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The houses and Kastro of Naxos Town seen through the marble jambs of the Portara on Palatia

Things to do in Naxos: 12 experiences

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Photo: Zde, CC BY-SA 4.0

Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades and one of the most fertile, and it shows: behind the port town and the sandy west coast rise marble mountains, olive valleys and villages that still live from cheese, potatoes and livestock. It is also the ferry hub of the central Cyclades, which the Greece page covers in its island-hopping entry.

The island splits into clear parts. Chora, the port town, has the Kastro on its hill and the Portara on its islet. South of it, the west coast runs as almost one beach from Agios Georgios to Mikri Vigla, with the summer wind that kitesurfers come for. Inland, the Tragea valley around Halki hides Byzantine churches among the olives, Filoti sits under Mount Zas, and Apiranthos is paved in marble. The north and east are emptier, with the giant kouros of Apollonas and small harbours such as Lionas and Moutsouna.

The ancient sites are spread out: a temple in the fields at Sangri, unfinished statues lying in the quarries where they were carved. A car for a day or two makes them easy, and the Small Cyclades, off the south-east coast, are a boat trip away.

12 things to do in Naxos

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The paved causeway to Palatia islet and the Portara standing on its hilltop

Watch the sun set through the Portara on Palatia islet

Palatia islet, Naxos Town (Chora)

About 1 hourFree

Watch the sun set through the marble doorway of a temple to Apollo, begun in 530 BC and never finished.

The Kastro rising above the harbour and white houses of Naxos Town

Climb into the Kastro and see the Cycladic figurines for free

Kastro, Naxos Town (Chora)

2 hoursFree

The walled seat of the Venetian Duchy of the Aegean, and Early Cycladic figurines ranked second only to Athens, free to see.

The restored marble columns of the Temple of Demeter on its hill at Gyroulas

See the all-marble Temple of Demeter in the fields of Sangri

Gyroulas, near Sangri

1 to 2 hoursNo booking needed

One of the most complete Archaic temples in Greece, built entirely of Naxian marble down to the roof tiles that let light in.

The unfinished marble Kouros of Flerio lying full length in the ancient quarry garden

Find the unfinished kouroi in the ancient marble quarry of Flerio

Flerio, near Melanes

1 to 2 hoursFree

Colossal marble statues that never left the quarry, among them a nude youth whose legs broke as it was moved down the slope.

View from the summit of Mount Zas over the sea towards Koufonisia and Keros

Hike Mount Zas, the highest peak in the Cyclades

Filoti and the Agia Marina chapel

3 to 5 hours returnNo booking needed

Climb the highest summit in the Cyclades, then come down by the cave where myth says Zeus grew up.

The old still and wicker-covered demijohns inside the Vallindras distillery in Halki

Taste kitron at the Vallindras distillery in Halki

Halki (Chalki), Tragea valley

1 to 2 hours with the villageNo booking needed

Taste kitron, a citron-leaf liqueur with protected origin, in white, green and yellow, where the fifth generation still makes it.

Panagia Drosiani church and its bell tower among the olive trees below Moni

Walk the olive groves of Tragea to the frescoes of Panagia Drosiani

Halki to Moni, Tragea valley

Free

Walk old paths through olive groves and oak woods to Panagia Drosiani, whose oldest frescoes go back to the early Christian period.

A marble-stepped street between whitewashed houses in Apiranthos

Walk the marble lanes and small museums of Apiranthos

Apiranthos

No booking needed

A mountain village built in marble, with arched passages, Venetian towers, its own dialect and slabs carved with 3rd-millennium BC daily life.

The long sandy beach of Agios Prokopios looking towards Paros

Work your way down the west coast from Agios Prokopios to Plaka

Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna and Plaka

A full dayNo booking needed

Almost one continuous sandy beach south of Chora: dunes and herons at Agios Prokopios, a juniper wood at Agia Anna, kilometres of Plaka.

A kitesurfer crossing the windy bay off Mikri Vigla

Learn to kitesurf in the meltemi at Mikri Vigla

Mikri Vigla (Parthena beach)

Book ahead

Learn to kitesurf in a summer north wind that blows side-onshore from morning to sunset, so beginners are not carried out to sea.

Boats anchored in a bay of Kato Koufonisi, seen from the path to the Kastro

Sail to Koufonisia for a day of swimming off Naxos

Naxos Town to Koufonisia

A full day, roughly 08:00 to 18:00Book ahead

Sail to two small islands known for sandy coves, swim off Ano Koufonisi, lunch at a taverna and stop at the Rina sea cave.

