9 Best Beaches in Naxos Greece

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Naxos is the largest island in the Cycladic Island group, so it makes sense that it would be absolutely packed with so many wonderful beaches in Naxos Greece that you won’t want to miss out on. 

The island is a paradise for fun things to do, cool hotels, and amazing restaurants, and is also a fantastic Greek island for solo travelers.

If you are planning to spend more time in Greece, don’t miss out on our guide to Athens here and all of the content about Paros here.

Ferries to Naxos

There are ferries several times per day to Naxos from Paros, Mykonos, and Athens. You can check all ferry times and pre-book your tickets (a must during the peak summer season) on Ferry Hopper here.

Is it Always Windy in Naxos?

It is not always windy in Naxos, but it is known to be windy for much of the high season. Naxos is one of the islands in the Cycladic island group that experiences strong Meltemi winds between May and August.

If you aren’t familiar with the Meltemi winds, you’re probably sitting in your hotel in Naxos wondering why the heck it’s so windy outside on your Greek beach vacation.

At least, I was. I couldn’t understand why the wind was ruining my beach days.

The ancient Greeks called this wing the Etesian northerly wind. Etesian comes from the Greek word etos which means “year.” Unfortunately, this wind arrives, without fail, every year.

For the most part, the strong winds don’t last more than a few days and they tend to calm down as the day progresses, so you can enjoy the beach in the afternoons and evenings.

The nice thing about most beaches in Naxos is that many of the beaches are made of pebbles and rocks rather than fine sand, so you don’t lay on the beach and get whipped by all of the sand.

There are also a few bays that are nice and protected from the Meltemi winds. I’ll explore each of those in the list of best beaches in Naxos below.

Are there Sandy Beaches in Naxos?

There are some sandy beaches in Naxos. The biggest one being Plaka Beach.

As I mentioned above, many of the beaches in Naxos are made up of small pebbles and rocks, which in the windy season is great. 

However, many people don’t like this type of beach and would prefer soft sandy beaches. If that’s the case, you will love the beaches along the southwestern part of the island. 

The sandy beaches also tend to still have some pebbles further away from the sea as well as when you walk into the water in some places, but there are some nice sandy beaches south of Plaka as well. 

Getting to the Beaches in Naxos

There is a bus network in Naxos that functions quite well if you want to get to busy beaches like Plaka Agios Prokopios, and Agia Anna.

You can also walk to Agios Georgios if you are staying in downtown Naxos town. 

Buses leave from the main bus station in Naxos and can take you to most parts of the island a few times a day. Tickets vary in price from €1.80-3 depending on where you are traveling to on the island. 

You can buy bus tickets at the Naxos bus station office or at most grocery stores. Tickets at grocery stores must be paid for in cash. You cannot pay for bus tickets on the bus, so make sure you are always prepared with a few extra tickets. Check the bus timetable here.

If you want more flexibility or you want to go further than the main beaches, then you will want to rent a vehicle. The fun and more affordable way to get around the island is to rent a quad bike or scooter. These tend to cost between €20-50 depending on the month (rentals go up significantly for July and August). 

You can also rent a car which is ideal for families or those that don’t want to deal with the Meltemi winds blowing them around the road on a scooter. 

If you are planning to travel to Naxos between July and August, be sure you book your rental car several months in advance. If you wait until you arrive on the island you will likely only be able to rent a scooter or a very large SUV vehicle. Check prices and make bookings on Rentalcars.com here.

Incredible Beaches in Naxos Greece

These are some of the absolute best beaches in Naxos that you will want to add to your Naxos bucket list. 

If you are looking for information about the best hotels and holiday rentals to choose from in Naxos, have a read of the best places to stay in Naxos here. 

1. Plaka Beach Naxos

Best beach in Naxos for windsurfers.

Plaka Beach is the longest and most famous beach in Naxos.

The beach stretches for 4km (2.5 miles) and is wide open, which means you will get plenty of wind.

If you are visiting early in the season around May or June, you will be able to enjoy a calm and wonderful beach experience. You can swim here and relax on the sand. There are hardly any beach clubs or bars along the sand and it is incredibly calm.

However, as the Meltemi wind blows in stronger and stronger, this beach becomes the best place for kite and windsurfers. The length of the beach makes it a perfect place to learn, practice, or improve your craft in these sports. 

There are several kite schools in Plaka that you can check out if you want to get started or rent a kite and board while you are visiting Naxos.

Ride with the Gods has training camps throughout the year as well as kite and wind surfing lessons available.

Thalasea has been operating in Naxos for over 20 years and has some of the most experienced teachers on the island. They have lessons available, a hotel where you can stay, and a restaurant on site as well. You can fully immerse yourself through their programs.

See the location on Google Maps here.

2. Kleftonisia Beach Stelida Naxos

Best beach in Naxos for solitude.

Kleftonisia is a beautiful beach located in the Stelida area of Naxos. Stelida is a town in Naxos that is about 10 minutes south of the main town of Naxos and is a popular place for people to stay thanks to the beautiful hotels and villas that line the little peninsula.

There are a few beaches near Stelida, but the best of all is Kleftonisia. This long sandy beach is one of the best beaches in Naxos and thanks to the fact that there are no beach clubs here and you basically need a car to access it, it is a quiet and peaceful place to spend the day.

Pack everything you will need for a few hours including some food and drinks as there aren’t really any shops without having to leave the beach and head into town.

See the location on Google Maps here.

3. Agios Prokopios

Best beach in Naxos for beach clubs.

This is one of the best beaches in Naxos and is my personal favorite Naxos beach. Agios Prokopios is also a great little town worth spending some time. This is my preferred place to base myself because of how great the beach is, how many restaurants there are here, and for the ease of access to the rest of the island from here.

