Must See Things to Do in Naxos, Greece

My guide to the biggest little island in the Cyclades

Let’s get one thing straight: Naxos isn’t Santorini. It’s not trying to be.

You won’t find influencer hordes elbowing you for the perfect sunset shot, overpriced cocktails, or pasty mid-60s English couples desperately trying to re-kindle a spark after 30 years of marriage.

Naxos is chiller, more authentic, and quietly spectacular. It’s a Greek island where life moves a little slower, food tastes a little better, and the wine and Kitron pours are a little heavier.

Don’t get me wrong: influencers (and sad old couples) have definitely found Naxos. There’s actually a weirdly high number of Americans on Naxos. Prices have jumped, and Naxos left “hidden gem” territory decades ago.

Regardless, we had a great visit to Naxos. Here are the must see things to do in Naxos, Greece – and how we spent four incredible nights on this cool little island.

Walk Around the Portara

The Portara is the most distinctive sight on Naxos. Built 2,600 years ago, the Portara was the front door to a massive Temple of Apollo. They never finished building that Temple, but the four pieces of the Portara remain standing today.

Mere months ago, you could walk freely through the Portara, place your hands against its cold and grimy stones, and stare face first at yet another crumbling marble monument in Greece.

Thanks to this guy, that’s no longer possible:

Good job, fella.

In any case, the Portara is a great – albeit windswept – spot with the best view of Naxos Town (aka Chora). Post up for sunset. Grab some beers and watch the ferries disgorge tourists. Join the older locals and go for a swim in the protected harbor underneath.

Get Lost in Naxos Old Town

The old town of Chora is a maze – literally. Twisting white alleys, bougainvillea-covered doorways (that’s the fancy name for those flowers you see everywhere), cats judging you from rooftops.

I recommend wandering aimlessly. Get to the top of town (the Kastro, or the old Venetian castle). Explore the small, one-hallway Archaeological Museum of Naxos (which has some seriously cool and old stuff). Poke into some gift shops selling linen shirts, olive oil, and handmade jewelry. Stop at a back-alley taverna.

Live Like Middle-Class Royalty at an Agios Georgios Beach Bar

Beach bars aren’t the cheapest places to grab a drink, but sometimes, it’s nice to treat yourself.

They’re also a great option if, like us, you don’t have beach chairs, towels, or umbrellas – and don’t want to buy them for a few day stay. You actually save money.

Agios Georgios and Agios Prokopios both have a bunch of beach bars.

We watched two sunsets at Naxaki Beach Lounge on Agios Georgios. The place seemed recommended and has great reviews. In mid-September, we rolled up without a reservation, mid-day, both times.

By the time sunset rolled around, people in the first row had left and we were able to move up. Beach chairs were comfy and had clean towels waiting.

Order a Mamos or four. Get craft cocktails, Greek salad, and tzatziki delivered to your table as you swim in turquoise waters. Sure, you pay a few more EUR than you normally would, but look around you.

Visit Other Beaches

If you’re in town, Agios Georgios is a perfectly acceptable beach with good swimming and better beach bars.

But there are plenty of good beaches in Naxos. Top options include:

• Agia Anna, which is slightly quieter than Agios Prokopios and Agios Georgios
• Plaka Beach, which isn’t far from Naxos Town but offers quiet and solitude
• Mikri Vigla, which is famous for its windsurfing and has plenty of place to sprawl (it’s massive)
• Alyko Beach & Hawaii Beach, which are two popular beaches with a ruined, graffiti-covered hotel in between

Eat Naxian Food or Take a Cooking Class

Naxos is a self-sufficient island, which means it can produce all of the food it needs. The island is famous for its cheese, potatoes, and Kitron, a local liqueur made from citron leaves (which is like a fancier cousin of lemon). You’ll also find world-class olive oil, fresh seafood, and quality meats throughout the island.

Must eats:

• Graviera Naxou: A hard cheese with a nutty, salty flavor that pairs well with wine.
• Rosto: Pork slow-cooked with garlic and wine.
• Naxian Potatoes: Locals brag about them like they’re gold, but they are indeed great roasted or fried (they say the wind blows minerals from the ocean over Naxos, invigorating the potatoes with special flavor).
• Kleftiko: Slow-roasted lamb in parchment.  
• Seafood Pastas: Like most places within a stone’s throw of the Mediterranean, it’s tough to go wrong with seafood pasta.
• Greek Salad Without Feta: Naxos has its own version of Greek salad without feta, replacing feta with a local white cheese called xynomyzithra. That’s because they don’t make much feta on Naxos.

