Naxos, Greece: Planning Your Way to an Unforgettable Experience
What to Expect
Language
The official language is Greek, but many locals also speak English. We always try to learn a few local words as we are preparing for our holiday. Here are a few that we learned:
- ???????? – Kalimera – Good Morning
- ????????? – Kalispera – Good Evening
- ???? ??? – Yahsoo – Hello/Goodbye
- ????????? -efcharistó – Thank you
- ???????? – parakalo – Please/You’re Welcome
- ??????? – sygnomi – Sorry (this one is for all you Canadians out there)
Currency
Euro €
We used a combination of cash and credit cards while we were in Greece. There were a few smaller spots that only accepted cash like the local bakery.
Safety
We felt incredibly safe on Naxos, our biggest challenges were the windy roads and poor air conditioning in our rental van.
Local Customs
There isn’t a culture of tipping in Greece, however, in restaurants and tourist areas a 10-15% tip is standard.
My daughter commented that you could tell how friendly a city was by someone’s reaction to her smiling at them as she walked by. Naxians had the biggest smiles and were the friendliest people that we encountered on our European adventure, and they love children.
Cell Phones
We picked up SIM cards from a local convenience store that gave us local numbers and a data plan to use while away. We chose Lebara as it worked all through Europe and was less expensive than the offerings at the airport for travel SIMs. If you go this route, purchase the SIM card at a convenience store and then sign up for a plan that works for you online to get the best deal. We did this for all our phones, teens included, as we wanted to be able to connect if we happened to get separated. We used WhatsApp to text and talk with family back home. Don’t forget your power adapter to plug in.
When to Visit
Weather
We visited Naxos at the end of July and were met with sunshine and higher-than-usual temperatures of 30-38°C/86-100°F. It was beautiful beach weather, but we needed hats, water and lots of sunscreen to venture out and explore during the day and were grateful for the air conditioning at the end of the day.
Getting There
We visited Naxos by ferry from Athens (Highspeed 4), with a stop on the neighbouring island of Paros before arriving in Naxos. The trip took us just under four hours and was smooth sailing (but bring some Gravol just in case). We used Ferry Hopper to book all our ferries before we arrived in Greece and had smooth rides.
Out of the many Greek islands to choose from we picked Naxos as it came highly recommended by family friends, who just happen to be Greek. We are so glad we did; this was one of our favourite spots on our entire holiday with its beautiful beaches, turquoise ocean, relaxed feel, amazing food, and friendly locals. It is also less popular than the more touristy Mykonos and Santorini so was more affordable.
We arrived mid-day on Naxos and walked about 10 minutes to our vacation rental in Chora town (the main town built inside a Venetian Fort). It was so beautiful we didn’t even get any complaints as everyone dragged their suitcases over the cobble-stoned streets.
Local Holidays
While we didn’t visit Naxos over any local holidays, I always have a quick look at what is happening when we are visiting. Many shops were closed or had reduced hours on Sundays, we caught onto this quickly and made sure to plan ahead. Some stores also closed in the heat of the day and opened back up in the late afternoon, be sure to check the hours before visiting.
Location, Location, Location
We chose to stay in Chora (or Naxos Town) right next to the port where the ferries arrive, the town is easily walkable, so we spent a couple of days exploring before renting a van to see more of the island. The town was beautiful, safe, and had lots of history as the village is encompassed by a Venetian Fort, complete with a castle at the top. Naxos is the largest of Cyclades islands and although nothing is too far away, the roads are narrow and windy. This combined with the hotter temperatures and our less-than-fantastic a/c had us making fewer trips to the smaller villages than we had originally planned. Instead, we spent more time at our favourite beach – Agios Prokopios.
Day Trips
As I’ve shared previously everyone gets to pick something they want to do on our holiday, so we had a few interesting day trips to make these ideas a reality.
- We took a catamaran trip around the Island, snorkelled and swam in the turquoise ocean. I highly recommend Santa Maria Catamaran’s day cruise, which lasts about eight hours. This one was my Europe trip pick.
- We drove inland to the Temple of Demeter (about 30 minutes from Chora) and then onto the Cedar Forest at Alyko Beach to see the graffiti art, our final stop was a late lunch and swim at Maragas Beach before heading back to Chora.
- We made an afternoon trip to see the Flerio Kouras and combined it with dinner at Stou Vasilarakiou.
Random Bits
Beach Rentals
If it is your first time in Greece, you might not be aware of the need to pay for beach chairs and umbrellas. The prices vary widely so it is worth checking around and some places offer free seats if you purchase food or drinks. On the popular beaches of Naxos, we were surprised by how little space there was without chairs. If we were heading down for a quick swim to cool off, we just stashed our towels, swam and headed home. If we were spending a day or afternoon at the beach, then we paid for a spot. Two chairs, an umbrella and a small table might cost anywhere from €15-30. Each set of chairs was either connected to a restaurant at the beaches closer to town or managed by someone selling cold drinks. Our vacation rental host was a wealth of knowledge and pointed us to the best place to rent chairs on our favourite beach, where the locals go -Nikos Umbrellas on Agios Prokopios Beach.
Stray Cats
Throughout Greece, and on Naxos, there are a LOT of stray cats. They generally wander around frequenting areas where they might get fed or finding a good spot for a nap. Most of the cats were quite friendly, although sadly many were in poor health. Have some hand sanitizer at the ready if your kids like to pet cats.