Naxos Island
Naxos Island
About Naxos Island
Naxos Island, the most fertile and the largest of Cyclades Islands, is a place of remarkable tradition and exceptional beauty. It is surely one of the most popular summer destinations in the world with a wide selection of beaches for all tastes. It is regarded as a hot spot for windsurfers. Naxos Island is the perfect place for almost every kind of holiday; couples interested in romantic strolls, group of friends wanting to have fun, yachting vacations, family holidays, and nature enthusiasts in search of their next place to explore.
Its main town, commonly known as Hora, is a web of vertical cobblestone alleys, filled with the noise of trade and tourism. But atmospheric villages, stunning beaches and ancient sites are not far from the main town.
How to get to Naxos Island
Being a central hub in the sea transport system of Greece, Naxos Island enjoys various links to several directions. It is just a 2 hours from Santorini and 5 and a half hour from Piraeus by the fastest regular ferry service. It is possible to reach Naxos Island faster in a Catamaran. There are daily ferry and catamaran services from Santorini, Piraeus, Mykonos and Paros.
Things to do in Naxos Island
Naxos Island has a great combination of things to see and do for its tourists. Historical sites, beautiful beaches, wonderful villages, Naxos has it all. Maybe the most popular thing to do in Naxos is playing with the winds. The western side of the island is suitable for various wind sports like kite surfing and windsurfing. The Naxos beaches of Laguna, Agios Georgios, Orkos, and Mikri Vigla are regarded as the best for wind sports. Tourists love to enjoy their time in stunning beaches of Agios Prokopios, Mikri Vigla and Agios Georgios as all these beaches have soft sand and crystal clear water.
The Portara is regarded as the symbol of Naxos and surely the first thing comes to mind when someone talks about Naxos. It is a wonderful marble gate standing on top of a tiny islet that is linked to Naxos town through a small passageway. In fact, it is the ruins of a 6th century BC temple namely Apollo. So, visiting this wonderful landmark is one of the must-dos in Naxos Island.
Temple of Demeter is another significant landmark in Naxos Island highly frequented by tourists. Gleaming in an elegant green valley sweeping to the sea and surrounded by mountains, the temple remains amazingly powerful. Although the remains and reconstructions of the temple are not that large, they are quite fascinating in terms of their historical value.
Exploring the inland villages in the centre of the island is another popular activity among tourists as there are some true village gems. Potamia, Filoti, Halki and Apiranthos are among the most beautiful villages in the area.
Kastro, the oldest quarter in Naxos, is a remarkable attraction as well with paved paths and arches and stone buildings. Taste kitron liqueur in the Vallindras and Hiking to the Monastery of Kalamitsia are among the other things to do in Naxos Island.
For those keen to extend their travels, not far from Naxos is the island of Paros and also the large harbour town of Bodrum. These are both most commonly visited by cabin and private charters.