According to Visit Greece, Naxos is the largest and most fertile island in the Cyclades. It has mountains rising to around 1,000 metres, marble villages, potato fields and a west coast lined with one long sandy beach after another. Farming is still part of island life, and Naxos is known for its potatoes, cheese and citron liqueur, kitron.
Most visitors stay either in the main town or by one of the beaches to the south, which sit along the same bus route. The further south you go, the quieter it gets and the more you’ll rely on a car. Here are my recommendations for six great areas to stay in Naxos, with hotels for different budgets.
Contents
The Best Areas to Stay in Naxos
- Naxos Town - best area for first-time visitors without a car
- Agios Georgios - best area for families with young children
- Agios Prokopios - best area for a classic beach holiday
- Agia Anna - best area for couples
- Plaka - best area for peace and a long sandy beach
- Mikri Vigla - best area for kitesurfing and windsurfing
I’ll cover the areas from north to south, with their pros and cons and three hotels at different price levels in each. The prices are those I found for two people on a weekend in June, shown as approximate euro amounts. Expect higher prices in July and August.
1. Naxos Town - best area for first-time visitors without a car 🏛️
- 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re in the island’s main town, which the Greeks call Chora. The ferry port is in the town itself.
- 🚌 Transport: All the island’s buses leave from the station opposite the port. Buy your ticket at the ticket office before boarding, as the driver doesn’t sell tickets.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: The airport is 3 to 4 kilometres from town. A taxi takes 10 to 15 minutes and costs around €15 during the day.
- 💰 Price level: € to €€€. Studios were around €60 to €90 per night, small hotels in Old Town around €105, and the best apartments €200 to €230.
- 👮 Safety: Safe and easy to get around. Old Town has steps and steep lanes, while bars near the waterfront can play music late into the night.
Naxos Town is the obvious choice for a first visit and the easiest place on the island to manage entirely without a car. You can walk from the ferry to your hotel, and in the evening there are restaurants, bars and shops in the lanes behind the waterfront. Buses to the beaches and mountain villages leave from here.
Above the town stands the Venetian Kastro castle, which Naxos Municipality says was built by the crusader Marco Sanudo in the 13th century. The island’s archaeological museum is in the former Jesuit school within it. On a small peninsula at the harbour entrance stands Portara, a huge marble gateway from a temple to Apollo that was started around 530 BC and never completed. This is where everyone heads for sunset.
See hotels in Naxos Town here.
The town stays open all year. When I searched for a weekend in January, there was a whole page of available accommodation in Naxos Town, compared with just one place in Agios Prokopios and three in Plaka.
Don’t count on a pool. None of the Old Town properties I looked at has one, and luxury here means beautifully furnished apartments rather than resort hotels. You also can’t drive right to the door, so you’ll need to park in a public car park and carry your suitcase uphill for the last stretch.
Places to Stay in Naxos Town
Katerina Roza Studios - best budget choice in town
Katerina Roza Studios has a guest rating of 8.6 from more than 400 reviews and was the cheapest good place I found in Naxos Town. There are studios with balconies and rooms for up to four people, and breakfast is available for €10. It’s south of Old Town, about a kilometre from the port, and one guest says the walk from the ferry with luggage took over 20 minutes. There’s no pool.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The room was a good size and had everything we needed.”
See photos and book Katerina Roza Studios here.
Panorama Hotel - best mid-range hotel in Old Town
Panorama Hotel is a small two-star hotel in the heart of Old Town with a guest rating of 9.1. It’s around 300 metres from Kastro and Portara and half a kilometre from the port, and the hostess receives plenty of praise in the reviews. You’ll have to walk uphill to get there, there’s no pool, and breakfast is simple.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location is lovely, close to the castle, town centre, port and all the restaurants.”
See photos and book Panorama Hotel here.
Castle Mansions - best apartments in Old Town
Castle Mansions has a guest rating of 9.8 and offers one- and two-bedroom apartments, several with balconies and sea views and one with its own courtyard. Kastro is around 200 metres away and the port 300 metres. It’s my pick for a beautifully furnished place right in the middle of everything. There’s no pool, the uphill walk is hard work with heavy luggage, and you may hear noise from town in the evening.
One guest says on Booking.com: “The property is very conveniently located in the heart of Old Town, and the décor was immaculate.”
See photos and book Castle Mansions here.
