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We brought our UK car to Naxos by taking the car ferry from Syros (see my blog Syros, Greece: Travel Guide). We spent 5 nights on Naxos island and it was our favourite Cyclades island. We left by taking a car ferry to the island of Andros (see my blog Andros, Greece: Travel Guide).
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Naxos Town
3. Hikes
6. Halki
7. Filoti
1. Introduction
When planning our trip I was concerned that Naxos might be spoiled by tourism. Naxos Town was certainly busy in June but we still enjoyed walking around this delightful old town every evening. Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades and there is very little tourist development in the remainder of the island.
We visited 4 of the Cyclades islands and Naxos was our favourite as:
Naxos Town is interesting to explore.
The island is very scenic and mountainous.
There are many old and picturesque villages.
There are some excellent sandy beaches south of Naxos Town.
We had a couple of good hikes including a hike up Mount Zas. This is the highest point in the Cyclades.
2. Naxos Town
2.1 Parking in Naxos Town
There is a very large free car park just north of the centre of Naxos town. It is a 10 minute walk to the harbour. We always found a parking spot when we were there in early June. It is shown as "Naxos Municipal Parking" on Google maps. Be careful as there are a couple of other municipal car parks in the same area with similar names.
There is a free municipal car park on the southern side of the town. It is more convenient than the northern one. It is not quite as large so it is more difficult to find a parking space. It is shown as "Municipal Parking 1" on Google maps.
2.2 The Old Town
Naxos Town is a very picturesque old coastal town on a hill with a Kastro on the top. There is a maze of winding narrow streets and alleyways, some of which pass through tunnels, between the seafront esplanade and the Kastro.
There are shops and restaurants on the waterfront and in the alleyways in the lower section of Naxos old town. They cater for tourists rather than locals. It is still very pleasant and interesting to wander around.
It is definitely worth walking up to the Kastro but there isn't much to do or see when you get there. The only view is to the east towards the interior of Naxos. There is a cathedral at the top which was closed when we went in the evenings. There is also an Archaeological Museum in the Kastro.
2.3 The Temple of Apollo
The Temple of Apollo which was built in 530 BC, but never completed, lies at the end of the causeway leading from Naxos Town. From the Temple there is an excellent view back to Naxos Town. It is a very popular place to stroll in the evenings.
2.4. The New Section of Naxos Town & the Beaches
The newer part of Naxos is south of the old town and Evripeou is the main square. The main road north of the square has shops and restaurants aimed more at locals.
To the south west of the main square is the long, sandy and shallow Saint George beach. It gets good reviews on Google. The road between the square and the beach has many restaurants frequented by tourists.
Grotto beach, just north of the causeway to the Temple of Apollo, is a stone beach. It is not as appealing.
3. Hikes
There were 3 circular hikes that I wanted to do on Naxos island but we only did 2. The Alltrails website provides details of many hikes on Naxos with very useful reviews. The reviews often indicate the condition of the trail.
3.1. Mount Zas (Zeus) Hike
Mount Zas is 1,003 metres high and is the highest point in the Cyclades. It is a popular hike as many people like to reach the highest point. Try to do this hike in good weather so you can enjoy the views from the top. We had low clouds so we couldn't see anything!
There are 3 main hiking routes up Mount Zas:
Hike from Ayia Marina Chapel to Mount Zas
It is a 40 minute drive from Naxos Town to the Ayia Marina Chapel. There is some car parking at the small chapel and also along the road. Enter "Saint Marina Holy Chapel" on Google maps to locate the chapel.
This is the easiest and quickest trail up Mount Zas. It was the one we hiked. The trail is well marked, ascends 396 metres and it took us about 2 hours and 15 minutes to reach the summit. The final 15 minutes is steep and rocky. Take care not to twist an ankle.
It was raining when we descended and the rocky trail was very slippery. Luckily we brought walking sticks which made it safer and faster.
The Alltrails website and App show this trail up Mount Zas and it can be downloaded onto your phone. It isn't really necessary as the trail is well marked. On the way down don't take the trail forking off to Aria Spring.
Hike from Aria Spring to Mount Zas
It is a 40 minute drive from Naxos town to Aria Spring. Enter Fontaine d’Aria on Google maps to locate the starting point. The turn off from the main road is clearly signposted. There is limited parking on the road.
The Alltrails website and App show this trail. It is worth downloading this trail onto your phone as it isn't clear at one point .
The first 20 minutes of the hike is along a paved path to the Cave of Zeus. It then becomes a rocky trail that is more difficult than the Ayia Marina trail. It ascends 484 metres to the summit of Mount Zas compared to 396 metres on the Ayia Marina trail. The hike takes about 2.5 hours.
Hike from Filoti to Mount Zas
This is the most difficult trail up Mount Zas and normally undertaken by people relying on public transport. The trail ascends 607 metres and the hike takes about 3 hours 45 minutes. The route is shown on the Alltrails website.
3.2. Trail 6 Melanes - Flerio - Potamia Hike
This is a beautiful walk that passes right by the archaeological site at Flerio on Naxox island. There you can see the 2 famous kouroi dating back to 570 BC. See my blog for further details. You will pass through the pretty and unspoiled villages of Ano Potomia and Mesi Potomia.
