Where to Stay in Naxos

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Updated: September 12, 2020

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The best place to stay in Naxos.

The view of Naxos Town from Apollo Temple. The ferry dock is on the right side of the photo. The waterfront and many cafes, bars, and restaurants is in the center of the photo – and just to the right of the town.

Best Places To Stay in Naxos – Tips and Advice

What are the Best Places to Stay in Naxos?

Sunset at Apollo Temple in Naxos Town

Sunset at Apollo Temple in Naxos Town

  • The Best Areas for most travelers in Naxos are Naxos Town (aka the Chora), Agios Georgios Beach, Agios Prokopios Beach, and Agia Anna Beach. These areas offer the best mix of great hotels, sights, dining, and easy transportation.
  • The Best Places for Sightseeing include Naxos Town with the highest concentration of attractions, including the castle ruins, Apollo Temple ruins (aka Portara), sunsets over the port, and Old Market Street. Those interested in history, hiking, and local life may prefer to stay in the one of the mountain villages, closer to the Temple of Demeter ruins, over 200 Byzantine churches, and Zas Cave, the mythological home of Zeus.
  • The Best Places for Living Like a Local are the mountain villages, especially Chalki, Moni, Sangri, and Filoti, all offering modern comforts and excellent, locally-sourced food in a quaint setting, where many people still earn a living through traditional means, whether herding goats, farming crops, craftworking, or distilling the island’s signature liquor kitron.
  • Best Places for a Beach Vacation vary by interest. The best beach in Naxos is Plaka, a long stretch wide, golden sand with a few beach clubs at the north end and a quiet south end. The best beach for families is Agios Georgios, with shallow, calm water and tons of great restaurants and hotels (many with pools). Agios Prokopios and Agia Anna Beaches offer lively (but not too wild) beach clubs, great dining, easy access to Naxos Town and the port, and are set in small coves protected from the winds.

Staying in Naxos Town

The port at Naxos Town

Sun drying fresh-caught octopus at the port in Naxos Town.

Naxos Town, also called Chora, is the largest village on Naxos island. This is where the vast majority of hotels, restaurants, and bars are located, as well as the main ferry port. Like many Cycladic villages, Naxos Town is built like a maze with narrow, crisscrossing footpaths and stone stairways packed with shops and centuries-old Orthodox chapels. The village spreads down the sides of a hill topped with the ruins of a 13th century Venetian castle. Jutting out into the sea and accessible by a raised path is Apollo Temple, also called Portara, with its large door all that remains of an unfinished 6th century B.C. temple. Compact, bustling and entirely walkable, Chora offers the most convenience of any area on the island, with restaurants and bars open late into the night and bus service to all parts of the island. This is an especially great village for those traveling for short trips, as every necessity is within a short walk.

The Best Hotels in Naxos Town

Staying at Agios Georgios Beach

Agios Georgios Beach in Naxos

A tiny water sports pier on Agios Georgios Beach.

Family-friendly Agios Georgios (Saint George) is the closest beach to Naxos Town. Ideal for children, the beach is set in a small bay, which offers protection from the wind and calm, clear, shallow water. This lively beach is lined with casual restaurants and beach clubs with umbrellas and sunbeds for rent. There is a water sports center at its south end with kitesurfing, windsurfing, cycling, and catamaran sailing available. Located just a short walk from Naxos Town, it’s easy to stay here and enjoy the beach all day, then walk into town for sunset drinks or dinner in Chora.

The Best Hotels at Agios Georgios Beach

Staying in Stelida

Stelida Beach in Naxos

View from peaceful Stelida Beach in Naxos. Chora and Agios Georgios Beach are visible in the distance.

Stelida is the promontory at the westernmost point on Naxos. Though it sits between the 2 most popular areas of the island, Naxos Town and Agios Prokopios Beach, Stelida itself is incredibly quiet, with just a handful of luxury hotels and private villas, all recently built (this is the most expensive real estate on the island). Though the development here is all new, this is actually the site of the island’s oldest civilizations with evidence of early humans dating back to the Middle Paleolithic area (over 40,000 years ago). Stelida has only a handful of restaurants, mostly in hotels, but it’s just a 15-minute walk to Agios Prokopios for more dining options or to catch the bus to Naxos Town. There is also the little-known, tranquil Stelida Beach almost due north of Agios Prokopios, also about a 15-minute walk from the heart of the area. There is also a tiny water park for young children, Aqua Fun, open during the peak of summer.

The Best Hotels in Stelida

Staying at Agios Prokopios and Agia Anna Beaches

Agios Prokopios Beach in Naxos

Agios Prokopios Beach lined with beach clubs with Stelida hill in the distance.

