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Is Naxos worthwhile if not planning to spend time on the beach?

Is Naxos worthwhile if not planning to spend time on the beach?

Old Apr 19th, 2014, 04:54 AM
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Is Naxos worthwhile if not planning to spend time on the beach?

Hi all! We are in the process of planning our first trip to Greece in early October. I have been lurking and reading for a couple of weeks and am now ready to start asking questions.

Our first stop is going to be Santorini (3 or 4 nights) and then from there I was planning to spend 2 or 3 nights in Naxos in order to experience another island with a different vibe. After that we would fly/ferry to Athens, pick up a rental car and head towards the Peloponnese for the next 2 weeks.

We would be arriving in Naxos on September 30, give or take a day.

Here is where I'm having second thoughts about this.

We live in Puerto Rico, we have amazing beaches available at all times so beach-going is not a priority for us while on vacation. We love history, people-watching, sightseeing, museums, natural views, driving, hiking, and -above all- eating (and drinking). I can see ourselves spending time on a beach bar watching the world go by for a couple of hours per day but certainly not for more than that.

So, after reading up, I'm beginning to wonder if we should go to Naxos at all or spend our precious vacation days somewhere else in the Peloponnese.

Thoughts?
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Old Apr 19th, 2014, 06:02 AM
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In so many islands, from Early september on, the place empties out, and cafes and shops are shuttered, as seasonal owners rush back to the mainland to put heir kids in school. Not Naxos, it's a year-round community … with SO much to offer aside from the beach!

The port town is fascinating… you can spend an entire day wandering the mazey agora lanes, the BEST (tiny) museum in the Cyclades, with the world's biggest collection of those mysterious idol statuettes … the Kastro with its 16th century interior, the venetian palace, the Mycenean graveyard discovered a couple of years ago in the Cathedral plaza. And that's just the town. It's got some of the best hiking in the Cyclades http://www.cycladen.be/NaxosEng.htm Unlike Santorini, Naxos is lush & fertile and even after 5 months without rain, the crops continue -AND it's wine-making time! Naxos doesn't have fancy (pricey) gourmet restaurants, just authentic tavernas serving fresh from the farm produce & meats (there's a local store that sells local olive oil, wine and raki in recycled Pepsi bottles, plus all the local nuts, dates, herbs spices, in bins). … Naxos has dramatic inland scenery, mountains valleys, villages. Even with its tourist amenities, traditional life continues outside of the beach areas. Rent a car, go find the temple ruins on a hilltop, kouros statue in an orchard, wait patiently while herds of sheep or goats block the road.

Naxos is especially good destination for your off-season visit, because it has one of the largest permanent populations, so its port town keeps lively all year. You should stay at the adjacent beach area (St. George/Ag. Giorgios) just because it's lovely to wake up there (lots of trees & greenery) … and its' just a 10-minute stroll to harborside. During your visit, the seafront tavernas will have mainly local customers… Naxians like to eat out, all year long.
I've been to 25+ islands and all over the peloponnese since '99, and Iv'e returned to naxos 11 times Spring & fall, and never run out of discoveries. For a quick visual taste of Naxian highlight I love stanbr's "sampler album" http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7634605629689/

If u are set on the Peloponnese I would recommend a stay in Nafplio, in the Old Town, and doing drives/hikes in the Argolid area … another place that is enjoyable in early Autumn. Here's the best comprehensive (AND noncommercial) website for Nafplio and the surrounding areas: http://www.visitnafplio.com/visitnafplio.com/Home.html
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Old Apr 19th, 2014, 08:05 AM
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Is it worthwhile? Well how do you expect anyone to answer that? It all depends on what YOU consider worthwhile.

Travelerjan has made a very strong case for 'yes it is' and I would not disagree with anything she has written. What I would be more likely to disagree with is how much time YOU have allowed for it. It's simply not enough in my opinion.

So that then changes the question in my mind to, should you include it or not? The island is worth visiting but should you visit it on this trip for just 2 or 3 nights. I'd say no.

