Portara there is a Venetian Castle that sits atop Naxos Town. We were able to walk around it a bit but it was under restoration during our visit. But just getting lost in the winding streets and finding hidden restaurant gems and charming entrances to private homes and playful cats is a great way to spend a day.
The base of the Venetian Castle.
Random artwork on the walls in the old town area of Naxos Town.
We love the charm even on a condemned property.
And we love the wine and the food. A half carafe (500 ml) with lunch and dinner, Greek salads, fantastic bread, souvlaki, lamb dishes, calamari, octopus, sea bass, meatballs, gyros, feta, and the desserts – baklava and loukoumades – its all so fresh and tasty. Naxos has tons of restaurants serving all the Greek delights and a wide range of international offerings as well.
This restaurant had a novel idea to decorate with colorful lampshades hung throughout the restaurant and the alleyway leading to it.
Naxos also has three hill towns for exploring and hiking. You can even hike to the top of Mount Zas – the mythical ato Zeus childhood home of himself. We visited the marble paved city of Apeiranthos and its nearby neighbor of Filoti by bus on a pleasant daytrip from Naxos Town.
This is a view of the hill town of Filoti – lots of hiking in this area.
We stayed 5 nights and felt like we barely touched all the island had to offer. Here are some more pictures that caught our eye as we wandered around the island.
Good advice.
Go to Santorini and Mykonos – their reputation is justified – but if you are in the Cyclades give Naxos a try – you won’t regret it.
Fantastic, Steve.