We hiked clockwise from Melanes and the trail is marked with a red dot and a red number 6 until Mesi Potomia. After that it helps to use the AllRoutes app for a section of the trail.
The hike took us 3 hours and 15 minutes. We didn't stop to see the kouroi at Flerio as we were wet from the rain. The hike can be shortened by taking other trails from east to west before reaching Ano Potamia. These trails are shown on the AllRoutes App.
The first section from Melanes is down a steep, wet and slippery path and it wasn't raining at the time. Hiking poles would definitely help. The next section was a bit overgrown but after that the trail was very good.
The trail descends steeply to Ano Potamia and then climbs up to Mesi Potomia. It is an easy walk once you reach the dirt road after Mesi Potomia.
3.3 Trail 4 - Halki to Moni Circular Hike
I planned to do this hike as it seemed to be an interesting circular hike. Sadly we ran out of time.
The route is detailed on the AllRoutes website. The reviews of this route indicate that in 2023:
About 30% of it isn't well maintained.
The second section of the trail on AllRoutes trail isn't correct and the signs for trail 4 and 4A should be followed instead.
The hike takes 3 to 4 hours.
Other useful information about this hike is on the Tripadvisor forum and the Cycladen website.
4. A Drive from Naxos Town to Apollonas
We took the inland route north up to Apollonas and stopped off at Apiranthos and Koronos. We drove back south on the coastal road and turned off to see the kouri at Flerio.
The drive took about 6.5 hours and it was very scenic. It was tiring driving on the mountainous roads and there were very few places to pull over to take photos and to enjoy the views.
4.1. Apiranthos
We thought that Apiranthos was the prettiest and most interesting village on Naxos island. Apiranthos is quite large and we spent an hour walking around the alleyways. There aren't any particular sights to see.
We got there before 10.00 a.m. and there were very few other visitors. There were several restaurants and shops so I am sure it would be busy later in the day. There was parking along the main road.
4.2. Koronos
Koronos is a pretty village but not nearly as interesting as Apiranthos. There is a nice taverna at the bottom of the village, with a good outdoor seating area, but there is no tourism infrastructure. I don't think it is worth visiting.
We parked on the main road and walked down a steep road to the bottom of the village and then back up a different way. We couldn't find a car park.
4.3. Apollonas
There is limited free parking at the southern end of Apollonas.
Apollonas is a modern, and not very pretty, village with a couple of beaches. Tavernas surround the beach in the centre of the village. There is not a lot to see or do but it would be a good place to have a swim.
4.4. Kouroi at Flerio
Flerio is a 25 minute drive from Naxos Town. Enter "Faragi Kouros" in Google maps to obtain directions. The parking area and the entrance to the Kouroi are free.
Kouroi are sculptures of men. There are 2 kouroi at Flerio and they date back to 570 BC. These 5 metre long kouroi were unfinished due to damage to the stone.
There is an ancient sanctuary nearby which dates back to the 7th century BC. There is very little left to see. The marble quarry high up in the hill above the site is much more impressive.
It takes about 30 minutes to see the 2 kouroi and the ancient sanctuary. They can be visited when doing the circular hike from Melanes to Potamia.
5. The Beaches south of Naxos
There are some excellent beaches on Naxos and the best ones are south of Naxos Town. We drove south to Agiassos on the tarred interior road that goes via Galanado and Ano Sagri. We then drove up the coastal road to Naxos Town and stopped off at the beaches on the way.
5.1. Agiassos Beach
There is a dirt road from Agiassos to Alkyo which is suitable for saloon cars. We swam at Agiassos beach and had the long beach to ourselves. It is a lovely sandy beach but there are sections with. rocks in the water.
5.2. Alkyo and Hawaii Beach
Our next stop was at Alkyo to see the famous Hawaii beach. There are 2 beaches on either side of the promontory at Alkyo. The beach on the southern side had a car park.
Hawaii beach is across the road on the northern side. It is known as Hawaii due to the vibrant blue colour of the sea. There are no facilities at either of these beaches.
5.3. Mikri Vigla/Orkos Beach
There are long sandy beaches on either side of the promontory. The beaches at Mikri Vigla and Orkos are both popular with kite surfers. We spent an enjoyable hour watching people learning to kite surf. It wouldn't be a relaxing place to sunbathe with the kites hovering above the beach.
5.4. Agia Anna Beach
The beach at Agia Anna was the most developed beach that we saw during our drive along the beaches south west of Naxos Town. This isn't surprising given its close proximity to Naxos Town. It merges into Agios Prokopios beach to the north. Agios Prokopios beach is said to be an excellent beach but we didn't visit it.
6. Halki
The village of Halki is very popular with tourists. It has several Byzantine churches including the 9th century Church of Panagia Protothronos. It is a pretty village but a bit touristy.
There is a large free car park on the north eastern edge of Halki.
7. Filoti
Filoti is a popular village and there is a large free car park on the left side of the road when driving from Naxos Town.
There isn't much to see in Filoti and half an hour is sufficient for wandering around. The main sight is the Church of Panaglia Filotitissa which was built in 1718. Entry to the interior is free.
8. Accommodation
We stayed in an excellent 2 bedroom apartment in the village of Galanado. It is a 10 minute drive to Naxos Town. We booked it through Booking.com and paid Eur 75 per night. My review of the accommodation is on my blog "UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2" (number 2).
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