Villas
Naxos Villas: How Far Down the Beach Strip to Go
One long west-facing beach, a working town at the top of it, and a mountain interior almost nobody rents in. Choosing between them is simpler than it looks.
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The shape of the decision#
Naxos is the biggest of the Cyclades and the only one with enough water and soil to farm properly - which is why it has potatoes, cheese, citrus and a working rural economy rather than a purely seasonal one. That matters for a villa holiday because the island does not shut, and because the food is genuinely better than on its neighbours.
Geographically it is simple. The west coast is a long, shallow, pale-sand shoreline facing the sunset, and nearly all rental stock sits along it. The north and east are rugged and almost empty. The interior is mountainous, green in spring, and full of villages that have nothing to do with tourism.
So the question is not really which area. It is how far south along the beach you want to be - and whether you want sea at all, or the mountains instead.
Five places to look#
Where to rent, by area
Agios Prokopios
First beach south of town
The deepest stock on the island and the easiest week. A wide sheltered sandy bay with shallow water, tavernas and shops along it, and five minutes to town. Busy in August and not remotely remote, which is exactly what makes it work for families.
Plaka
Middle of the beach strip
Four kilometres of pale sand backed by cedar and dunes, with low-rise development set well back. The balance point of the island - quieter than Agios Prokopios, more sheltered than Mikri Vigla, and still only fifteen minutes from town.
Mikri Vigla
Southern end of the strip
Two bays either side of a rocky headland - one flat and shallow, one that is among the better kitesurfing beaches in Greece. Emptier and more dramatic than anywhere further north, and committed: twenty-five minutes to town and real wind most afternoons.
Rate bandMid
Watersports groups and anyone who wants the beach to themselves.
See Mikri Vigla villas
Naxos Town and the kastro
North-west, the port
A genuine town with a Venetian castle quarter, a market, ferries all year and the Portara standing on its islet. Villas sit on the slopes behind and north of it. The only base here where a car is optional, and the best choice outside high summer.
Rate bandMid to high
Shoulder season, shorter stays and anyone arriving by ferry.
See Naxos Town villas
Halki and the Tragaea
Inland, the mountain valley
The part of Naxos that has nothing to do with the beach - a wide upland valley of olive groves, Byzantine chapels, marble villages and the old citron distillery at Halki. Very little rental stock, so expect a short list, and expect valley views rather than sea.
Getting the decision right#
Pick your point on the strip
Decide whether wind is a problem or a feature
Check the distance to the water, on foot
Confirm how you are arriving
Use the market
Frequently asked questions
Agios Prokopios or Plaka?
Agios Prokopios if you want shops and tavernas within walking distance. Plaka if you want more beach and more quiet and do not mind a short drive for dinner.
Is Naxos windy?
The west coast catches the meltemi, increasingly so toward the south. Naxos Town and Agios Prokopios are the most sheltered; Mikri Vigla is a kitesurfing destination for a reason.
Can I manage without a car?
In Naxos Town, yes. Anywhere on the beach strip you will want one, though buses along the west coast are better than on most islands.
Is Naxos cheaper than Paros?
Noticeably, for a comparable house - often 25 to 35 percent less, and the gap is wider in August.
What is there to do away from the beach?
More than on any other Cyclade: the Tragaea valley, Mount Zas, Byzantine chapels, the abandoned kouros statues, and the Small Cyclades by boat.
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