.png)
From turquoise blue waters and endless amounts of tzatziki, Greece is always a bucket list destination. Mykonos and Santorini have the postcard perfect views, but if you want to skip the crowds, Greece offers hundreds of hidden spots, promising beautiful beaches and delicious foods.
Having been to more than 20 destinations in Greece, the one that has stollen my heart is Naxos. Being the largest island of the cyclades in the Aegan, Naxos offers small town city feels and a slower pace to life. The island coastline is every beachgoers dream, offering numerous amounts of white soft sand and refreshing blue waters. Immersing in ancient Greek history, Naxos holds its own with ruins of an ancient temple overlooking the sea. Located between Mykonos and Santorini, Naxos is a great destination to make as a pit stop in between to slow down, get away from some crowds, and chill. Being a port island with historic feels and endless amounts of beaches, you’ll be thrilled to make this part of your adventure.
WHAT TO DO:
Sail the Cyclades
An amazing way to get acquainted with the Greek islands is to sit back and let the sails show you the beautiful lands and waters. We decided to take a day sail tour with Captain Panos and his crew to the Koufonisia Islands. With Naxos being the largest island in the cyclades, there are several gorgeous neighbouring islands such as Paros, Ios and Sifnos, that are close enough to experience for one day while making Naxos your home base. The day consisted of several swimming pit stops to mask the hot Greek sun, a visit to Glaronisi to explore the mysterious sea caves, and cliff jumping (more like heart stopping) into the Aegean. Highly recommend this sailing trip! Just make sure you won’t get sea sick ;)
Lay lazy on the beach
One of my favourite aspects of Naxos is that there is beautiful Saint George Beach a couple steps away from the city core. Stretching along the Naxos coast, beach clubs will lend you sun beds in exchange of purchasing drinks / food. Sign me up! We stayed at a local beach bar called Trata, where the beds were comfy and the drinks were cold. I oddly always base my opinion on where to stay based on their beach chairs…does anyone else do this?! Anyways…Naxos has several beach bars that you can choose from along the west coast and you can spend the entire day basking, sippin’ on something delicious.
Cruise the coast on ATVs
One of the funnest and safest ways to explore the island is on ATVs. We decided to rent these adrenaline pumping toys from Auto Moto Falcon and take a trip down the west coast. As we moved more south down the coast, the beaches were less inhabited and the roads got a bit tougher to navigate, however this was part of the adventure! Stopping at a local grocery store to pick up some beers (they were 1 EURO!) and beach hopping were the only things on the agenda for the day. There was truly something incredible about riding these ATVs, with the hot sun and crisp air blowing through your hair! Don’t be afraid to get lost in the Greek roads and enjoy the good life!
WHERE TO EAT:
I’m forever hungry thinking about all the amazing delicious dishes we had. From lamb and fresh fish, to a traditional greek salad and saganaki with kantaifi pastry, I love it all! There is so much to choose from and every meal is heaven served on a plater. Here are the best of the best on the island.
Yasouvlaki!
You can’t go to Greece without having the most popular lunch dish, the gyro (pronounced “yee-ro”, just ask Jimmy Fallon!) Although the original gyro is made with shaved rotisserie lamb, my preference is the chicken souvlaki. To make it even more mouth watering, this place serves up a chicken carbonara pita. Yes you read that correctly - an OG Italian pasta dish turned greek and wrapped in a fresh pita. Whether you like the chicken or the gyro, this quick pita stop is a must. I’ll just leave this image below and have you be the judge.
Taverna Axiotissa
This tavern was a reco from a friend that also loves travelling to Naxos (thanks Jeff)! It took us a little bit of a sweaty effort to find this little gem on our ATV trip, but when we did, it was surely satisfying! The tavern is located approximately 20kms outside of the Naxos core in Kastraki, a small quant area, popular for its beautiful stretch of tranquil turquoise beach. Axiotissa offers rich tradition with a combination of cooking that is fresh, pure and using only quality ingredients. With its desire for simplicity and use of local agricultural produce, the tavern offers visitors unique experiences and flavours. The atmosphere is vibrant yet homie, and will have you savouring every last bite of your meal.
Doukato
Sitting in this restaurant, it’s like you are in some sort of Greek forest, with a large tree situated as the centrepiece and it’s branches overhanging the entire outdoor courtyard. The atmosphere is airy yet intimate, and the food is authentic Mediterranean Greek. If you do venture here, ensure you try their saganaki. Over the course of our 10 day Greece trip, we considered ourselves high level saganaki critics, and this tavern had THE best! Don’t miss out this hidden gem if you visit Naxos!
If you are planning on going to Greece, definitely make this part of your itinerary. We decided to stay in an Airbnb in the city core, but choosing a hotel is also a great option. Escaping from the many crowds can be refreshing and finding amazing taverns and feeling like a local is just a few of the perks of this islands. Searching for the perfect beach can be an all day activity and lurking the streets will have you finding endless roads and mysterious alleys. Naxos is truly magical and one of a kind!
Comments