2. Agios Georgios - best area for families with young children 👨👩👧
- 📍 Distance to the centre: The beach is on the southern edge of town, around a kilometre from the port and a 10- to 15-minute walk from Old Town.
- 🚌 Transport: You can walk everywhere. Buses to the other beaches and mountain villages leave from the station by the port.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: Around 2 to 3 kilometres and a short taxi ride.
- 💰 Price level: € to €€€€. Studios were around €65 to €90 per night, three- and four-star hotels €125 to €190, and the five-star beachfront hotel around €320.
- 👮 Safety: The water stays shallow and clear a good way out, which is why the municipality describes the beach as particularly suitable for families with young children. It fills up quickly in high season.
Agios Georgios is the town’s own beach, giving you both town and beach without a bus ride. The sand is fine, the water shallow and clear, and hotels, tavernas and cafés with sunbeds and parasols line the shore. With young children, you’d struggle to find an easier base on the island.
The northern end nearest town is sheltered, while the southern end is one of the island’s best windsurfing spots and has a water sports centre. The beach has Blue Flag status and, according to the municipality, is accessible to wheelchair users.
See hotels near Agios Georgios here.
In the evening, Old Town and the waterfront are a 10- to 15-minute walk away, and you avoid the steps and bar music when you head back. That’s why many people choose to stay here rather than in the lanes themselves.
You need to be comfortable with this being a town beach. It gets busy in the middle of the day, and some hotels charge for beach sunbeds even if you’re staying there. For a long, half-empty beach, head further south.
Places to Stay in Agios Georgios
Golden Beach Studios Down Town - best budget choice between town and beach
Golden Beach Studios Down Town has a guest rating of 9.4 and is around 300 metres from the beach and a kilometre from the port. You get a studio or family room at a price that’s low even for Naxos. There’s no pool or parking, the rooms are narrower than they look in the photos, and you can hear most of what happens in the corridor.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Lovely, quiet location within a short walk of both Naxos town centre and the beach.”
See photos and book Golden Beach Studios Down Town here.
Naxos Resort - best mid-range hotel for families
Naxos Resort is a four-star hotel around 150 metres from the beach with two pools, one of them for children. Its guest rating is 8.5 from nearly 700 reviews, and there’s a restaurant, free parking, gym, sauna and family rooms. Several guests find the rooms small and a little worn and point out that the balconies have no overhead cover.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel and pool areas are lovely.”
See photos and book Naxos Resort here.
Nissaki Beach Hotel - best luxury hotel by the beach
Nissaki Beach Hotel is one of the island’s few five-star hotels, directly opposite the beach at the quiet end closest to town. Its guest rating is 9.2, there’s an outdoor pool and restaurant, and breakfast comes with a view of the water. You can choose double rooms, suites and family suites. Some guests find the bathrooms a little dated and would like cushions on the sunbeds.
One guest says on Booking.com: “We loved the hotel’s location in a quieter part of town, directly opposite the beach.”
See photos and book Nissaki Beach Hotel here.
3. Agios Prokopios - best area for a classic beach holiday 🏖️
- 📍 Distance to the centre: Around 5 kilometres south of Naxos Town.
- 🚌 Transport: In summer, the bus from Naxos Town runs every half hour from morning until late evening. The journey takes 15 minutes and costs €1.80.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: The airport is only 2 to 3 kilometres away, so it’s just a few minutes by car. The ferry port is 4 to 5 kilometres away.
- 💰 Price level: € to €€€. Studios and two-star hotels were around €45 to €80 per night, better hotels €125 to €190, and the four-star beach hotel with a spa around €280.
- 👮 Safety: Quiet. Several hotels are across the coastal road, where traffic gets heavy in summer, so keep an eye on children.
Agios Prokopios is the beach resort on Naxos that suits the widest range of visitors. The beach is just over a kilometre long, with coarse sand and water that shifts between blue and turquoise. It faces south, which Visit Greece says shelters it from northerly winds and makes it good for children. It has Blue Flag status, sunbeds and parasols.
Behind the beach are minimarkets, tavernas, cafés, and car and scooter hire companies. You can windsurf, play beach volleyball and hire a pedalo. For a quieter spot, walk to the western end by the little chapel, where there are fewer people.
See hotels in Agios Prokopios here.
You don’t need a car here. The bus runs every half hour in summer, the airport is nearby, and you can walk along the waterfront to neighbouring Agia Anna. A hire car only becomes necessary when you want to head into the mountains or further south.
