Naxos (Pop 18,904) is 176km or 3hrs from Athens and only 45min from my last island of Ios. The island is 33km long by 23km wide with highest point at 1003m.
Naxos is famous for the rock “emery” from which is made emery board and white marble. It is also the famed birthplace and upbringing of the Greek King of the Gods ZEUS !!!
Naxos is big. The biggest in the Cyclades. Too big for an idyllic Greek island. The port is way too crowded, touristy and the white-washed cubed seemed to be stacked one on top of the other. I did not like the main port town of Chora but loved the interior villages. Naxos is good for villages. The highlight of these is Apiranthos and Halki, which feature narrow marble streets, old stone houses, abundantly shaded cafes and restaurants – you could easily loose yourself in these villages and sip on wine until you fall out of your seat !!!
A scooter was ideal for my islands leading up to this one but this island definitely needs a car to get around, especially of time is tight.
The beaches are fewer in number despite its size but they are longer and seemed slightly warmer to me. The interior is very mountainous but also very fertile on the lower slopes, so much so that agricultural products such as wheat and barley are exported to the mainland.
I had the best fish and xorta on Naxos. A big 450g Sea Bream with dandelions (xorta) that looked like a bird's nest and were like nothing I had eaten before - light and crunchy !!!
Naxos was my fifth island out of a target of ten so I am officially half-way through the sparkling Aegean.
Enjoy the island of Naxos…
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