We had great dinners at Scirocco. To Elliniko also appears on virtually every “must eat” Naxos list.

Taverna Naxos was great despite being in a touristy area (along the waterfront). We had breakfast and coffee at Naxos Bakery a few times.

Drink Local

Naxos isn’t Mykonos, but it has good nightlife – including bars, clubs, restaurants, and even a distillery (but no brewery):

Drink Kitron at Vallindras Distillery in Chalki: The mountain village of Chalki is famous for the Vallindras Distillery, which was the first distillery on Naxos to make Kitron – something they started doing all the way back in 1896. You get a free tasting at the distillery. Kitron like a much better version of limoncello. You can also order Kitron at many of the bars around town.

Beach Bars: As mentioned above, you pay a few extra EUR per drink for someone to hand-deliver drinks to your chair as you swim.

Wine with Everything: Naxos grows grapes in volcanic soil, so the wines are great.

Rakee: Each fall, the people of Naxos gather together for the Rakee Distillation. Also known as the Rakitzo Festival, the Rakee Distillation involves producing rakee (yes, the moonshine-like homebrew also known as raki or rakija) from fermented and distilled grapes. Naxos doesn’t quite have the same raki obsession as Crete, but you’ll find plenty of rakee around the island.

Get the Best Drink with a View in Naxos at Avaton 1739: A coffee and wine bar (with snacks), Avaton 1739 has the best view in Naxos and is a great place to grab a cocktail day or night. Relaxed during the day, it gets increasingly Greek and local later at night, ultimately closing at 3:30am (!).

Drink Beer at Funky Hops: If you’re tired of the classic Greek domestic beer trifecta of Mamos, Alfa, and Fix and are missing IPAs, Naxos Town has a tourist-oriented beer bar called Funky Hops. With a great patio overlooking a bustling square, it’s a great spot to have a beer and people watch. It’s also the only beer bar on Naxos – there isn’t a brewery or brewpub anywhere else on the island.

Explore the Mountain Villages & Temple of Demeter

We rented a car one day in Naxos to explore the mountain villages, the Temple of Demeter, and the Panermos boat tour (see below) before stopping at Rotunda for dinner on the way home (also see below).

If you don’t rent a car, you can also take local buses or sign up for a bus tour.

Pick up your car in Naxos in the morning, then drive to:

Temple of Demeter: Old, partially ruined temple dedicated to the goddess of grain. Take a moment to look around at the fertile valley from the hilltop on which the temple is built, and it’s easy to see why it was chosen. You can see the entire site in around 15 to 20 minutes, although there is a museum if you want to stay longer (site is closed on Tuesdays).

Chalki: After the Temple of Demeter, start climbing the mountain road to Chalki. Home to the Kitron distillery mentioned above, Chalki is a pretty town with shops and restaurants.

Filoti: Filoti, just around the corner from Chalki, is a similar town and the starting point for hikes to Mount Zas.

Apiranthos: Personally, we drove straight through Chalki and Filoti to get to Apiranthos, the prettiest of the three villages. Constructed entirely out of marble on the edge of a mountain, Apiranthos is a beautiful village with plenty of gift shops, restaurants, and places to grab a drink. We enjoyed walking through the town and getting lost along the way. Look for the gift shop on the main square where the guy greets you with ample homemade flavored raki (and happily takes a shot with each tourist). Sit and have an Aperol spritz with a view of the mountain valley below.

Explore Rina Cave with Gialitissa Boat Trips

Gialitissa Boat Trips runs a boat tour from Panermos (on the far south end of Naxos) to Rina Cave.

In exchange for a reasonable fee of 25 EUR, you get a 2-hour cruise with multiple swimming stops – including a guided swim into a cave. The captain is a born-and-bred Naxos local who looks like Poseidon personified (I mean that in the nicest way possible – he was great). And they send you photos after at no extra cost.

It was one of the best things we did on Naxos. We rented a car to explore the villages, then made our way to Panermos in the afternoon. There are multiple boat trips per day throughout the summer months and shoulder season.

