2.5 days in Naxos - What to do???
Apr 30th, 2015, 09:49 PM
#1
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2.5 days in Naxos - What to do???
Hi,
We are a large family of 6 adults and 3 kids (1, 4, 7) who are in Naxos May 20-22. We take the Blue Star ferry reaching around noon and fly out in the morning of May 23.
Any not to miss sights or activities that we can do? We are interested in local greek food, local experiences, sightseeing, and photography. Do I need to rent a car while there? Is the island small enough to cover in a couple of days?
Thanks Fodorites.
SS
We are a large family of 6 adults and 3 kids (1, 4, 7) who are in Naxos May 20-22. We take the Blue Star ferry reaching around noon and fly out in the morning of May 23.
Any not to miss sights or activities that we can do? We are interested in local greek food, local experiences, sightseeing, and photography. Do I need to rent a car while there? Is the island small enough to cover in a couple of days?
Thanks Fodorites.
SS
May 1st, 2015, 12:20 AM
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Naxos is the larger island of the Cyclades and covers about 430 square kms (165 square miles I believe?). While most Cycladic islands are mainly small dry and barren rocks in the middle of the sea with only a few settlements or the one village, Naxos features a diverse landscape and features Mt Zas about a km tall, many running waters and it is a fertile island. There are tons of inland villages and while tourism gets more and more important nowadays, this is a fertile island and many locals deal with agriculture and stay put on their villages rather than go work on beach resorts or migrate off the island. Public bus connects only a few of the mountain villages to town and on May I do not think many routes for tourism purposes will be added yet. Mostly early morning buses villages to town,then noon buses the reverse route to serve local population than the other way around.
Naxos has a very rich history from antiquity though Byzantine times, Venetian Rule and so on and there are traces from this everywhere. Naxos Town is an interesting mix of Cycladic and Venetian architecture and ancient ruins to be seen and there are all kind of sites and sights all over the island. there are two or three travel agents on Naxos Town that organise bus tours taking some of those every now and then, no guarandees though, especially on May.
There are kms after kms of long sandy beaches on the side of Naxos where the main town stands, but very diverse coves, beaches and scenery all around the island. Public bus will be fine to explore the strech Naxos Town till Plaka, but I doupt more than that. There are gorgeous beaches to explore firther south from Plaka while the less developped,east side of the island is interesting too but you have to climb up and down the mountain, no easy access and no public transport there.
So no, Naxos is not small enough to cover in a couple of days!
If car hire is an option, I would try to plan sort of a road trip taking some of the highlights for at least one day.
PS:
No intension to be patronising or anything, but if you make arrangements to go somewhere, shouldn't you have an idea of how large the place is and what there is to see and do there?
Naxos has a very rich history from antiquity though Byzantine times, Venetian Rule and so on and there are traces from this everywhere. Naxos Town is an interesting mix of Cycladic and Venetian architecture and ancient ruins to be seen and there are all kind of sites and sights all over the island. there are two or three travel agents on Naxos Town that organise bus tours taking some of those every now and then, no guarandees though, especially on May.
There are kms after kms of long sandy beaches on the side of Naxos where the main town stands, but very diverse coves, beaches and scenery all around the island. Public bus will be fine to explore the strech Naxos Town till Plaka, but I doupt more than that. There are gorgeous beaches to explore firther south from Plaka while the less developped,east side of the island is interesting too but you have to climb up and down the mountain, no easy access and no public transport there.
So no, Naxos is not small enough to cover in a couple of days!
If car hire is an option, I would try to plan sort of a road trip taking some of the highlights for at least one day.
PS:
No intension to be patronising or anything, but if you make arrangements to go somewhere, shouldn't you have an idea of how large the place is and what there is to see and do there?
May 1st, 2015, 07:44 AM
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You really do not have much time. I would suggest you base yourselves at St George beach which is part of Naxos town. You get a beach vacation with all the activities of town. Frankly if that is all you do 2.5 days will fly by.
I do like gregs suggestion that you take the local bus up to Aparanthos. it is a mountain village with the alleys paved in Marble. It is a good day excursion.
Of course there is the round the island bus tour. you will have to get into a travel agent as soon as you arrive in Naxos and see what days the tour is running.
Photography. Naxos is a dream location.
Naxos Town http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632094558042/
A week in Naxos https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7645113682278/
Trip around Naxos http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7634605629689/
I do like gregs suggestion that you take the local bus up to Aparanthos. it is a mountain village with the alleys paved in Marble. It is a good day excursion.
Of course there is the round the island bus tour. you will have to get into a travel agent as soon as you arrive in Naxos and see what days the tour is running.
Photography. Naxos is a dream location.
Naxos Town http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632094558042/
A week in Naxos https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7645113682278/
Trip around Naxos http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7634605629689/
