A Travel Guide to Naxos, Greece
The last stop on our Greek holiday was the island of Naxos. When we were researching what islands to visit in Greece we happened to watch an episode of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown: The Greek Islands. It's because of Anthony Bourdain that we decided to spend 5 days on this less-than-popular island. We were craving some serious down-time, relaxation and local living. Naxos seemed like the perfect place that checked all of our boxes. I think we can both agree that Naxos was likely our favorite portion of this trip, in large part to its laid-back vibe, lack of tourists and overall affordability.
We booked tickets on the Blue Star Ferry from Santorini to Naxos for about 40€/a person. The ferry ride was relatively quick, only 2.5 hours. When we arrived in Naxos we walked right off the boat and right into the main area of town. No other transportation needed! We walked right up to our studio, got checked in, and were ready to start exploring. Our studio in Naxos couldn't have been more perfect. It was walking distance to everything, had a view of the water and we found out there was a free breakfast every morning at their cafe across the street. Plus it was about 70€/a night! We instantly fell in love with Naxos. There was a vibe you picked up on right away, you just knew this place was going to be chill. We took the local bus everywhere, just like Santorini. You can rent a car or ATV, it appears we like local busses though :)
Bus Tip: Unlike Santorini where you can purchase bus tickets directly on the bus, you have to purchase bus tickets in advance on Naxos - either through the main Bus Station or in a local market.
Scroll to the bottom of this post to see our recommended Naxos itinerary!
Our recommended itinerary for four to five days on Naxos
Day 1
Breakfast in town
Wander around Old Town Naxos and get lost in the streets
Take the local bus to Plaka Beach for the afternoon
Lunch at a beach restaurant near Plaka Beach
Dinner at Meze 2
Drinks at Gemma
Day 2
Breakfast in town
Take the local bus to the villages of central Naxos (Filoti and Chalki)
Lunch at Duetto in Filoti (the best lunch of the entire trip!)
Kitron tasting at Vallindras Kitron Distillery in Chalki
Dinner at Taverna Kastro
Drinks at Rum Bar or Like Home Bar (both have water views!)
Day 3
Take an all-day trip on a Catamaran with Naxos Yachting
Dinner at To Spitiko
Day 4
Visit the Temple of Apollo at sunrise
Breakfast in town
Dinner at Metaxi Mas
Day 5
Breakfast in town
Take the local bus to Agia Anna Beach
Lunch at a beach restaurant near Agia Anna Beach
Visit the Temple of Apollo at sunset
Dinner at Kozi
We're a bit light on the food recommendations as we had breakfast at our hotel every morning and we picked up gyro pitas and souvlaki pitas at small shops along the way for under 3€. We firmly believe that the majority of the restaurants on Naxos are amazing. Walk around and find a place that speaks to you, you won't be disappointed with the food here!
We booked tickets on the Blue Star Ferry from Santorini to Naxos for about 40€/a person. The ferry ride was relatively quick, only 2.5 hours. When we arrived in Naxos we walked right off the boat and right into the main area of town. No other transportation needed! We walked right up to our studio, got checked in, and were ready to start exploring. Our studio in Naxos couldn't have been more perfect. It was walking distance to everything, had a view of the water and we found out there was a free breakfast every morning at their cafe across the street. Plus it was about 70€/a night! We instantly fell in love with Naxos. There was a vibe you picked up on right away, you just knew this place was going to be chill. We took the local bus everywhere, just like Santorini. You can rent a car or ATV, it appears we like local busses though :)
Bus Tip: Unlike Santorini where you can purchase bus tickets directly on the bus, you have to purchase bus tickets in advance on Naxos - either through the main Bus Station or in a local market.
Scroll to the bottom of this post to see our recommended Naxos itinerary!
Our recommended itinerary for four to five days on Naxos
Day 1
Breakfast in town
Wander around Old Town Naxos and get lost in the streets
Take the local bus to Plaka Beach for the afternoon
Lunch at a beach restaurant near Plaka Beach
Dinner at Meze 2
Drinks at Gemma
Day 2
Breakfast in town
Take the local bus to the villages of central Naxos (Filoti and Chalki)
Lunch at Duetto in Filoti (the best lunch of the entire trip!)
Kitron tasting at Vallindras Kitron Distillery in Chalki
Dinner at Taverna Kastro
Drinks at Rum Bar or Like Home Bar (both have water views!)
Day 3
Take an all-day trip on a Catamaran with Naxos Yachting
Dinner at To Spitiko
Day 4
Visit the Temple of Apollo at sunrise
Breakfast in town
Dinner at Metaxi Mas
Day 5
Breakfast in town
Take the local bus to Agia Anna Beach
Lunch at a beach restaurant near Agia Anna Beach
Visit the Temple of Apollo at sunset
Dinner at Kozi
We're a bit light on the food recommendations as we had breakfast at our hotel every morning and we picked up gyro pitas and souvlaki pitas at small shops along the way for under 3€. We firmly believe that the majority of the restaurants on Naxos are amazing. Walk around and find a place that speaks to you, you won't be disappointed with the food here!
Sounds lovely. Where did you stay on Naxos? I'm going to be there in May/June this year.
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