If you can't spend at least a week, why spend a day getting to/from the island? That's lost time.

I think you are suffering a little from the 'to see as much as possible' syndrome. The problem is that the word 'much' and the word 'many' are not synonymous. The way to see/do as much as possible is to spend time IN places, not in BETWEEN places. In travel as in many things, less is more. Move less, see/do more.

So you either have to give it enough time to be worth spending the time getting to/from the island or skip it for this trip.
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Old Apr 19th, 2014, 09:45 AM
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Naxos is fine. But if you are looking for Greek temples or medieval citywalls, you may be wrong.
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Old Apr 19th, 2014, 10:10 AM
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I was only there in summer but I can certainly see how it would be great off season. I actually only had two nights there and had a great time. I debated long and hard whether to do two or three islands in the week I had (I also had another week for Athens/mainland) and decided on three - so had 2 nights each in Santorini, Naxos and Paros and was very happy with my choice. I do normally prefer to stay in one place more than 2 nights, but in this case the transportation between them - the ferry - was part of the experience and not a deterrent so moving about every couple days was fine. We did not feel rushed and felt we saw a nice amount of the island. Everyone has different styles of travel but I certainly doubt most people would need an entire week on Naxos in order to see and enjoy it. Now if you were talking about Paris or London I'd have a different point of view.

Here is my trip report - http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm
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Old Apr 19th, 2014, 10:59 AM
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We spent three nights in Naxos, and had a wonderful time. I think it's definitely worth a visit, whether long or short, and agree with the post above that the ferry getting there is part of the experience.
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Old Apr 19th, 2014, 12:24 PM
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Thanks to all for the replies.

Jan, you make a very compelling case!

dulcie, one day, when I grow up and not be limited to three weeks per year to see the world, I will become a Slow Traveler. Until then, I have to move from one place to another. Sad. Wasteful. I know.

Isabel, superb photos as always. I remember seeing them in 2009 and actually started planning this trip then.

The alternative is substituting Naxos and cutting a few days elsewhere to include (dulcie will faint with this one!) Crete for 5 nights. Well... no Crete per se, just Chania and surroundings. Airfare and travel time seems quite favorable at the moment to fly into Chania, better than to Santorini.
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Old Apr 19th, 2014, 12:53 PM
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isabel & WWK - how is the ferry part of the Naxos (or any island) experience? I took a look at your photos, isabel, and the ferry appears to be large and modern. It looks like the ferry I took across the English Channel on my second trip (restaurant, elevators, many levels - it took forever to figure out how to get on the deck). I much preferred the first ferry I took as it was small and had wooden benches on the deck and there was only one level.

What makes this ferry special and are there any old, small ferries still around? Like the one in the movie, Shirley Valentine?
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Old Apr 19th, 2014, 01:09 PM
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A few years ago I traveled by ferry from Santorini to Naxos in October, spent a week and liked it very much, better by far than Santorini. Then on to Turkey, also by ferry. Just adding another vote to the consensus above. I liked it well enough that I think I'd like to go back sometime for a much longer off-season stay.

Oh, btw, I also lived in PR at one time.
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Old Apr 19th, 2014, 01:33 PM
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adrienne,

The ferry is pretty standard, but when it arrives into the harbor, The Gates of Apollo come into view, which makes for a spectacular entrance. Much more exciting than coming through another airport!
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Old Apr 19th, 2014, 01:37 PM
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marigross,

We loved Chania, too, although we only had a few days there. It is home to The Samaria (sp?) Gorge, Europe's larges, which makes for a strenuous but beautiful hike. And town is fantastic for exploring. Tough choice between Chania and Naxos!
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Old Apr 19th, 2014, 02:53 PM
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"Everyone has different styles of travel but I certainly doubt most people would need an entire week on Naxos in order to see and enjoy it. Now if you were talking about Paris or London I'd have a different point of view."

Well, everyone does have different styles of travel isabel. I once went to a Greek island expecting to spend only a week and stayed for 7 years. I'm sure I could have stayed on Naxos for that long as well. Where I would most certainly NOT want to spend any real length of time is in ANY city.