Agios Prokopios and Agia Anna are two adjacent beaches south of Stelida, facing southeast and shielded from the wind. Both beaches have calm, turquoise water, golden sand, a variety of restaurants, and fun beach clubs. Both beaches are well-connected by bus to Naxos Town. Agios Prokopios is the larger, busier beach of the two and boasts a small dive center, while Agia Anna is a little narrower and quieter, though it still has a beach club with late night dancing and a bustling little port at its south end. Walking the entire length of both beaches from the northern tip of Agios Prokopios to the southern edge of Agia Anna only takes 30 minutes, so it’s easy to stay at one beach, while enjoying the other. From Agia Anna Beach, it’s only a 10-minute walk to Plaka Beach for even more options.

The Best Hotels at Agios Prokopios Beach

The Best Hotel at Agia Anna Beach

Staying at Plaka Beach

Plaka Beach in Naxos

Plaka is the best beach in Naxos and one of the best beaches in Greece.

The Best Hotels at Plaka Beach

    At just over 4 km, Plaka Beach is the longest on Naxos island. Known for its soft, golden sand and gentle water, Plaka is the very best beach in Naxos and among the best in Greece. The bulk of the beach’s hotels, restaurants, and beach clubs are located at the north end (sometimes called Maragas). Farther south the activity gives way to long expanses of serene natural beauty, where beachgoers have plenty of space to themselves in the sun or under the shade of the occasional cedar tree. Plaka Beach is well-connected to Naxos Town by bus.

  • Medusa Resort
  • Naxos Island Escape
  • Naxian on the Beach
  • Stella Naxos Island
  • Blue Harmony Apartments

Staying at Mikri Vigli Beach

Mikri Vigla Beach in Naxos

Windsurfing at Mikri Vigla Beach in Naxos.

Mikri Vigla is a headland on the southwest side of Naxos with beaches on the north and south sides. The main Mikri Vigla Beach faces north toward the wind, making this a popular beach for windsurfing and kitesurfing. The south-facing Mikri Vigla Beach (aka Limanakia or Sahara Beach) is protected from the wind, with calm, shallow water perfect for swimming and popular with families and nature-lovers. Mikri Vigla has a handful of hotels and traditional tavernas but is generally very quiet with plenty of wide-open space to enjoy.

The Best Hotels at Mikri Vigli Beach

Staying at Aliko and Southern Beaches

Aliko Forest view from Pyrgaki Beach, Naxos

View toward Aliko Cedar Forest and the hotel ruins from Pyrgaki Beach in Naxos.

Aliko Cedar Forest is a rare gem on Naxos: a the largest and densest of the 8 cedar forests in Greece, spreading over 800 sqm and filled with a range of cedar, heather, and wildflowers and with 4 small, sandy beaches breaking up its stony coast (one of which is a nude beach). In the middle of the preserve are the ruins of a never-finished hotel, which has become an open-air street art gallery brimming with colorful graffiti murals. To the north are Kastraki and Glyfada Beaches, gold and white sand beaches, loved for their excellent swimming, kitesurfing, and windsurfing. South of Aliko is Pyrgaki Beach, a tranquil stretch of soft sand spread over 3 coves. These beaches are largely unorganized with only a few seafood tavernas, a smattering of hotels, and no beach clubs.

The Best Hotels at Aliko and Southern Beaches

Staying in the Mountain Villages

Panagia Drosiana Churcn in Moni, Naxos

Panagia Drosiana in Moni, a mountain village in Naxos, dates back to the 6th century A.D. and is the oldest church in Naxos.

The greenest island in the Cyclades, Naxos supplies most of the ingredients used in the fine dining restaurants of Santorini and Mykonos, and its inland villages are the heart of the harvest. In the mountain villages, many locals still make their living in traditional ways: herding goats and sheep, farming crops (especially olives and grapes), cheesemaking, and handcrafting textiles. The central villages are filled with history, including the 6th century B.C. Temple of Demeter and 200 Byzantine chapels, many filled with ancient frescoes (including Panagia Drosiani pictured above). Zas Cave is here, the mythological childhood home of Zeus, accessible by a wonderfully challenging hiking trail. Though steeped in tradition, the villages offer modern conveniences, including open-air restaurants, lively small bars, boutique shops, and more. Even if you don’t stay overnight in the mountains, do plan on making a day trip to Chalki, the most charming village.

The Best Hotels in the Mountain Villages

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  1. Where To Stay for Family of 5

    Hi Dave,
    Really love your site. We’re headed to Greece with family for nearly two weeks next summer. We have the first week planned on Mykonos but are looking for some options for the second week. We have three kids (12,10, and 2) and looking for great luxury accommodations, excellent food, and a nice beach and pool. Where would you recommend?

    1. Santorini Dave

      The Iria Beach Art Hotel in Agia Anna is wonderful. Not quite a luxury hotel but pretty darn nice. Great beach and many restaurants and beach clubs within a very short walk. (No pool, however.)

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