Views of Naxos 🇬🇷🏖️

We absolutely LOVE Naxos. We went in 2019 with a big group, rented a villa near Mikri Vigla, explored the beaches and Chora, ate some incredible food, and it became one of those Greek islands I still talk about years later. Naxos feels very different from Santorini. Santorini is dramatic views, cliffs and sunsets. Naxos is island living. It has gorgeous beaches, little whitewashed towns, mountains, ancient sites, farms, incredible local food and enough nightlife to have fun without feeling like the entire island was created for tourists. And apparently I'm still emotionally affected by a braised beef we almost didn't get in 2019, so clearly Naxos made an impression. 😂

Where to Stay 🏡

We rented an Airbnb villa near Mikri Vigla Beach, which was perfect for our big group. I love renting villas in Greece when we're traveling with family or friends because you can find some beautiful properties with pools, outdoor space and room for everyone to spread out.

My biggest advice when choosing where to stay on Naxos is LOOK AT THE LOCATION BEFORE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH THE HOUSE. 😂 Naxos is a fairly large island, and that amazing villa with the infinity pool can suddenly become slightly less amazing when you realize you're nowhere near Chora and can't easily get a taxi. Some of our friends actually missed a party boat because they couldn't get a ride. If you're staying outside Chora, I would seriously consider renting a car. If you're staying at a hotel, the concierge can also be a huge help arranging transportation.

If you want to be able to walk out of your hotel and immediately have restaurants, shopping and nightlife around you, look at staying in or close to Chora/Naxos Town. If your priority is waking up near the beach and having a quieter island experience, look farther south around places like Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna, Plaka or Mikri Vigla. Where you stay really changes the type of Naxos vacation you're going to have.

The Beaches 🏖️

Naxos is an AMAZING island for beach people because the beaches don't all feel the same. Our villa was near Mikri Vigla, which was beautiful—golden sand and gorgeous aqua-blue water. Mikri Vigla is also known for windsurfing and kitesurfing, so depending on the wind and which part of the beach you visit, your experience can be very different.

We also went to Maragas Beach, and I loved it. We had chairs and umbrellas, food and drinks nearby and everything we needed to spend the entire day. We even got massages on the beach. There were people walking along offering them, ours were wonderful and reasonably priced, and honestly, getting a massage beside the Aegean is something I could get used to VERY quickly. 😂

I would also look at Agios Prokopios and Agia Anna if you want beautiful water with restaurants and amenities nearby. Plaka Beach is a gorgeous long stretch where you can find organized sections but also quieter areas as you continue down the beach. If you have a car and want something less developed, check out Alyko and Hawaii Beach for a more natural setting.

That's one of the things I love about Naxos—you can try a different beach every day. Don't pick one beach on the first day and assume you've now “seen the beaches of Naxos.” Explore a little. The water, sand, wind and atmosphere can completely change depending on where you go.

Chora — Naxos Town 🤍💙

Chora is exactly what you picture when you think of a Greek island town. Whitewashed buildings, tiny winding streets, shops, restaurants, bars and little alleyways everywhere. During the day it's beautiful, but I especially love it later in the afternoon and at night when everything starts coming alive.

My perfect Naxos schedule is beach during the day, then go home, shower and TAKE THE NAP. 😂 Stop fighting the Greek nap. Get dressed and head into Chora before sunset. That way you see the town while it's still light, watch everything change as the sun goes down, shop, have dinner and then experience it again at night when the streets are full of people and music.

And don't just stay along the waterfront. GO UP. Wander into the Old Town toward the Kastro, the historic castle area above Chora. Get lost in the little lanes. Every time you think you've reached the end, another staircase or alley appears with a jewelry shop, restaurant, little bar or beautiful doorway tucked inside.

Nobody tells you this while you're planning all your adorable Greece outfits, but your restaurant may literally be in an alley. 😂 And I mean that in the best possible way. Some of the most charming restaurants have tables tucked against whitewashed walls in tiny lanes with people squeezing past while you eat. It is VERY Naxos. It is adorable and romantic. It is NOT the night for giant heels. Wear cute flat sandals or something you can actually walk in because you're going to encounter stairs, uneven stone streets and probably several hours of wandering around after dinner.

The Portara 🌅

You can't go to Naxos without seeing the Portara, the enormous marble doorway from the unfinished ancient Temple of Apollo. It's basically the symbol of Naxos and one of the first things you notice as you approach Chora.

I would go around sunset. Watching the sun go down beside this enormous ancient marble gateway overlooking the Aegean is beautiful, and then you're already right there to walk back into Chora for dinner.

Ancient Greek temple + Aegean sunset + wine + dinner in a tiny alley.

That's a pretty good night. 😂

Get Into the Mountains ⛰️

One mistake I wouldn't make is spending your entire Naxos vacation going villa → beach → Chora → repeat. Naxos has this whole other side once you head inland. It's mountainous, agricultural and full of villages, olive groves and little places that feel completely different from the beaches.

Visit Chalki/Halki, in the Tragea Valley, and wander around the village, have coffee and explore the little shops. This is also a good place to try kitron, the citron liqueur Naxos is famous for. Then continue into the mountains toward Apeiranthos, a beautiful traditional village with marble-paved lanes, little squares, cafés and incredible mountain scenery. Look for locally made textiles and traditional pieces while you're there. Those are the kinds of souvenirs I love—something that actually came from the place I'm visiting.