It’s the busiest of the west coast beach resorts, and it shuts down in winter. Small rooms and bathrooms come up repeatedly in reviews of cheaper properties, and some hotels have basement-level rooms, so check the room type before choosing the lowest price.
Places to Stay in Agios Prokopios
Hotel Francesca - best budget choice with a pool
Hotel Francesca is a two-star hotel with a guest rating of 9.0 from over 600 reviews, around 100 metres from the beach. You get a fenced pool with a shallow area, free parking and studios for two to four people or two-bedroom apartments at a very low price. Breakfast costs extra, the décor is older, and the bathrooms have shower curtains.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Lovely pool area with comfortable sunbeds.”
See photos and book Hotel Francesca here.
Melidron Hotel Suites Villas - best mid-range hotel
Melidron Hotel Suites Villas has three stars and a guest rating of 9.2. There’s an outdoor pool with massage jets, the bus stop is right outside, and breakfast is served in your room. The choice runs from standard doubles to suites with sea views. The beach is just over 400 metres away, and several guests mention that the rooms and bathrooms are small.
One guest says on Booking.com: “The pool was big enough for a refreshing swim when you needed to cool down.”
See photos and book Melidron Hotel Suites Villas here.
Liana Beach Hotel & Spa - best beach hotel with a spa
Liana Beach Hotel & Spa is a four-star hotel a few metres from the beach, with an outdoor pool, spa, restaurant, free parking and a breakfast buffet. Several rooms and suites have private hot tubs and views of the sea or pool. Its guest rating is 8.9. The coastal road runs between the hotel and beach, and guests say cars don’t always stop to let you cross.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful throughout our stay.”
See photos and book Liana Beach Hotel & Spa here.
4. Agia Anna - best area for couples 🌅
- 📍 Distance to the centre: Around 6 to 7 kilometres south of Naxos Town.
- 🚌 Transport: The same bus route as Agios Prokopios, with departures every half hour in summer. The journey takes 17 minutes and costs €1.80.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: Around 2 kilometres and less than 10 minutes by car. The ferry port is around 5 kilometres away.
- 💰 Price level: € to €€€. Most places were around €60 to €135 per night, while suites with a private pool or hot tub cost €280 to €320.
- 👮 Safety: Small and quiet. There’s a ramp for pushchairs and bicycles, and the municipality says the beach is accessible to wheelchair users.
Agia Anna continues on from Agios Prokopios but is smaller and more relaxed. The beach has golden sand, sunbeds outside the beach bars and tavernas, and a small grove of juniper trees providing natural shade. At the end is a little harbour with fishing boats.
The atmosphere around the harbour makes Agia Anna my pick for couples. You can eat at a beachside taverna, take an evening stroll along the water towards Plaka and find little sheltered coves when you want some peace. Minimarkets, cash machines and bars are still within walking distance.
The buses run as often as they do to Agios Prokopios, so you can easily stay here without a car and visit Naxos Town in the evening. According to the municipality, they run every half hour from morning until late evening during summer.
Check the location carefully when booking. Several cheaper properties are well inland rather than by the beach, even though they’re listed under Agia Anna. The most popular mid-range hotel also has plenty of families with children around the pool, so couples after silence need to choose carefully.
Places to Stay in Agia Anna
Sofia Studios - best budget choice with a pool
Sofia Studios has a guest rating of 8.9 and offers studios with kitchens and two-bedroom apartments. There’s an outdoor pool and free parking, and the price was one of the lowest I found in the area. It’s around a 600-metre walk from the beach rather than on the waterfront, and a single-room studio is too small for a family of four.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The pool area was lovely, and having a kitchen in the room was very practical.”
See photos and book Sofia Studios here.
Anemomilos Beach hotel - best mid-range hotel close to the beach
Anemomilos Beach hotel has two stars and a guest rating of 9.1 from nearly 600 reviews. It’s around 50 metres from both the beach and bus stop. There’s an outdoor pool, a well-kept garden and accommodation ranging from double rooms to a one-bedroom apartment. It’s very popular with families, and one couple says they struggled to find peace by the pool. The cheapest rooms are on the lower level.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Lovely little hotel with a beautiful garden.”
See photos and book Anemomilos Beach hotel here.
Majo Suites Hotel - best luxury choice with a private pool
Majo Suites Hotel has a guest rating of 9.7 and is less than 100 metres from the beach. You can choose suites with private pools or hot tubs, or a two-bedroom villa. There’s free private parking, and breakfast is served. It’s an obvious choice for a romantic break. The hotel has no sea views, and the cheapest rooms are on the lower level.