If you don’t want to drive all the way to Panermos (it’s about 1.5 hours from Naxos Town), you can take a boat tour from Naxos’s main harbor (but you’ll pay a lot more than 25 EUR and have a long and slow ride there and back).

Sunset Dinner at Rotunda

The secret is out about Rotunda, and the place was packed with tourists (and precisely zero locals) when we visited in September 2025. Like some tourist hotspots, however, Rotunda is still worth it.

Rotunda has good food, average service, and a spectacular view. Hundreds of people show up just before sunset every night and order food at the same time, so I guess average service is expected.

There are two other restaurants across the street – Mylos 360 and Antamoma – with similar views and great reviews.

Hike Mount Zas

Have you ever visited the birthplace of a god? Mount Zas, or Mount Zeus, is the tallest point on Naxos. In fact, it’s also the highest point in the Cyclades. It’s a great way to earn your next bottle of wine.

Start from Aria Spring, climb for around 1.5 to 2.5 hours, and get panoramic views of Naxos at the top.

Some people also stop and turn around at Zeus’ Cave, which is allegedly where the big man himself was born.

Bring water and sunscreen: Mount Zeus is exposed and hot in the summer.

Honorable Mentions

Other must sees and things to do on Naxos include:

Boat Tour to Paros: From private yachts to shared yachts to group ferries, there a few ways to get to Paros from Naxos. If you want to check another island off your list, you have options.

Boat Tour Around Naxos: We booked a boat tour to Paros that was supposed to take us to beautiful beaches along the southeast coast of the island. However, our boat tour day was windy, so we weren’t able to go to Paros. Instead, we anchored in a couple places along the southwest shore of Naxos. It was still a great day. Most boat tours come with beer, wine, snacks, lunch, and dessert served on a catamaran or yacht. There are worse ways to spend a day.

Mythology Tour: If you’re into Greek mythology, you’ll find several mythology tours taking you around the island. Some involve wine. Others focus on history and ancient cities. Most take you around the island to various ruins while explaining their significance.

Cooking Class: You’ll see plenty of recommendations for two main cooking classes on Naxos, including Perivoli and Basiliko. We did Perivoli and thought it was a little underwhelming for the price we paid – we paid around 105 EUR each (including 10 EUR transfer per person, each way, from Naxos Town) to sit with a group of 30+ people and cut vegetables for a few hours after seeing a few animals on a dusty farm. However, it was a good introduction to Naxos-style cuisine, the food was delicious, and we got the recipes after. There are plenty of other cooking classes – including one where you walk around Naxos Town to shop before making dinner at a local tavern. Shop around to see which one sounds good to you.

Eggares Olive Oil Museum: A lot of people have good things to say about this museum – and it has great reviews online. It doesn’t sound exciting, but people we met seriously enjoyed it and its ancient olive presses.

Listen to a Clarinet Solo from the “Po Po Po Maria” Guy: This guy is everywhere around Naxos. He serenaded us at dinner one night. Then, we saw him on the ferry terminal as we left Naxos. He plays one song: a 1940s-era, Greek revolution song about a woman named Maria. You’ll know him when you see him (or hear him).

Do Nothing & Enjoy It: No matter where you are on Naxos, it’s a great place to slow down and enjoy the relaxed pace of island life.  

Getting There & Staying Alive

• Ferries: Naxos is a major stop on the ferry circuit with both high-speed and normal ferry options available to most other islands. We took a ferry from Heraklion (Crete) to Naxos, with a brief stop in Santorini along the way.
• Flights: Naxos has a small airport with a short flight to Athens.
• Where to Stay: Most people stay in Naxos Town, but those looking for a more beach-y experience might want to stay in Agios Prokopios, Maragkas, Plaka, or Mikri Vigla. Those looking for inland tranquility could stay in villages like Chalki, Filoti, or Apiranthos. There are even a few hotels at the far north end of the island in Apollonas.  
• Getting Around: Naxos has a bus system that actually works. There are plenty of scooter, ATV, and car rental places. Driving is easy on Naxos. I’m a dumb North American who can’t drive manual, and I didn’t have issues. Other Americans seemed fine. Mountain roads can be a bit narrow, but they’re similar to mountain roads out west. Just reserve an automatic car in advance.

Final Boozebag Thoughts

Naxos is far from an undiscovered gem.

However, it’s cheaper than Santorini, calmer than Mykonos, and big enough to find your own slice of paradise – whatever that paradise looks like.