One of the most beautiful and authentic island of the Cyclades is Naxos, which is located in front of Paros and near Mykonos. Hora, which is sometimes called Naxos city, is he largest town and capital of the island. Filoti, Apiranthos, Vivlos, Agios Arsenios, Koronos and Glinado are the main villages.
Naxos is becoming a popular destination in Greece because of its impressive mountainous landscapes, endless golden sandy beaches with crystal waters, a beautiful Venetian capital and many traditional white painted villages, fishing harbors, Byzantine churches, ruins of ancient temples and an active nightlife.
Naxos attracts more and more visitors each year. Here are the places you may want to visit:
Naxos Beaches
There are many golden sandy beaches surrounding the beautiful island of Naxos such as those at Agia Anna, Agios Prokopios, Alikos, Kastraki, Mikri Vigla, Plaka, and Agios Georgios. All of these beaches are characterized with magnificent crystal-clear turquoise waters. Some of these Naxos beaches offer umbrellas, sun beds and water sports facilities. Some offer perfect wind conditions for the practice of windsurfing and kite surfing. Others are paradise for snorkeling.
The Villages of Naxos
Naxos has mountainous landscapes with many picturesque villages, which are usually whitewashed houses with narrow bright colored windows and doors and slate or tile roofs. Hora, the big and unique village, has a well preserved Venetian castle. If you got to this place you see a lot of beautiful whitewashed houses with small windows, surrounded by stone-paved narrow alleys most of them can be booked as vacation rentals on Naxos.
Naxos Hotels
The island of Naxos has numerous hotels, apartments, studios and rooms to choose from. Some hotels offer comfortable rooms including panoramic view to the sea and the swimming pool, and luxurious furniture. Some vacation rentals offer relaxed atmosphere and an ideal calmness.
How to Get on Naxos
By Sea
Naxos is known to be the central hub in the sea transport system, and enjoys multiple connections in all directions. Naxos is about 5 1/2 hours by the fastest regular ferry from Piraeus, faster by catamaran, and about 1 1/2 hours by regular ferry from Santorini. There are various shipping companies like Hellenic Seaways Blue Star Ferries, NEL Lines, GA ferries, Aegean Speed Lines and Anek Lines.
By Air
Olympic Airways operates a daily service from Athens. There are direct flights from Austria with Lauda Air during weekends.