One guest says on Booking.com: “The hotel is extremely close to the beach and to several restaurants and bars.”
See photos and book Majo Suites Hotel here.
5. Plaka - best area for peace and a long sandy beach 🌾
- 📍 Distance to the centre: Around 8 to 10 kilometres south of Naxos Town, depending on where you stay along the 4-kilometre beach.
- 🚌 Transport: Plaka is the last stop on the route from Naxos Town via Agios Prokopios and Agia Anna. The journey takes 25 minutes and costs €2, and the bus runs during the summer months.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: Around 4 kilometres to the middle of the beach, so it’s a short drive. The ferry port is around 8 kilometres away.
- 💰 Price level: € to €€€. Studios were around €75 to €95 per night, hotels with pools €140 to €160, and the best properties €215 to €300.
- 👮 Safety: Very quiet. The beach isn’t suitable for wheelchairs, and at the southern end it’s a long way to the nearest restaurant.
Plaka begins where Agia Anna ends and is the island’s longest beach. There are dunes with sea daffodils, juniper trees providing shade right by the water, and enough space for a long walk without passing many people. Parts have sunbeds and parasols, and cafés, beach bars and tavernas are dotted along it.
This is a place for nature and space around you, rather than a town setting. Families can find hotels with pools just behind the sand, while couples can book a room with a sea view and a short walk to the water.
Your exact location on the beach matters enormously. In the northern and middle sections, buses, tavernas and a minimarket are within walking distance. The southern end towards Mikri Vigla is very quiet, and a guest at one of the hotels there says you’ll definitely need a car to reach restaurants and bars.
Plaka was the most expensive of the beach areas in my search, and sunbeds cost extra even when you’re staying at a beachfront hotel. It’s very seasonal, with almost everything closed in winter.
Places to Stay in Plaka
Annio studios - best budget choice at the northern end
Annio studios is at Plaka’s northern end nearest Agia Anna, around 80 metres from the beach. It has a guest rating of 9.1 from over 300 reviews, with rooms, apartments and a suite with an outdoor hot tub, plus a playground and free private parking. Booking.com doesn’t list a pool, the kitchens have limited equipment, and one apartment is at basement level.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Good location very close to the beach, with well-kept rooms and grounds.”
See photos and book Annio studios here.
Plaza Beach Hotel - best mid-range hotel with a large pool
Plaza Beach Hotel has three stars and sits by Plaka beach, around 80 metres from the water. You get a large outdoor pool, restaurant, bar, minimarket, free parking and family rooms, and its guest rating is 8.9. It’s an easy choice for families. Beach sunbeds cost extra, and several guests are disappointed by breakfast.
One guest says on Booking.com: “The pool area is fantastic, right by the beach and at the quieter end of Plaka.”
See photos and book Plaza Beach Hotel here.
Archon Seaside Retreat - best luxury choice at the quiet end
Archon Seaside Retreat has a guest rating of 9.7 and is at Plaka’s far southern end, around 80 metres from the beach. There’s a shared pool, rooms with sea views and two-bedroom houses, plus breakfast and free parking. It’s the quietest of the three, and that comes at a price. You’ll need a car to eat out, and guests describe breakfast as limited.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Very beautiful rooms and pool. A short walk to the most fantastic beach on Naxos, Plaka.”
See photos and book Archon Seaside Retreat here.
6. Mikri Vigla - best area for kitesurfing and windsurfing 🪁
- 📍 Distance to the centre: Around 11 to 16 kilometres southwest of Naxos Town, depending on the route.
- 🚌 Transport: The bus from Naxos Town takes 35 minutes and costs €2.60, but it uses a different route from the beach bus to Plaka, so check the timetable. In practice, you’ll need a car.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: Around 6 to 8 kilometres and 10 to 15 minutes by car. The ferry port is around 12 kilometres away.
- 💰 Price level: € to €€. Apartments were around €45 to €120 per night and the best hotels €140 to €180. There are no luxury hotels.
- 👮 Safety: Quiet, with buildings spread out. The kitesurfing side has strong winds and plenty of kite lines, so take children swimming on the calm side.