Pieces of arseniko, the sharp sheep's and goat's cheese of Naxos

Taste graviera and arseniko, and order Naxos potatoes

Upland farms and Chora

Book ahead

Taste a sweetish graviera that TasteAtlas ranked the world's best cheese in 2025 and the shepherds' arseniko of the uplands, mild or sharp.

Plan your trip

  • Getting there

    Naxos has ferries all year. From Piraeus, conventional ferries take about 5.5 to 6 hours and fast boats 3.5 to 4; Blue Star sails all year, and SeaJets and other fast lines add sailings in the peak season. Naxos airport (JNX) is about 3 km from Chora, with flights from Athens by Aegean/Olympic and Sky Express that the municipality advises booking early in summer. If you fly into Mykonos or Santorini, the nearest international airports, continue by sea. The municipality's tourism site dates the peak season from Orthodox Easter to about mid October, when timetables are fullest.

  • Getting around

    KTEL buses leave from the stop opposite the ticket office at the harbour, and you buy the ticket before boarding: €1.80 to Agios Prokopios, €2.30 to Halki, €3.50 to Apiranthos and €6.20 to Apollonas. In summer they reach most villages and beaches; from late October service thins sharply, and in the week from 24 October 2026 Plaka had no bus at all and Apollonas two a week. Check naxosbuses.com, which posts each week's timetable. For the east coast, the quarries and the Zas trailheads outside the bus times, rent a car for a day or two; the mountain roads are narrow and winding.

  • How many days

    In must30's view, four: one for Chora, the Kastro and the Portara at sunset; one inland for the temple at Sangri, Halki and the walk to Panagia Drosiani or Apiranthos; one for Mount Zas in the morning and the beach or a kite lesson in the afternoon; and one on a boat to Koufonisia. With a week, add beach days, the north coast to Apollonas, or a night on one of the Small Cyclades.

  • When to go

    The Ephorate of Antiquities keeps summer hours from 1 April to 31 October, and the kite centres at Mikri Vigla open from May to October, when the meltemi blows. That north wind is what kitesurfers want and what small boats fear: day cruises change course or stay in port when it is strong. In must30's view, May, June and September suit most travellers, with walking weather inland and warm sea. In winter the museums switch to hours the Ephorate had not yet announced in late October 2026, and buses run a skeleton timetable.

  • Where to base yourself

    Chora puts the port, the bus station, the Kastro and the evening waterfront on foot, and Agios Georgios, the town beach 1 km from the port, has shallow water for children. Agios Prokopios and Agia Anna, 4 to 6 km south, are lined with hotels, rooms, tavernas and car hire, with buses every half hour in summer. Plaka is quieter and better with a car. Walkers can stay inland in Halki or Filoti, close to the Tragea trails and Mount Zas, but will need a car for the coast.

Questions travellers ask

Do I need a car in Naxos?

Not for Chora and the beaches from Agios Georgios to Agia Anna, which KTEL buses serve every half hour in summer. Halki, Filoti, Apiranthos and Sangri also have buses, but far fewer. For the quarries at Flerio and Apollonas, the east coast harbours, the Zas trailheads and any trip after the end of October, a car for a day or two is the easy answer.

How many days do you need in Naxos?

Four in must30's view: Chora and the Portara, an inland day for Sangri, Halki and Apiranthos, Mount Zas with a beach afternoon, and a boat day to Koufonisia. Three days works if you skip the boat. A week lets you add the north coast and slower beach days.

Is Naxos worth visiting in October?

Early October, yes: the Ephorate's summer hours run until 31 October, the kite centres stay open through the month and the villages are quiet. By late October buses thin out and day cruises to the Small Cyclades end: the operators listed by the municipality sail until 20 or 31 October at the latest. Bring a car and plan around shorter days.

Can you do Koufonisia as a day trip from Naxos?

Yes, from May to October. Day cruises leave Naxos Town or Agia Anna in the morning and return around 18:00, usually stopping at Kato Koufonisi, the main island's port and the Rina sea cave. In peak season a fast catamaran takes about 35 to 50 minutes, so you can go independently if the return sailing suits. Carry a passport or ID card for the boat.

Is the Archaeological Museum of Naxos open?

Its building in the Kastro is closed for restoration, but most of the collection is on show next door in the former Ursuline convent, the Agia Ursula cultural centre. Entry is free, and summer hours are 09:00 to 14:00, closed on Tuesdays. The Ephorate had not published its winter hours, from 1 November, when this page was checked.

Do you need a ticket for the Portara?

No. The Portara stands on the islet of Palatia at the north end of the harbour, reached on foot by a paved causeway, with no gate, ticket or opening hours. Sunset is the busy time, so arrive early if you want a spot on the hill.

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