Agios Prokopios is one of the best beaches in Naxos when the Meltemi winds blow because it is quite sheltered from the northern winds. 

It is also the beach in Naxos if you want to spend a luxurious day at a beach club.

Beach clubs line most of the beach, however, budget-conscious beach-goers fear not! There are also plenty of free spaces at either end of the beach where you can enjoy this beautiful Naxos beach without paying a cent.

Some of the best beach clubs in Agios Prokopios are Macao, Del Mar, and Kahlua. You can expect to pay about €20-25 for the beds closest to the sea and anywhere from €10-20 for the rows closer to the road.

If you are interested in a good spot on the beach at one of these beach clubs, you should book a set in advance. In July and August, especially on weekends, you may not be able to get a bed without a reservation.

Agios Prokopios also has some fantastic restaurants worth visiting. Two of my favorites here are Taverna O Giannoulis and Taverna Perama.

See the location on Google Maps here.

4. Agia Anna

Best beach in Naxos for families.

Located just a few minutes from Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna is within walking distance of Prokopios, but the road gets narrow in some places without any sidewalk, so it’s best to hop on a quad bike or take the bus to the next town for a visit.

Agia Anna is a little bit of a smaller town than Prokopios, but it is has seen significant growth in the last few years and is a nice alternative to Prokopios both in price (it’s slightly cheaper) and in the number of people who frequent its shores (it is much quieter here).

There are a few beach clubs along the beach here as well as plenty of open space to relax in without needing to pay for a sunbed if you don’t want to.

As you come into Agia Anna from Prokopios, there is a little area with trees for shade and a little paddle-boat rental area. The paddleboats have slides on them, so you can paddle out into deeper water and slip-slide right into the Aegean. 

This is a nice family-friendly beach because the water is very shallow and calm and it is relatively sheltered from the winds.

See the location on Google Maps here.

5. Agios Georgios

Best beach in Naxos for proximity to Naxos Town.

Agios Georgios is one of the closest beaches to Naxos downtown. If you are only in Naxos for a night or two before moving onto a different island, this is a great option because you don’t need a car or to take the bus anywhere.

From the port, Agios Georgios is about a 20-minute walk away. Stop at the Naxos Bakery on the way to grab the island’s best pastries or some fantastic sourdough bread (there’s a supermarket on the way too so you can make your own sandwiches).

Agios Georgios has a little bit of everything. It’s family-friendly thanks to the calm waters created by the bay. This also means it isn’t too open to the wind.

It has a few beach clubs with reasonably priced sun beds and umbrellas as well as plenty of places to grab a drink and food without having to leave the beach.

It’s made up of sand and very small pebbles and it is really nice and long, so it’s also a really nice beach to go for a walk on.

See the location of Agios Georgios on Google Maps here.

6. Alyko Beach

Best beach in Naxos for turquoise waters.

Alyko Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Naxos and maybe one of the most beautiful beaches that I’ve personally laid my eyes on.

The whole little peninsula here is well worth checking out. You pretty much need your own vehicle to get here, which means it’s not usually that busy. There is a large parking lot as well, so you don’t have to worry too much about not finding a place to park.

There’s so much parking because Alyko Beach is home to the abandoned Alyko Hotel complex. Take a walk through the hotel that never got a chance to welcome a guest.

It is now covered in beautiful graffiti and murals. Just be careful walking around, there are quite a lot of holes in the ground as the hotel decays.

The beach here is a small patch of soft sand with shallow turquoise water. It is truly stunning and thanks to how shallow the water is, it also tends to feel a little bit warmer than the water at some of the other beaches around Naxos.

There is one small food truck in the parking lot, but otherwise, it’s about 10-minutes from any shops. Come prepared with food and drinks for the day.

See the location of Alyko on Google Maps here.

7. Kastraki Beach

Best beach in Naxos for long walks on soft sand.

This is one of the most beautiful beaches on Naxos if you prefer your beaches to have golden sand and turquoise blue waters. 

There are a few beach clubs here, but it is mostly uninterupted sand for what feels like miles. The bay is a quite open here, so on windy days it’s best for wind surfing rather than laying on a towel to sunbathe.

If you are staying near Plaka and you have a rental vehicle, this is a really great Naxos beach to visit for the day. It’s about a 10-minute drive to get here from Plaka and tends to have way fewer people than Plaka during peak season.

See the location of Kastraki on Google Maps here.

8. Amitis Beach

Best beach in Naxos for golden soft sand.

Amitis is located to the north of Naxos port and is one of the most beautiful beaches in Naxos, you just have to work for it a bit.

You cannot take the bus here, you have to have your own transportation. But with its golden sand and bright blue water, you will feel like you’re on a movie set on a little Greek island rather than 20 minutes from the main town of the largest island in the Cyclades.

There is a little cafe on the beach here but the opening hours seem to vary without much notice. Come prepared with enough food and drink just in case.

See the location of Amitis on Google here.

9. Mikra Bay

Best beach in Naxos for solitude and serenity.

There are so many towns and beaches around Naxos and the further from the port you get, especially if you are driving north from the port, the more likely you are to find little slices of paradise almost all to yourself.

Tourism isn’t the only business on Naxos, so many people live on the island year-round and populate these smaller towns that dot the island. You’ll pass through some of them as you drive towards Mikra Bay. 

Mikra Bay Beach is located at the end of a dirt road to the north of Naxos town. This is a beautiful beach in Naxos that is really only possible to get to with your own car.

Quad bikes handle the road best, but if you have a rental car, just take it slow. The road isn’t impassible, it’s just a bit bumpy in places.

However, at the end of the road is this beautiful little bay with calm waters, soft sand, and not much else. 

See the location of Mikra Bay here.