As the largest of the Cyclades islands, Naxos has so much to offer. From it’s glimmering white sand beaches to its high mountain ranges, you can see it all. This self-sustaining island is most known for its potatoes, citron, and different varieties of cheeses. I knew I wanted to visit a couple islands while in Greece, and Naxos seemed like the best choice for me. Not too long a ferry from Athens, and Santorini was just a stone’s throw away.
Day 1
I arrived in Naxos Port at around 2 pm after waking up at the crack of dawn to get myself to Pireas and find the right boat. The larger cruise ships were easier to spot where their destinations were to, but the smaller ones you needed to ask at the help desk. Thankfully the dock was directly in front of the gate once you crossed the street from the metro. I got there early enough to snag one more cappuccino freddo before heading to the boat.
I thought that I would need to book the tickets ahead of time so that they wouldn’t sell out, but I only ended up booking a ticket for this ferry two days before when I bought my ticket to Aegina, and it was fine. I ended up booking all my ferry tickets through Blue Star Ferries since they were the only ones that offered a student discount, and the 50% off really helped me stretch my budget, especially in Santroini. I took the Blue Star Delos and I paid €21 to sit in the Air Seats Lounge, since it was going to be about 5 hours on the boat I wanted to be comfortable and didn’t feel like just being in a plastic chair like I was told that’s all there was in economy. Also, it was only an extra €3-4 to upgrade from economy so might as well. There was no one checking the tickets in the Air Seats Lounge, and most people just came in and sat down wherever since there were so many empty seats. At least I got a window seat and had plenty of room to spread out all my things. The one thing was that there were only a few outlets at the front of the room, and none next to the seats. On this ferry, it’s more like a cruise ship. It had restaurants, cafes, even a business lounge. I wandered around a bit after the first hour or two and it was interesting seeing all the different things and people on the ship. One lady even brought her pet budgies with her. A lot of people hung out by the stern of the ship and watched the islands pass by. The five hours really flew by and I actually got some quality reading time in and got through a decent chunk of my book.
Once we docked at Naxos Port, I knew I picked the right island.
I stayed at Hotel Zeus, which was only a fifteen minute walk from the harbor, and less than five from the beach. Since it was September, the prices of the rooms had gone down significantly and I ended up with an upgraded double room with a balcony for just over the price of a single room.
I still had a few hours of sunlight left after settling in my room, so I headed out to Old Naxos Town and the Old Market to look around. I loved the white and blue paint covering all the buildings. Passing through on the boardwalk you could see all the fresh seafood and fish being presented and all the bars advertising for happy hour. That’s one thing I really enjoyed on this island – no matter where you went, happy hour cocktails never cost more than €5 and were the size of your head.
Dinner was at a taverna near my hotel, and I wasn’t in the mood for something too heavy since that’s all I’ve been having at that point. This salad was definitely what I was looking for, and very filling.
Day 2
During my research about the island, I saw on the tourism board website about the day tours by bus. For €25 you can tour either the northern half of the island or the southern half depending on the day. If you booked both tours I think they dropped the price down to €40 total, but I was only in Naxos 2.5 days and I had other things I was planning on doing.
I did the northern half tour, and it was seriously a bargain at its price. The tour was almost 9 hours long, and I learned so much about the island. If I return to Naxos, I’ll definitely be booking the second half of this tour.
The first stop was to the Temple of Demeter, which the entrance fee wasn’t included in the tour price, but still wasn’t expensive – I paid €2 to get in. The site itself was somewhat small, it was possible to see the temple and the church next to it as well as the museum all in under a half hour. The original temple was built around 530 BC, but has since been restored.
We continued on to the village of Chalki, where every street seemed as if it came to life from a painting. Our guide mentioned we should try the citron at the distillery. Didn’t matter that it was barely 11am. Never too early for ya sas. I tried the white and the green citrons – the latter supposedly was the sweetest, but they all tasted about the same to me.
Getting lost in Apirathos is very easy to do. Every way you walked turned into a winding narrow alleyway – not even a road – that constantly ended up at dead ends or someone’s backyard. There were some great scenic views from the main square, but for the most part this stop was very uneventful.
Apollonas was where we stopped for lunch, and the town was perfect to just sit and relax while having a delicious Mediterranean meal. Sitting on the water’s edge while sipping some Naxian wine and listening to the gulls crying out, it was perfect. The smells from the tavernas, bringing out the freshly grilled fish and seafood wafted around you.
The Kouros of Apollonas were definitely a must visit for history buffs. These 10.7 meter unfinished marble statues from the 6th or 7th century BC are drowning in mystery. It’s unknown why they were left where they were or in this condition, but there’s several theories: the statues were too heavy, the sculptors weren’t paid, the movers weren’t told were the final destination of the statues was, the statues had cracked en route, the list goes on. I guess we’ll never know for sure…
In Eggares, we visited the Eggares Olive Oil Museum, where we learned about the history of how olive oil was made on the island from the 19th century. There was also a small shop where you could taste different flavors of olive oil, and even some desserts and beauty products that used it. I didn’t realize how much you could do with olive oil! The prices were a bit high, but it’s to be expected from a small mill. I bought a 100ml bottle to take home, and I wish I’d gotten more! It was €4 for that size, and around €16 for 500ml. I was flying carry on only so I had to make do with the small amounts.
For sunset, I headed out to the Apollo Temple, where the Portara Naxos stands. This is the “door” to the island, and is the only remaining structure of the uncompleted temple to Apollo from the 6th century BC. The portal was too heavy to be dismantled, so it remains to this day, welcoming new visitors to the island.
Day 3
My second full day in Naxos was pretty relaxing. I took the bus down to Agia Anna, where I did a bit of snorkeling in the crystal clear blue water. So many fish! I was basically the only one in the water at 10 am and for good reason. It was freezing!
Heading down the beach, I found the famous painted shark rock, which was right next to a tiny church overlooking the nudist beach. Interesting day. I definitely got too much sun. It’s hard to trust the strong the rays are when it feels so nice to be outside.
If you come to Naxos, eat at Meze 2 for dinner. The food, the athmosphere, the service – everything is amazing! I arrived a bit before sunset and was able to enjoy a drink watching the sun go down. Just a note, if you order fried potatoes, you’re going to get fries. I, being the American that I am, somehow assumed this meant fried potato wedges. They were delicious though, but I need to learn how to read. I also got a sparkling lemonade, which I came to really enjoy during my stay in Athens. As was custom in Meze 2, a complimetary dessert of Greek yogurt with Naxian honey and carrots, accompanied by a shot of in house honey and cinnamon Raki (like Arak but better). The Raki is to help with digestion. It was a really nice touch on such a lovely dinner. The restaurant also has a resident cat who has her own chair at the front of the house. She judges everyone that dares approach her.
Maybe in hindsight it wasn’t the best idea to go to a 10pm movie after being out all day, but I was adamant about going to an outdoor theater while I was in Greece, and this theater was showing It: Chapter II so yalla.
The theater was so cute and it only cost €7.50 per ticket. You could borrow blankets if you were cold, and they had a decent snack bar. I didn’t anticipate the movie being almost 3 hours long and that was my fault for not checking. Oops. Live and learn. I tried being more spontanteous on this trip and I did.
Day 4
Since my ferry wasn’t departing until the afternoon, I let myself have an easy morning and killed some time in Old Town before heading out to the docks.
I managed to savor one last delicious baklava and cappuccino on the island before I had to leave.
Set sail for Santorini!
Follow me on my next adventure!
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International Itinerary 