Mikri Vigla is a rocky headland that divides a long bay in two. On one side is Parthena beach, which the municipality considers the island’s best kitesurfing spot. The sky fills with kites when the meltemi blows from mid-May to mid-September. On the other side of the rock, the water is shallow and calm, and the beach suits families.
Just to the north are the little shaded coves of Orkos, while to the south the coast continues into the white sands of Kastraki. In the Middle Ages, the rock was used as a lookout for pirates.
See hotels in Mikri Vigla here.
Stay here for time on the water, or for a quiet base with a hire car. The hotels are small, several have pools, and prices are lower than in Plaka. The best hotel in the area cost around €175 per night.
The drawbacks are the wind and the distances. Few restaurants and shops are within walking distance, and the hotels themselves say the supermarket is a five-minute drive away. Several properties listed under Mikri Vigla are also a couple of kilometres inland, so look at the map before booking.
Places to Stay in Mikri Vigla
Latramys Suites - best budget choice with a pool and views
Latramys Suites has a guest rating of 9.4 and offers new one- and two-bedroom apartments with kitchenettes. There’s an infinity pool with views and free private parking. You aren’t right by the water: the beach is around a kilometre away and the supermarket a 10- to 15-minute walk. The kitchenette is small for a larger group.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The room was lovely and had a fantastic view of the sea.”
See photos and book Latramys Suites here.
Orkos Beach Hotel - best hotel for water sports and families
Orkos Beach Hotel has two stars and is around 100 metres from the water on the northern side of the rock. Its guest rating is 9.3, and you get an outdoor pool, water sports at the hotel, a playground, kids’ club, family suites and breakfast. The bus stop is a kilometre away, and one guest finds the pool area rather bare and lacking greenery.
One guest says on Booking.com: “Fabulous room and a large balcony overlooking the sea and the kitesurfers.”
See photos and book Orkos Beach Hotel here.
The Key - best four-star hotel in the area
The Key has four stars and a guest rating of 9.4, and it’s the best hotel in Mikri Vigla. There’s an outdoor pool, restaurant, bar, gym, free parking and a breakfast buffet. The hotel runs a free shuttle to the beach, around 350 metres away. Some guests have experienced a disorganised check-in and a television that didn’t work.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The staff did everything they could and more to make our stay unforgettable.”
See photos and book The Key here.
Where Should You Avoid Staying in Naxos?
I wouldn’t stay in the mountain villages without a car. Halki, Filoti and Apiranthos are beautiful and well worth a trip, but Filoti is 18 kilometres and Apiranthos 28 kilometres from Naxos Town. The bus to Apiranthos takes an hour, and I found only one property with enough reviews for me to recommend it confidently. Visit on a day trip instead, and stop at the distillery in Halki where the island’s citron liqueur, kitron, is made.
I also wouldn’t book a hotel at the southern end of Plaka, in Mikri Vigla or near Kastraki without a car. The half-hourly beach bus terminates at Plaka, and further south both departures and restaurants become scarce. Light sleepers and anyone who struggles with steps should avoid the lanes of Old Town, where one guest mentions a bar playing music until 2 or 3 am.
Out of season, Naxos Town is the only sensible choice. Beach hotels close, several shut their pools as early as the beginning of October, and the municipality says the Plaka bus only runs in the summer months. The municipality’s bus route overview shows what runs when.
I’d choose Naxos Town for a few nights without a car, Agios Georgios with young children, Agios Prokopios for a week’s beach holiday, Agia Anna as a couple, and Plaka when peace matters most. Mikri Vigla is for those coming for the wind. Naxos is cheaper than Mykonos, but prices aren’t half as much. In my search, hotels in Naxos Town were just under a fifth cheaper than in Mykonos Town, and a five-star beach hotel cost around €320 per night.
You can fly to Naxos via Athens, with the onward flight taking 45 minutes to an hour, or sail from Piraeus. According to the municipality, the crossing takes 3.5 to 4 hours by high-speed ferry and 5.5 to 6 hours by conventional ferry. Hotels charge a climate levy on top of the room price. From April to October, it’s €2 per room per night at one- and two-star hotels, €5 at three-star hotels, €10 at four-star hotels and €15 at five-star hotels. You can also consult the UK government travel advice for Greece before travelling.
Naxos is easy to combine with nearby islands. The fastest ferry to Paros takes around half an hour, and the fastest to Mykonos takes 35 minutes. For another stop on your trip, see my guide to where to stay in Santorini. If you need a night in the capital along the way, read my guide to where to stay in Athens.
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