Marigross you are of course free to do as you please. It's your time and your dime as the saying goes. However, I cannot agree with the statement you made above.

"Until then, I have to move from one place to another. Sad. Wasteful. I know."

It is a CHOICE each of us makes about how to use whatever amount of time we have available. There is no 'have to' involved.

What I find interesting is that you say you 'know' it is sad and wasteful and yet you do it anyway. Quantity or quality, is always a choice. I'll always choose quality over quantity.

To be honest, given your plan I would actually skip Santorini and spend the whole week on Naxos before heading to the mainland. I find Santorini over-rated and actually one of the few islands where I can't imagine spending more than a couple of days. It's a 'been there, done that' kind of place to me like the Cinque Terre in Italy has become.
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Old Apr 19th, 2014, 03:33 PM
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I find myself agreeing with everything, d., above has said. Having been, as I mentioned, to both Santorini and Naxos on the same trip, I wouldn't dream of returning to the former and would gladly stay some time on Naxos. It's what I think of as a "real" place, comfortable for residents and for those wishing to take advantage of that.

And, I think, quite true about how one uses their resources, including time. It's always one's prerogative to choose and I think many choose greedily, too many places in far too short a time and end up with very little in the way of feeling for where they've been.
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Old Apr 19th, 2014, 08:11 PM
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I often think, in these discussions about what amount of time to spend where, that posters & responders should say where they're coming from. People who live in Europe or UK invest 3-4 hours per flight and a few hundred Euros, and plan to return, if not every year, then at least a number of times. some Brits or Europeans tend to look at a jaunt to Greece somewhat the same way AMericans from Northern states regard a trip to Florida or Arizona -- a quick getaway for a few hundred dollars.

If one is from North America, employers are MUCH stingier about annual leave time -- 2 weeks total for many under 50, 3 weeks is considered generous… and that includes any time taken around Christmas.

ALso, travel from North AMerica (when you add in the clock-time change) can take from 15 - 24 hours… and the round-trip fare can range from $1200+ to $1600 USD (€900-€1200)… a steep rise from 5-6 years ago. Thus, even getting to Greece becomes a "Quest" … and most ordinary Americans/Canadians may not come this way again, at least for many years. Thus the urgency to experience many things … even if seems rushed to others.
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Old Apr 19th, 2014, 08:17 PM
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>

That sounds wonderful! So it's the arrival by ferry rather than the ferry itself that's the experience. Someday I'll get to Greece. I should plan for it next spring.
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Old Apr 20th, 2014, 03:54 AM
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dulcie, one of the most disappointing moments of my travel life was getting off the train in Veranazza and hitting the full-body contact mob in the main street. Totally claustrophobic. The fact that the hotel room was not -ahem- great, did not help. Around 8:00PM, when the crowds dispersed enough to actually see the town I began to relax and enjoy myself. The hike from town to town around 6:00am was glorious. But for me, the Cinque Terre, never again.

However, even knowing what I'm getting into, I want to see Santorini with my own eyes. I have reduced the time, I think I will only spend two nights so that I can spend 5 nights in Chania.

Seriously now, we are getting old enough to actually stay longer periods of time at each location. Last year we actually spent 3 weeks in Valencia, our favorite place in Spain. But if one does not go out and do a go-do-and-see vacation, how would we ever find our next favorite place?

jan, I have made it a condition with my employer that I'm allowed to take 3 weeks off every year. The down side is that I do not take days here and there scattered in the year.

btw, your are absolutely right, the flight from PR to any of the islands will set me back $1300 and at least 24hrs of travel time.
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Old Apr 20th, 2014, 07:44 AM
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Two night in Santorini is enough, but it really is spectacular and well worth a visit. We loved Crete, staying in Chania for 5 nights or so and exploring Crete by car. If you go to Chania first and then transfer to Heraklion for a night you could see Knossos as well as the excellent Archeological Museum there, and then ferry to Santorini. Ferry onward to Naxos and then fly back to Athens. Be sure and get to your last stop ( which I assume is Athens?) before flying home at least one day ahead of your flight in case of any strikes along the way that might hold you up...we found strikes of one type or another a constant when we were in Greece in fall 2012.