If you like ancient history, Naxos has plenty of that too. You can visit the Temple of Demeter near Sangri and see the ancient Kouros statues, enormous unfinished marble figures that have been lying near where they were carved for thousands of years.

This is one of the things I find so funny about Greece. You're basically driving somewhere for lunch and suddenly...

Oh look. There's a giant ancient marble statue lying over there. 😂

No big deal. Just Greece.

Naxos Is a FOOD Island 🍽️🧀

If you love food, Naxos is absolutely an island you should be excited about because Naxos isn't just a tourist island—it's a farming island. The island produces potatoes, cheeses, meat, honey, olive oil, wine, fruit and vegetables, and you can taste that agricultural side of Naxos when you eat there.

Naxos is especially famous for its potatoes and local cheeses, including graviera and arseniko. Try the local meats, honey, olive oil and wine too, and definitely try kitron while you're on the island. This is a place where I really want to seek out family tavernas, village restaurants and farm-to-table meals instead of eating every night along the most touristy waterfront.

And ask what they're cooking. If you're at a little family taverna in a village and they tell you something has been cooking all day, THAT is what I want. 😂 Naxos is the perfect island to try the local specialties rather than automatically ordering the same gyro you had yesterday.

Naxian Gastronomy — The Meal WE STILL Talk About 😂

We ate at Naxian Gastronomy in 2019, and it was unbelievable. It was exactly the kind of restaurant I love finding when we travel: farm-to-table, family-run and yiayia cooking in the kitchen. The food was homemade, traditional and incredible.

But here's the deal. They made what they were making that day, and when something sold out...

TOO BAD. 😂

There was only ONE BRAISED BEEF LEFT when our entire group arrived.

ONE.

Apparently I have never emotionally recovered from this because I'm still discussing that beef years later. 😂 But that's also exactly why I loved the place. They weren't making endless identical tourist dinners. They made their food, served it, and when something was gone, it was gone.

THAT is the kind of place I want to find in Greece.

We also ate at Yasouvlaki, and then at night we would wander around Chora and choose places as we went. I definitely recommend leaving at least one night completely unplanned. Walk through the Old Town, look at the tables tucked into the alleys, see what people are eating and pick somewhere that looks good.

Restaurants on My NEXT Naxos List 🍽️

There are a few places I haven't personally tried yet but have added to my list, and I want to make that distinction because these are places I want to try, not places I'm pretending I've personally reviewed.

Platia is high on my list because it's another family farm-to-table experience, and they offer farm and cooking experiences where you can learn about traditional Naxian food and where the ingredients come from. This is SO my kind of place. 😂 Axiotissa is another one on my list for local and seasonal cooking. And for a completely different kind of night, Barozzi Naxos Restaurant & Cocktail Bar is my FANCY ONE. 😂 That's the night I'd get a little dressed up for a more elevated dinner with local ingredients, wine and cocktails.

Still wearing shoes I can actually walk in, obviously.

But I would also look for traditional tavernas when you're exploring the mountain villages. Some of my favorite meals in Greece happen when you get away from the busiest tourist areas, sit down at a family restaurant and basically ask: “What are you cooking today?”

Clearly this strategy has worked for me!

Shopping in Naxos 🛍️

Don't buy everything at the first souvenir shop you see near the harbor. Go up into Old Town and the Kastro. Wander through the little streets and look for Greek-made jewelry, leather sandals and bags, linen, clothing, ceramics, artwork and local products.

If you visit Apeiranthos, look for traditional textiles and locally made pieces. And Naxos is a great place to bring home something you can eat or drink—local cheese if you can transport it appropriately, honey, herbs, olive oil or kitron.

Basically, leave some room in your suitcase. 😂

Rent a Car 🚗

If you're comfortable driving, I would rent a car on Naxos, especially if you're staying outside Chora. It gives you the freedom to explore different beaches, mountain villages, ancient sites and little restaurants without constantly worrying about finding a taxi.

Just understand that Google Maps and Greece occasionally have very different definitions of the word “road.” 😂 Something can supposedly be 14 minutes away and involve a winding mountain road that appears to have been designed for one goat.

Take your time. Don't start driving like the locals just because they're doing it.

They've had practice. 😂

How Long Would I Stay? ❤️

I'd give Naxos at least four or five days, and honestly, you could stay much longer without getting bored. Give yourself an entire beach day where you accomplish absolutely NOTHING. Spend another day exploring Chora and shopping. Take a day to drive into the mountains, visit the villages and see some of the ancient sites. Try a farm-to-table experience. Get on a boat. Try several different beaches. And leave yourself enough empty time that you don't feel like you're constantly racing to the next thing.

Naxos isn't an island you need to conquer. It's an island you need to enjoy.

That's what sticks with me about Naxos. Santorini is somewhere I want everyone to SEE at least once.

Naxos is somewhere I want people to STAY.

Spend the day at the beach. Get a massage beside the Aegean. Go home and take the nap. Drive into the mountains. Buy something handmade in a tiny village. Try the local cheese and potatoes. Drink kitron. Watch the sunset beside an ancient Greek temple. Have dinner squeezed into an alley wearing sensible shoes. 😂 Stay out too late. Find a family taverna and ask what they're cooking.

And somewhere in the middle of all of that...

do absolutely nothing.

That's Naxos. 🇬🇷❤️