Greece 2023 - Cyclades islands - Naxos

We arrived into Naxos, found our driver and headed to our hotel, Galaxy Hotel. The hotel was perfectly situated with a short walk to Agios Georgios Beach and about 10 minutes to the bars, restaurants and harbour in Chora (the capital of Naxos). 

We spent the first night exploring Chora and we found a couple of gems! Our favourite bar was Funky Hops and not just because it allowed Lee to get his fix of craft beer. The owners were welcoming, it was something different from the cocktails and mass produced mainland beer available in other bars, and it was a great spot for people watching. We also enjoyed balcony and unique décor at Swing bar. 

We were drawn into Naxos Cheese Koufopoulos, a shop specialising in local produce. It looked and smelt so good, we took a seat in the backroom surrounded my maturing cheeses, and enjoyed a platter with local produce including a glass of wine. The cheeses were excellent and there was so much of it, we didn't need any Gyros on the way home. 

To walk off the cheese coma, we explored Naxos Market, a labyrinth of lanes filled with shops, bars, restaurants, and lots of cats, around Naxos castle. You keep popping out of the market into the main town area or the harbour, all the twists and turns were disorientating as to where you were. 

We finished our walk heading back along the harbour, with many restaurants and bars mostly with seating outside, and then back to our hotel. 

Our first full day on Naxos, we hired a car through the hotel and went exploring. Hiring was very simple, we just needed a driving license, filled in a couple of forms, and were given the keys and a map to get going. We headed out of the city and before long, were on empty windy roads which stretched along the coast, and then up and down mountains inland. We were constantly seeing something on the road, mostly churches, which seemed to pop up everywhere including randomly in the middle of the road, at the very top of the highest mountain with no obvious road to get up to them, and out on a uninhabited island. There were more churches than people... and probably even goats, although we did see a lot of them too. 

Our first stop was in the north of the island at The Kouros of Apollonas, also called the Colossus of Dionysus. A short walk up a hill and there was a 10.7 meter unfinished statue lying down. It was originally thought to be a statue of Apollo since it was located near the town of Apollonas, but in 1932 it was identified as Dionysos, the naughty boy of the Greek gods. 

We headed back to the car and drove down the windy road to Apollonas. Here we found this great beach area lined with bars and restaurants. We were there before lunchtime so the bus loads of tourists hadn't yet arrived, which allowed us to enjoy some peace and quiet whilst we enjoyed a drink and watched the waves. 

Back in our car, we headed to the village of Moni, located up in the hills and with fantastic views of the island. The village was a very traditional Greek village, without the tourist feel. Windy lanes had a small number of local craft shops, a couple of bars and restaurants, and lots of cats. It was a good opportunity to stretch our legs and enjoy some fantastic views. 

The drive back down the hills offered amazing views of the village, and the surrounding churches. We did stop off at one of the churches which was easily accessible from the road, The Naxos Panagia Drossiani church. 

Our next stop was the larger and most touristy village of Halki (Chalki). This village is located in the centre of Naxos and used to be the capital of the island. Aside from the colourful alleys filled with shops and restaurants that we're starting to find in every Greek town and village, this place also has the Vallindras Distillery, one of the must sees we were told about on this island. 

The distillery was established in 1896 and a small museum displays the traditional machinery and tools used from this time. The distillery produced a liqueur called Kitron, which is made from the fruit and leaves from the Citron tree, similar to a lemon tree. We were able to try three different strength of the liqueur, before deciding we needed to get some lunch for continuing any driving. 

For lunch, we were driven by our nose. As we were walking through the village, we smelt the most amazing BBQ food at Giannis Tavern. We had to wait 10 minutes for one of the tables in an open courtyard, but it was worth the wait. The grilled chicken and haloumi cooked on the open fire was delicious. 

With our bellies full, we drove through the village of Filoti whilst heading to the car park of the Rotonda Restaurant. This was a hint from the hotel, who told us to park in the restaurant car park, cross the road and there is a windmill to explore. It was a good tip as the windmill was interesting but the view were fantastic too. 

We knew we were tight on time but we decided to go in the opposite direction around the island to most tour companies to avoid the crowd. This meant that we were going to be cutting it tight to make it to the Temple of Demeter before it closed. We headed there anyway on the off chance it stayed open late (it didn't). The temple is made of marble and dates back to the 6th century BC. We ended up not that bothered that it had closed, we had a good view from the road and the car park and we don't think we would have gained much extra from walking around the ruins. 

It was time to head back to our hotel after a long day exploring, and grab a Gyro and a beer, in the town.

The next day was our designated rest day. We walked along Agios Georgios Beach trying to find a place to chill out for the day. The wind was making it too uncomfortable on the beach, even when we tried hiding in the sand dunes. We were walking back to the hotel, thinking we were going to have to spend the day by the pool, when we spotted that Naxaki Beach Lounge Bar & Restaurant, one of the bars / restaurants lining the beach that had sand and sun loungers. For 20 euros, we had 2 sun loungers, an umbrella, and protection from the wind whilst still being on the beach. We chilled here all day, before heading back to the hotel, via a quick swim in the pool, to get ready for our last night in Naxos. 

We walked to Chora, walking along the beach board walk and past the bars and restaurants, watching the sun starting to set. We decided to watch the sunset from the Hotel Ruins of Alyko, before walking along the harbour, and back into the market for a couple of drinks in different bars. We ate in an Italian along the harbour, before heading to our favourite spot, the Funky Hops for a final drink before finishing our final day. 

Our final morning in Naxos was a chilled morning. We were used to the ferry schedule and the inevitable delays. Our driver dropped us off at the ferry port, we found a bar, and we relaxed, tracking the ferry whilst we waited. Whilst Sam waited with the bags, Lee hiked up to The Portara, also called the Temple of Apollo. It is a large door that was thought to be the entrance to an unfinished temple, standing on a hill at the harbour. It was constructed in 530 BC and was thought to honour the god Apollo, although it is also believed to be dedicated to Dionysus. 

Our ferry arrived, we boarded, and headed to our final island, Mykonos.