Cyclades · Greece
Naxos Guide.
Naxos combines a proper island town, long sandy beaches and a mountainous interior filled with villages. It is large enough to reward a longer stay and works particularly well if you want beach time without giving up inland exploring.
Best for
Long beaches, mountain villages and food
How long
4–7 days
Getting there
Naxos has a domestic airport and strong ferry connections with Athens and the Cyclades.
Plan your stay
Split your time between beaches, Chora and the mountain villages.
Naxos is big enough to need a little structure. It has a proper island town, long sandy west-coast beaches and an interior that is worth a separate day.
Give Chora an evening
The old town and Portara are best experienced slowly, with time to wander rather than only stopping for a sunset photo.
Choose a west-coast beach day
Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna and Plaka make an easy beach route without long drives.
Explore inland villages
A car day through the mountains gives Naxos the depth that a beach-only stay misses.
Where to stay
Chora is best for ferries, restaurants and evenings. Agios Prokopios or Agia Anna suit a beach-focused stay; inland villages are best with a car.
Getting around
Buses work for the main beach strip, but hire a car for the mountain villages and more remote parts of the island.
How long to stay
Four nights is a strong minimum. Five to seven lets you do beaches, Chora, villages and a boat trip without squeezing everything together.
Recommended experience
Explore Koufonisia from Naxos.
A full-day cruise from Agia Anna to Rina’s Cave and the turquoise water around Ano and Kato Koufonisi.
Book a Koufonisia & Rina’s Cave cruise ↗Affiliate link — I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Good to know
Before you go
The island is bigger than it looks on a map. A car is useful if you want to combine the west-coast beaches with the mountain villages.
Also on Travel With Libby
I’m continuing to add more of my own photographs, exact recommendations and detailed itineraries to each island guide.