10 Best Naxos Towns and Resorts

Hora (or Naxos Town, as it's commonly known) is the capital and main port of Naxos Island. As you might expect from such a place, it's got a lively atmosphere and a lot of tourist facilities, including a bumper crop of hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and shops.

Naxos Town is a very practical, convenient and enjoyable place to stay during your vacation to Naxos. The excellent Saint George Beach (Agios Georgios Beach) is right on your doorstep. Some of the most interesting attractions on the island are nearby, including the Temple of Apollo and the Archeological Museum of Naxos.

The star attraction of Agios Prokopios is undoubtedly the white-sand beach that the village is named after, along with the sapphire waters gently washing against it. Further inland, you'll find an excellent selection of hotels and the Aqua Fun waterpark. The village of Stelida is also close by, occupying the hills northwest of Agios Prokopios, which also has plenty of places to stay.

The entire area has a good choice of eateries and a few small shops. The beach is known for its great water sports, particularly windsurfing. There are some delightful sights to see nearby too, including salt flats and ancient churches. The overall result is a family-friendly destination with a little bit of everything, but also a little quieter than Naxos Town, which is just 5 km away.

Agia Anna may have been a small fishing village once, but it has long-since become a tourist-friendly area in Naxos. The beautiful beach has plenty of umbrellas and sun loungers for rental, with a line of restaurants and bars just over the road from the shore. Behind that is a good choice of hotels, with more luxurious villas further back over the fields.

That's not to say that Agia Anna has completely lost its heritage. The small pier towards the southern end of the beach is still used by fishing boats. The place still has the size and atmosphere of a village, though it's sometimes considered an extension of Agios Prokopios, as the 2 are very close together.

The tiny village of Plaka is right at the southern end of a massive beach of the same name. At about 4 km in length (though parts of it go by other names), it reaches right up to the outskirts of Agio Anna, with lots of hotels and restaurants along the way. Plaka village itself is comparatively modest, consisting of just a few dozen villas and apartment complexes.

Plaka is an excellent place to stay if you intend to rental a car during your time on Naxos. With few other facilities in walking distance, you'll need wheels if you're going to get food or check out the island's attractions. However, if you're looking for a peaceful beach destination, you won't have to go anywhere.

Mikri Vigla is one of the top spots in Naxos for water sports. If you want to try kitesurfing or windsurfing, the beautiful white-sand beach here is the spot for you. There are plenty of places in the tiny village that you can rent the gear from, as well as a few cozy tavernas you can relax in afterwards.

Accommodations options in Mikri Vigla mostly consist of apartments at the end of dusty tracks, so you'll certainly get a nice quiet-village vibe from there place. The cape at the heart of the village is home to a rare cedar-tree forest and the surrounding hillsides are worth exploring for their little archeological details.

Kastraki is one of the best villages in Naxos for a romantic getaway. Aside from the fact that it's far enough away from anywhere else to be quiet and secluded – about 16 km south of Naxos Town – it also enjoys beautiful sunsets across crystals seas and a white-sand beach. Be sure to take a romantic afternoon stroll along the coast, among the cedar trees while you're here.

However, romantic seclusion is not the same as isolated. Fortunately, Kastraki has just enough facilities to make it a comfortable place to stay, including good choices of accommodations and tavernas.

Apollonas is one of very few popular beach resort destinations on Naxos' rugged east coast. At 36 km from Naxos Town, it takes quite a long drive to get here, but it's worth the journey for the quaint fishing village atmosphere and historical significance of the place. Apollonas was once the main port for exporting Naxos marble across Greece and the Mediterranean.

A few points of historical interest still endure around Apollonas, including the ruins of a prehistoric fort and a couple of ancient, half-finished kouros statues in the hills behind the village. Closer to the pebbly shore, you'll find some great seafood eateries and a few small hotels.

Apiranthos (or Apérathos) is a charming mountainside town with beautiful marble architecture throughout. It has almost no hotels or guesthouses, so it's definitely a place to visit rather than book a hotel in when you're looking for where to stay in Naxos. However, it deserves a place on your bucket list all the same.

The picturesque streets are lined with traditional buildings, some of which house local cafés and tavernas. There's also a choice of museums to visit, including the Archeological Museum, Folk Art Museum and the Geological Museum of Apiranthos. The whole town is virtually a living museum, having changed little since Venetian times.

Halki (or Chalkio) was once the capital and beating heart of Naxos, though you'd be forgiven for not realizing it. While it's geographically right in the center of the island, up in the hills and mountains, the town consists of just a few streets. Even that small amount of urbanization is packed with traditional charm, though.

Check out the many ancient churches that surround Halki, some dating back to the Byzantine era. The frescoes of the Church of Saint George Diasoritis are especially noteworthy and worth the 600-meter hike to get there. There are also some well-preserved Venetian towers to see, and you can enjoy the views across the Tragea Valley and its many olive plantations.

Koronos is a fascinating traditional village clinging to the side of a verdant valley in the northeast of Naxos. Its mountainside location means that some of the streets and alleyways between whitewashed houses and charming tavernas are quite steep and stepped, so make sure you're wearing comfortable shoes during your visit.

There are a few sights to explore in Koronos, including interesting museums and the old Church of Agia Marina in the center of town, but the star attraction is just the atmosphere. With ample local wine produced by several local vineyards and lots of little local cafés in the public squares to enjoy it in with the welcoming locals, it's a delightful place to relax and simply soak up the scene.