The largest Cycladic island, with a mountain interior, fertile valleys and a west coast of long sandy beaches that most of the Cyclades can't match. Cheaper and quieter than its famous neighbours.
Most Cycladic islands are rock and pebble with small coves. Naxos has kilometres of beach.
Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna and Plaka run in a nearly continuous strip down the west coast — fine pale sand, shallow water and dunes behind. That makes Naxos far better with children than Mykonos or Santorini, and it's a good deal cheaper too. The island is also fertile and mountainous, so unlike its bare neighbours it grows its own food: potatoes, cheese, citrus and a citron liqueur you'll be offered everywhere.
Beaches, a marble doorway, and villages in the mountains.
Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna and Plaka — kilometres of pale sand and shallow water. The best beaches in the Cyclades.
A vast marble doorway on an islet by the port, all that was built of a temple to Apollo in 530 BC. Walk out at sunset.
A valley of olive groves and Byzantine chapels, with a marble village at its centre. Hire a car for a day.
An unfinished ten-metre marble statue lying in an ancient quarry, abandoned when it cracked. Free, odd and moving.
The highest point in the Cyclades at 1,004m, where Zeus is said to have been raised. Two hours up, and the whole archipelago below.
A Venetian castle quarter above the harbour, with lanes, a museum and tavernas. Best in the evening.
The town, the west coast beaches, or the mountains.
The port, the Kastro and the Portara. Restaurants, ferries and a beach at the edge of town.
The best sand, shallow water, and a short bus to town. Where most people should stay.
Further down the coast. Longer, emptier sand, and windsurfing at Mikri Vigla.
Halki, Filoti and Apiranthos. Marble lanes, no beach, and a completely different island.
May to September, with June and September the sweet spots.
July and August are hot and busy, with the meltemi blowing hardest and Greek holidaymakers filling the island in August. May, June and September give warm sea, comfortable temperatures and better prices. Naxos stays more alive out of season than most Cycladic islands because it's a farming island as well as a holiday one.
Via Athens, by 45-minute flight or 4–5 hour ferry. No direct UK flights.
Buses to the west coast beaches are frequent. A car is worth it for the mountain villages.
Euro. Cash for village tavernas.
Paros in 30 minutes, Santorini in two hours, Mykonos in one. Frequent in season.
We'll pick the beach, add island hops, and write the payment plan out in full.
The best of the Cyclades for it — long sandy beaches, shallow water, and prices well below Mykonos or Santorini.
Naxos for beaches and the mountain interior, Paros for the prettier harbour and better ferry links. Both are far better value than their famous neighbours.
Not for the beaches — buses are frequent. Yes for the villages and the Tragaea, which are the island's other half.
Via Athens. A 45-minute flight or a ferry from Piraeus. We'll price both and book the connection.
Flights, accommodation and transfers as one package. Every one can be reshaped — different dates, different board, a different airport, or a stopover on the way.
Guide prices, per person, based on two sharing, including return flights, accommodation and transfers. They indicate what a holiday of this type has typically cost and are not an offer or a quotation. Your price depends on dates, party, board basis, departure airport and availability, and is confirmed in writing before any payment is taken.
Ready-built itineraries with flights, transfers and internal hops booked as one package, ATOL protected. Every one can be reshaped around your dates.
10 nights · May–Jun, Sep–Oct · from £1,449pp
11 nights · May–Jun, Sep · from £1,149pp
10 nights · Mar–May, Sep–Nov · from £849pp
11 nights · Apr, Oct · from £2,699pp
12 nights · Jun–Oct, Jan–Feb · from £3,399pp
12 nights · Jul–Oct · from £3,099pp
11 nights · Jun–Oct, Dec–Feb · from £1,799pp
11 nights · Nov–Apr · from £2,199pp