Ironically we went to Naxos for a week and were ready to leave after a few days...we DID want a beach vacation there ( in addition to to exploring the towns,driving the hills, etc.) and were disappointed by the beaches (but then we used to live in St. Croix and have been spoiled by Caribbean beaches for life!)
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Old Apr 20th, 2014, 08:44 AM
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travelerjan makes excellent points in the post above. With so little vacation time in the U.S. and fares to Greece hovering in the $2,000 range for economy, many travelers will want to get in as much as possible.

And even if fares weren't so high, how do you find your next favorite place, as Marigross points out, unless you are on a "go-see-do" vacation?
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Old Apr 20th, 2014, 09:07 AM
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Travelerjan, I have spent most of my life living in N. America and can appreciate the costs, the likelyhood of returning and the 'urge' to experience 'as much as possible' in one trip.

However, that does not make it a good idea in my opinion to give in to that urge, anymore than it is a good idea to try to eat an entire box of chocolates in one go.

I am in complete agreement obviously with MmePerdu's comment, "It's always one's prerogative to choose and I think many choose greedily, too many places in far too short a time and end up with very little in the way of feeling for where they've been."

Explaining why people do what they do is all well and good. It doesn't make what they do a good idea though does it.

Marigross, if someone insists on something like the CT, I suggest they stay in Portovenere and take the ferry to the CT for a day. http://goitaly.about.com/od/portoven...ortovenere.htm

I can understand if you have a real desire to see Santorini. It's like people who want to see Niagara Falls. Just gotta do it. What I ask them is how long they can stand and watch water fall off a rock?

Should they see it, yes but whether it is worth staying for long is another question entirely. If it is a must it is entirely possible to visit Santorini as a day trip from Naxos. I'm not a fan of 'tours' but such tours from Naxos do exist. http://www.naxostours.net/cruises/santorini-3/

Or you can do so on your own obviously. You don't have to stay in Niagara Falls, Ontario to 'see' the falls.

"But if one does not go out and do a go-do-and-see vacation, how would we ever find our next favorite place?" That is a good question. All I can say is that having done a great deal of travel in my time, I have come to the conclusion that there is a near limitless number of places where I would like to visit or re-visit. No one will ever get to them all or discover all the ones that would become 'favourites'.

That being said, I will not compromise quality for quantity and that is in fact what you are really asking about. Should you compromise quality because you would like to see quantity? For me that is a NO, NO, NO.

If you are now planning on Chania then I would forget both Naxos AND Santorini. For me the choice would be Chania area for a week then on to the mainland OR Naxos for a week (with a day trip to Santorini) then on to the mainland. If you chose Chania, then I would fly to the mainland, not spend time on a ferry.
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Old Apr 20th, 2014, 09:17 AM
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I do not think all 'two or three night stays' are created equal. If, in order to transfer from point A to point B, requires several hours on a boring train (or a flight with the required check-in time, etc) and then a metro or taxi ride from the station to the hotel -- all in all taking 5 or 6 hours or more - that's a lot different from walking five minutes to the harbor and getting on a boat (even a big one) and sitting on a deck with the sun in your face and the wind in your hair for two or three hours, then walking another five minutes to your next hotel. For me anyway, that's just a pleasant way to spend a few hours versus the relative drudgery of metro/train/metro/walk to get to the next destination.

Also, in the case of Naxos or Santori or such, they are tiny, you can get your bearings in no time and you can walk around much of the place in a few hours. Versus a large city where each 'sight' or neighborhood that you want to explore can be a half hour or more on a metro or a long boring walk. I personally love big cities and spend lots of my vacation time in them, it's just you need to allow more time to get oriented and to get around. So I think two days in a city - then a half to two thirds day travel to the next - only to spend two days there. Those kinds of two days stays are not 'worth in' IMO whereas a two day stay on a tiny Greek island with a pleasant boat ride between them is.
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