lauramsgarden

Beginning to zero in on hotels for Naxos - am intrigued by the Finikas hotel but it seems to be pretty far from Naxos town - near the Cedars forest? and the map indicates it's about a 45 minute drive. Has anyone stayed there and how inconvenient would that be? or should we stick closer to Naxos town. thanks

http://www.finikashotel.gr/

travelerjan

laura it will help get best answers if you don't post questions that assume all readers know your basic facts -- WHEN you plan to be in Naxos, for how long, how many in your party (and age of kids if any) ... I've answered you before, and even I don't remember. Certainly if you are at all off-season, that far from Naxos town is not a good idea. Please, as my bridge playing mother used to say, a review of the bidding ...

lauramsgarden

thanks for the reminder Jan - I'll bid two no trump....just the two of us, and we are looking right now at 4 nights in Naxos starting June 12th, so early season. Have you ever heard of this hotel...it looks nice and the rates are quite reasonable, but I'm concerned that we might find ourselves far from the madding crowd (not that a little peace isn't nice) but would like to be able to try out different restaurants. We will rent a car and spend at least a few days exploring the island...your advice as always is great. (We've got six nights booked for Crete now, and are waiting to see what happens with the situation in Turkey before planning the last installment). thanks

mariha2912

Hello!
This hotel gets good feedback but I am hesitant to suggest the location to a first time visitor in Naxos. Unless you plan to spend most of your time in the hotel and the near by beaches and you seek isolation, I would pick a less remote place. Even more so on June.

The nearest real village is the tiny Sangri inland otherwise it's Agia Anna by the coast. All the places you may see on a map, Ayiassos, Pyrgaki, Alyko, Kastraki, Mikri Vigla, Plaka etc are very nice beaches where you may find a few hotels and studios, some taverns here and there, a couple of watersports' centers and the odd mini-market attached to a hotel or camping. And a few holiday hommes belonging to locals, oddly enough mostly on Pyrgaki and Ayiassos, but not real residences.

travelerjan

Personally, in June its such a pleasure is to walk from Ag. Giorgios beach along the shore walkway into Naxos Town, then sitting down, at the very start of the towns seafront promenade, at the cafe (Day/Night?) at the point, to watch the sunset over the Famous arch on the causeway... then find our way to any one of favorite tavernas ... always a friendly buzz of diners, but never crowded... and later in the evening to stroll back by moonlight.

If you're even more indolent, you can just toddle over to one of the tavernas right on Ag. G. beach ... Kavouri or Nikos ... chairs are in the sand, just 3 yards or so from the water's edge. (In june, it's good to stop over earlier & see what they're making for dinner, and reserve a share of your favorite items). Sit in the quiet, and watch the stars come out... Just thinking of it brings serenity.

BeniciaChris

We spent a week in Hotel Liana in September. Our friends had a car but there was a bus stop just down the street.We paid extra for a sea view & just loved it.

lauramsgarden

Thanks all, this is ever so helpful

Heimdall

June 12th is early enough in the season that it won't be too crowded in Naxos Town. The Viking invasion begins later in the month when schools, first in Sweden and then Norway, break up for the summer. Naxos Town is the best base, IMO, and most of the hotels are near Agios Georgios beach. There are better beaches outside of town easily reached by bus.

stanbr

As Jan and Heimdall say St George is a preferred location particularly in the early season. There will be enough people around to make it interesting but not crowded.
There are lots of good small family run hotels lining the beach in all price ranges.
It is an easy walk into Naxos town waterfront promenade.
Here are some images
St George Beach Hotels Naxos http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632162394787/
St George Beach Naxos http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632113170279/
Naxos Town http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632094558042/
A week in Naxos https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7645113682278/

lauramsgarden

Hotel Nissaki it is - thank you all for your help. Now on to the beginning part of the trip - Athens, Delphi and Meteora. So appreciate all the open-hearted help

stanbr

Images of the rest of your trip
Olympia Delfi Meteora https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7645469717811/
Athens http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632121475515/
Lots to see

lauramsgarden

thanks Stanbr, any hotel recommendations?

travelerjan

On Delphi's main street are a number of budget Hotels, the one where we stayed (at the recommend of a Greek friend "Mariha" who is in the travel business), was Hotel Pan, on the downhill side of the street. The owner, at the desk, said we have rooms at 35€ single at the back on this floor, would you like them? Uh, I thought, not upstairs? "Let's see them," I said.

We followed him down a corridor behind the lobby and into a room. The drapery stirred from Breezes wafting thru the french doors. We stepped out on the balcony. Hawks were circling .... below us. We looked down down down to a backyard vineyard Faaaar below us, then out, toward the mountain sloping into a valley of olive groves golden in the setting sun, and beyond that, the silver gleam of the sea. "Uh, this will be OK," I said.

It was 6 pm and he advised us to go to the museum since it was open until 8 ... it was almost totally deserted! Signage is very good, so one can enjoy it as a D-I-Y -- and a good guide book helps. At Sunset we sat down at a cafe further down the main street, across from what was then the bus stop (it's since been moved near the museum & ruins site). It has outdoor terrace, and interior with teens, pool table, music. We ordered spaghetti, and the waitress brought a pitcher of the BEST WATER I have ever tasted in MY LIFE. It comes straight down from the snow pack atop the mountains.

Hotel Pan's owner served us breakfast early so we could be at the ruins site at opening 8 AM. we had almost 3 hours with virtually no one there to enjoy, before the bus tours arrived. It was a wonderful experience. In my first trip to Delphi, in '99, I foolishly took a day-trip bus, and it was tiring & frustrating. So glad I did it the right way, 2nd time around.

lauramsgarden

Thanks Jan, sounds absolutely lovely