Is it possible to have a Greek island vacation in the spring?
Yes, with some planning and a bit of weather luck. (We loved Naxos.)
For part two of our spring break in Greece (read about part one in Athens here) we hopped on an early morning ferry and headed to Naxos. Naxos is the largest of the Cycladic islands and about 5 hours from Athens by ferry. I had done a good bit of research going into our trip and knew that due it being off-season we should stick with a larger island with a more stable year-round population, though one that was not Santorini or Mykonos as those seemed a little too heavily touristed (and party-oriented in the case of Mykonos) for our tastes.
Naxos was the perfect destination for us—plenty to do for all ages, but still peaceful and quiet as the season wasn’t yet in swing. We did run into some issues with restaurants being closed, and it seemed like if we had visited in early May rather than early April we would have hit the perfect spring scheduling pocket. But, we had absolutely gorgeous weather and the chilly water temperatures (honestly no worse than Portugal’s in the summer) didn’t stop us from having fun at idyllic, empty beaches.
Of course, it’s not all about beaches in Naxos. The island has a huge variety of terrain and topography and was absolutely exploding with wildflowers when we visited. For me, Naxos’ charm lies in being able to mix meandering drives past sun-drenched meadows and grazing sheep up to little village hamlets clinging to the hillsides in the morning, chilling at the beach in the afternoon, and a leisurely dinner at a delicious local taverna in the evening.
Where We Stayed, and Our Favorite Beach
Our favorite beach on the island, which we stayed within walking distance of, was Orkos beach. The beach was wider than next-door Plaka beach, and we had it nearly to ourselves every day we visited. The views were stunning and the water color was absolutely striking. The Orkos beach area has plenty of vacation rentals on the surrounding rocky hillsides, many of which have stunning views of the water and across to Paros.
We liked that the Orkos and Plaka areas had less of a built-up, generic holiday destination vibe than Agios Proprios (which was still mostly shuttered for the season when we were there, but has a nice sheltered beach with lots of condos, souvenir shacks, and drink specials if that’s your summer jam). Perhaps the only downside of Orkos is that it can get windy, making it a major spot for kitesurfing.
All over Naxos, the water was some of the clearest I’ve ever seen, which a little internet sleuthing tells me is because the Mediterranean gets so little inflow from the ocean to stir things up, that nutrients stay at the bottom rather than rising to the top and allowing algae to flourish.
Also, where Kauai has chickens; the Greek islands have cats. One of the local cats walked across the beach to curl right up next to us on the sand during one of our outings, which absolutely delighted our son.
The house we rented was fantastic, probably the nicest vacation rental we’ve ever stayed in, and the off-season pricing was a bonus. I would happily sit on that deck and watch the sunset every night. We also adored the local bakery, ArtoViglismata, which we frequented every morning.
Naxos Town
Arriving by ferry, you disembark in the main town, Naxos. It’s a quintessential cycladic town, with old whitewashed buildings and winding stone alleyways in the historic center. We[1] enjoyed wandering around and winding our way up to the top of the Kastro, was the old Venetian castle. There’s also tons of shopping and restaurants in town, and I imagine the narrow alleyways must get absolutely mobbed in summer.
When you get off the ferry, you’ll also see Naxos’ most iconic site: the gate (Portara) of the Temple of Apollo set on a rocky outcrop connected to the rest of town by a causeway.
Other Towns Around Naxos
Over the course of several slow-paced days, we also managed to see quite a few of Naxos’ small rural towns; here are some highlights:
Chalki – So, despite being recommended in all the guidebooks (as evidenced by the tour buses parked outside of town even in the off-season), this was our least favorite hill town. Perhaps if we had visited a little later in April when the kitron distillery was open for the season it would have been a little more interesting. Chalki is, however, a jumping off point for a delightful walking trail through the countryside, Trail No. 4[2] connecting Chalki to Moni, which winds itself past olive groves and little byzantine chapels and ultimately makes its way uphill to the village of Moni. Information on Naxos hiking trails can be found here: https://www.naxos.gr/category/naxos/activities-recreation-en/hiking-trekking/?lang=en We adored this walk/hike, though to be honest we turned back when it got a bit steep as even in the spring the sun was intense. Though we didn’t complete the full loop we nonetheless enjoyed the gnarly olive trees, vibrant fields of wildflowers, scenic views over Naxos’ rocky hills, and adorable goats.
Filoti- Just past Chalki, you’ll arrive at Filoti. We preferred this town for walking around, and there are a couple of restaurants with delightful patios on the main drag. We enjoyed a leisurely al fresco lunch here to allow our driver (aka my husband, ha) to take a break, before wandering around this scenic village full of whitewashed houses and bougainvillea spilling exuberantly over stone walls and iron gates.
