Best beaches in Naxos

With its bright blue color of the sea contrasting to the golden sand, Agios Prokopios is considered among the top beaches of the Cyclades. And when the meltemi wind blows in summer, this is the right place to spend your day at the beach because its location is more protected, especially in the north end.

Anyone can find their place on this 4km long beach where the sunbeds and parasols of beach tavernas alternate with large empty areas. Plaka starts from Maragas and continues south until it reaches Orkos. The beach has coarse sand and sand dunes, and the sea depth varies in different sections of the beach strip.

The beach of Agia Anna is smaller than its neighbors Agios Prokopios and Plaka, but it has the same amazing blue water complemented by fine soft sand. This beach is almost entirely covered by sunbeds and umbrellas and thus not suitable for those who look for privacy, except for the area next to the small fishing harbor.

Maragas is the "civilized" part of Plaka, with beach tavernas, cafes and water sports available. It is less than 10 minutes walk from the center of Agia Anna and you will know you are there when you reach the branched tree by the sea, with tables and chairs beneath. This trees is often photographed and spotted on photos of Naxos.

The area between Plaka and Mikri Vigla is known as Orkos. It is actually the southernmost part of Plaka, followed by a few small sandy coves divided by rocks, with view of Mikri Vigla and the kitesurfers. Orkos has no beach facilities, visitors usually come from the nearby hotels and villas.

Agios Georgios, the beach of Naxos Town, is considered suitable for families with toddlers because it is very shallow, entirely sandy and inside the village. However, it gets too crowded because of the densely built hotels around and it is convenient only if you are accommodated here and you don`t want to travel.

Mikri Vigla is a rocky peninsula near Plaka, known as the kitesurfers paradise. The south beach of the peninsula is called Limanaki, and the north one - Parthena. Wind is constant at Parthena and there are hardly any other visitors except for kitesurfers but one should admin the beauty of the place - dunes, pure sand, blue water and view to the islet of Panagia.

Exotic beach with exotic name - Hawaii definitely distinguishes from the rest beaches of the island with its red-colored vertical cliffs. It is one of the beaches of Aliko nature reserve - a rocky peninsula south of Mikri Vigla, with cedar trees and big sand dunes. There are no facilities and the place is visited by nudists as well.

Aliko is a nature reserve with sand dunes and a couple of beaches, as the largest of them is called Aliko as well. It is next to the abandoned hotel building and the chapel of Agios Georgios. Aliko is peaceful but do not expect to be the only visitors because it has the easiest access from all beaches of the reserve - cars can go directly to the beach via a dirt road crossing the dunes.

The long sandy strip of Kastraki stretches below the peninsula of Mikri Vigla. Its northern end is known as Limanaki and the beach is most shallow there, with two beach cafes. The south end is slowly developing tourism, with small hotels, holiday homes and a few tavernas. In windy days you can enjoy big waves at Kastraki.

Another beach of Aliko reserve but very small and secluded. Mikrolimano (also called Mikro Aliko) is tucked between two sea rocks in front of the abandoned hotel building. The beach is sandy but beware of rocks on the sea bottom.

Pyrgaki is one of the remotest beaches on the west coast of Naxos to escape from crowds. Though there are sections with pebbles, most of this large beach has golden sand and small dunes. Next to the southernmost end of Pyrgaki there are interesting rocks with a small fjord-like canal.

Glyfada is the natural continuation of Kastraki and has the same coarse sand and blue water. It is long and wide but no matter the size, there are no beach facilities and you need to bring your own umbrella. A nice taverna with traditional Greek dishes is available right behind the beach.

Long and sandy Agiassos is the remotest beach on the west coast of the island. No matter its size, it has no beach facilities yet, though there are two tavernas close to the sea. Here kids can enjoy the waves in windy weather because it is shallow many meters away from the shore.

Moutsouna is one of the two settlements on the east coast of Naxos, with a handful of rooms to rent and tavernas to eat. The beaches around it are grouped in a sequence of small sandy coves along the road and next to the seafront tavernas. If it feels too crowded for you, just 1 km north there is a large unspoilt beach with small pebbles called Azalas.

Psili Ammos literally means "fine sand" and the name fully corresponds to this beach. The sand is soft, the water is very shallow around the shore and there are some low trees to hide in the heat. The south end of Psili Ammos is wider, with sand dunes and sea rocks but it never gets crowded due to its location - in the middle of the east coast.

An enormous bay with sandy beach and shallow water, in one of the most wind-protected locations on the island - sounds like perfect. Unfortunately, Kalantos is remote and difficult to reach. Going by boat is ok, as it has a small pier and even two summer tavernas to feed hungry visitors. Going by car is also possible but the road passes through a wild mountainous area and takes a lot of time.

The unusual thing about Panermos beach is the neat row of high palm trees right next to the sea. The shore is sandy, mixed with small and big pebbles but the water is usually calm. There are also two big trees to cast shadow and save you in the heat because the seasonal beach cafe does not provide sunbeds or umbrellas.

Apollonas is the only settlement on the north coast of Naxos, visited mainly for the local landmark Kouros of Apollonas. The village is really small, with a long and narrow beach strip. The beach in front of the tavernas has soft dark sand which turns into pebbles as you move away from the center.

Abrami is a large but secluded beach on the northwest coast of Naxos. It has just a beach taverna and a few small hotels, suitable for quiet holidays and people who like pebbly beaches.