Best Things to Do in Naxos: Complete Itinerary and Travel Guide
What are the best things to do in Naxos? Naxos is one of the largest Cycladic islands and has so much to do explore. Here are our tips to optimize your time on the island.
Prefer to figure things out yourself? We’ve shared our Google Map with all our bookmarked spots here.
How to Get to Naxos
Naxos is reachable via plane, ferry, or car + ferry. If coming from Athens, you can fly directly to Naxos. In addition, the international airport has direct flights to and from Santorini, Rome, and London. If you’re doing an island-hopping trip, I’d recommend adding it as a ferry stop. Naxos is a relatively short ferry ride from Paros or Mykonos. Consider adding it as a stop between Santorini and Mykonos to change things up!
Best Places to Stay in Naxos
Our personal preference and recommendation would be to stay close to the main town/port in Naxos, called Chora or Naxos Town. In the main town, there are so many studios, Airbnbs, or bed and breakfasts to choose from. You’ll be close to Saint George beach, the amazing food in town, and the most beautiful sunset on the island. Ikaros Studios was our choice of lodging. The place was absolutely adorable, only 75 euros/night (gets down to 50 euro/night!), and walking distance to everywhere.
If we wanted to spend more money for a better location, we likely would’ve stayed closer to Saint George Beach. Alternatively, for a more peaceful and quiet beach stay, you could stay in a beach house by Plaka, Kestraki, or Mikra Vigla beaches.
How to Get Around in Naxos
Naxos is a pretty big island, so most locals would recommend a car. If Naxos had been our #1 island destination in the Cyclades we would’ve rented a car. We rented an ATV for one day to explore the island via MotoLand, who treated us well with a reasonable 45 euro/day last-minute price. Because we didn’t book in advance, we were left with a 175 cc which was doable, but slow to around the island.
Book any vehicle in advance to avoid slim pickings or last-minute scrambling, even in the shoulder season of September.
Buses run every 30 minutes to the beaches along the west coast. If you stay in Naxos Town/Chora and bus to the beaches, you can see 90% of the best spots on Naxos. Check out the bus schedule here.
Best Places to Eat in Naxos
From experience and cross-referenced with Google Reviews or Tripadvisor, here is our list of best places to eat:
1. Sarris Tavern
At Sarriss Tavern the food is delicious, but service is slow (they seem to want to keep people seated as long as possible to fill their spaces). Put in a reservation to ensure a spot, otherwise the owner will tell you he can seat you but make you wait for 30+ minutes with a glass of complimentary wine. They are known for their fish stew and fresh-caught grilled fish.
2. Naxos Grill
Naxos Grill is great for traditional Greek food. The food portions on the island, especially here, are large, so plan accordingly.
3. Street Café
The Street Café is a great breakfast/coffee stop on the way out of town. They give you two mini, Nutella croissants with your coffee and they are absolutely delicious. We saw a lot of locals ordering coffee from here to go, which only meant good things.
4. Karra’s Corner
Karra’s Corner is located in one of the smaller villages in the heart of Naxos island that are worth a visit. This restaurant is located in Filoti, about a 30 minute drive from Naxos Town/Chora. I wouldn’t go out of your way to eat here, but if it’s on the way or you have some time to visit Filoti, this is one of the best restaurants in the area.
Their assorted meat platter was amazing. Service is a bit slow but the main waiter is hustling.
3. Other
We have a complete list of places to eat on our Google Map, otherwise we summarize them here:
- To Elliniko: one of the best restaurants on the island. Get a reservation, they are booked in the evenings.
- Rotonda: a great bar/restaurant on one of the highest points on the island, giving great views of sunset and all of Naxos.
- Honey & Cinnamon: great for morning refreshments or evening activities.
What to Do in Naxos
The majority of the island can be explored in a few days. 2 days is tight if you want to see all the best things to do in Naxos, but doable. 3 days will get you everything and some beach time. And 4 days is enough to see it all at a relaxed pace. Below is a full 2-3 day itinerary to get you around the best spots in the island. If you prefer a complete list, check out our Google Map.
Day 1: Explore the island and west coast beaches
- 9-10am: Grab a coffee and breakfast at Street Café on your way out of town
- 10-11:30 am: Drive to and visit Faragi Kouros. Naxos is known for it’s marble, and this location has two fallen marble statues that are cool to see.
- 11:30-1: Explore the town of Filoti and eat lunch at Karra’s Korner.
- 1-3 pm: Drive to and explore Demeter’s Temple. This closes around 3/3:30 pm so careful of your time.
- 3-6:30 pm: Choose a beach to drive to and relax at. Here are a couple options:
- Hawaii beach: super private because you have to take a mini hike to get here. This also means there are no umbrellas or chairs to rent.
- Plaka: stretches on forever and ranks high in Greek’s most beautiful beaches. The winds are strong here so there’s a lot of kit surfing to watch (or do).
- Mikiri Vigali: also incredibly beautiful. Easy to rent a set of chairs and umbrella or find a semi-private spot.
- Laguna Park: wind surfing lessons for 75 euros if you’re interested. 1 hour lesson and 1 hour on your own. Added bonus of Naxos town in the backdrop.
- 6:30-7: Head back to Naxos Town for sunset. Parking downtown is crazy at this time as everyone collects around the Temple of Apollo for sunset. Grab some ice cream from Naxos Bakery on the way to the Temple of Apollo. The Baklava ice cream is amazing.
- 7-7:30: Sunset (might need to adjust your itinerary based on the time for sunset)
- On your own time: Dinner at Sarris Tavern or To Elliniko (make a reservation).
Day 2: Explore Naxos Town and St. George Beach
- 9-10am (or earlier): Temple of Apollo.
Naxos isn’t overflowing with tourists, yet. It’s possible to see the Temple of Apollo with almost no people, especially in the early morning. It’s a completely different experience compared to sunset, where everyone is gathered on the hill.
- 10-12 am: Explore the town around the castle. Naxos is built around an old Venetian castle. There’s a museum if that is of interest. Honey & Cinnamon is a good stop for coffee or a refreshment on your way down.
- 12 am onwards: lunch and beach afternoon at St. George Beach.
- On your own time: Dinner at Sarris Tavern or To Ellanto.
If you have more time:
Instead of heading to the beaches on “Explore the Island” day, keep driving north to see:
- Apollonas: small village to the north of the island that has a beach and not many tourists.
- Apollonas Kouras: another fallen marble statue, but more impressive than Faragi Kouros.
- Dinner at Rotondo
Then, add a day for the south west of the island plus sunset:
- Demeter’s Temple
- Explore the beaches on the south west of the island (Hawaii, Plaka, or Mikiri Vigali)
- Sunset at Temple of Apollo
- Dinner in Naxos Town/Chora
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