Moni- Once we wound our way in the car uphill to Moni, I was glad we didn’t continue our hike from Chalki, as it would have been quite the uphill slog in the end. This village is quite small, but the locals were friendly and the views from up here were stunning. Head down the staircases (perhaps escorted by a friendly cat) and you’ll find yourself back on the stone path of Trail No. 4 and in 15 minutes or so will arrive at an old stone church from the 6th century.
Eggares – Heading northeast from Naxos town we made our way up to the little village of Eggares, the highlight of which was the excellent Eggares Olive Oil Museum (https://www.olivemuseum.com/), an old olive press which has been in the same family for generations. The women that run the place were so friendly and welcoming and, after demonstrating how the old press worked, proceeded to bring out sample after sample of delicious olive and olive oil based foods. In fact, my favorite most mind-blowing bite of food on the entire trip was here- a spoonful of fresh Greek yogurt topped with olive marmalade. It would never have occurred to me that you could make marmalade out of olives, but holy cow, it was amazing!
Melanes – Clinging to a steep hillside is the tiny town of Melanes. Another town that embraces its rural heritage- we even saw someone riding their horse down the stone steps through the middle of town. I mean, how freaking charming is that? There are a couple of often-recommended local tavernas here specializing in hearty, meaty dishes. Unfortunately, I seem to have gotten food poisoning here, which my son insists was punishment for eating a bunny rabbit. Everyone else was fine, so I guess it was that rascally rabbit dish. But, it didn’t dampen my love for Naxos.
Other Favorite Outings
Cave of Zeus hike— Our favorite hike was the hike partway up Mt. Zas[3] to the cave of Zeus, which according to Greek mythology is where Zeus was raised in secret after his mother hid him from his Titan father. The hike was a steady uphill, with some scrambling over rocks toward the end, and my mom actually turned back due to her fear of heights. But the rest of us took in some epic views and made it to the cave, which apparently has also been used by shepherds throughout the years as evidenced by an abundance of goat poop. There’s not really anything to see in the cave per se, but still a fun hike.
Temple of Demeter – There are a few ancient Greek archaeological sites on the island, but this one seems to be the most complete and impressive. Naxos is famous for its marble quarry (which we didn’t visit, but which we could see on the side of a mountain on the way to Eggares and Melanes) and the temple puts it to good use, gleaming in the sunshine. Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, so it makes sense that her temple would be found here in the midst of rolling hills of verdant farmland. The temple was later converted to a Christian basilica. It was only a couple of Euros to enter and there is also a small museum, which was closed when we were there.
Alyko – For a different coastal vibe, the husband and I ventured down to Alyko. Here you’ll find a scrubby cyprus grove, a couple of picturesque beaches, and most surprisingly the crumbling ruins of a luxury hotel that was never completed, but which now plays host to all kinds of graffiti and street art. It makes for a really strange juxtaposition.
Food Thoughts
Our favorite restaurant on the island was Taverna Axiotissa (https://tavernaaxiotissa.blogspot.com/) with its hearty, delicious, home-cooked, super fresh food and cozy family feel. At one point a cat even jumped into our son’s lap, to give you an idea of the vibes.
Espresso freddos. If you’re not drinking these everyday in Greece when the weather is warm, you’re doing it wrong!
Olive everything. I will be sad when our jar of olive marmalade from Eggares is gone. We get plenty of olives in Portugal, but Greece’s are better.
Xynomyzithra. The local fresh goat cheese on Naxos. Creamy and delicious with a mild tang.
Orange Cake. At every restaurant we ate at in Naxos, they brought us a traditional desert at the end of the meal, on the house. Orange cake, a light fluffy cake soaked through with orange syrup, was my absolute favorite.
Some Final Thoughts
We thought about taking a day trip to Paros, but the ferry schedule just wasn’t advantageous. If we had visited in the summer, I think we would have had more options for exploring other islands, including the sparsely populated small Cyclades. As it was, we didn’t mind that staying on one island gave us ample time to read on the deck and chill at the beach, which provided a good counterpoint to exploring and sight-seeing.
Naxos has an airport, a tiny one, which the staff literally come an unlock about an hour before your flight, and it’s a much quicker (and similarly priced) way to get back to Athens versus the ferry. Note that you can’t fly directly to another island from Naxos, you must go back through Athens, in which case a ferry may be a better option.
As a general rule, but especially during the off-season or shoulder season, do not rely on Google for when things are open. Just… don’t.
If you visit Naxos, you absolutely must rent a car so you can drive around the island and truly experience it.
All in all, Naxos completely charmed me and piqued my interest about other Greek islands. I would absolutely return, though I think the ideal time would be the shoulder season in September or October with the hope of warmer water temps along with the quieter vibe.
[1] Full disclosure: the nine year old did not enjoy walking around in the sun, ha.
[2] Note that the trail often crosses or runs along country roads at times so if you are in doubt as to which way to proceed keep an eye out for little red arrows pointing the way.
[3] With proper hiking gear and plenty of water (the mountains on Naxos are rocky and scrubby so no tree canopy for shade) you could continue to the summit.