el13207

Planning trip to Naxos in mid-Sept. for 4 nights as part of our 1st trip to Greece (Crete, Santorini, Naxos and Athens), and need help with selecting a beach hotel. We are 58/61, love fine sand, turquoise water, un-touristy beaches (read no to banana boats, kitesailing, bumper to bumper bodies and yes to a few beachside cafes with rentable loungers). We'd like to spend no more than 100 or so euros a night, don't need TV or nightlife, would like good if simple food. Probably will rent a car to go exploring the island and other beaches.

Any advice? Thinking right now about Liana Hotel/Studios in Agios Prokopios (which sounds like a beautiful beach), Medusa beach in Plaka (ditto), Faros on Aliko Beach or Hotel Grotta in Naxos City where obviously the beach would take a backseat to being near the restaurants, shops, etc.

Thanks.

parosblue

The local expert on Naxos is travelerjan but she is over there right now. The Greek islands do not have the fine sand and turquoise water like the Carribbean, The beaches are very beautiful yet more rugged. The sand is coarser and pebbly and some are covered with smooth rocks. Many are very private. Rent a car to get to remote beaches down dirt tracks. Sometimes the way to get to a great beach, you will need to hike in or take a boat. My husband and I are in our 60s and love nothing better than exploring the beaches in Greece. Enjoy.

stanbr

Given you are going to Naxos in Mid September you are in the shoulder season and stuff starts to slow down. You have clearly identified two of the best beaches on Naxos but you need to be commited beach addict to choose a beach vacation in the shoulder season.
For us Greece is not about beaches but rather about a culture thousands of years old, ancient towns where you can step back into history and imagine lives lived. Absolutely the beach is an important part of Greece but it is secondary to experiencing life in an ancient society.

In Naxos consider St George Beach area. It is a good beach and is directly adjacent to Naxos town. In September the town will still have a buzz going into the shoulder season so you can get the best of a beach vacation with all the activities of the town including dining shopping and a smattering of antiquities.

If you absolutely have to have a superior beach day then catch the local bus to Plaka beach about 5 euros for two and spend the day there but you will appreciate being back in Naxos town for the activities of the evening.

Here are our pictures of Naxos
http://travel.webshots.com/album/552001505EYxVYT

and Naxos town
http://travel.webshots.com/album/577942756YgKLfl

In Jans absence I can tell you that she and her travel group will be staying at St George where we will be meeting them in about two weeks.

el13207

Stanbr,
Thanks for your feedback. Are there any hotels you'd recommend in the St. George's area? Are you familiar with the Grotta Hotel, and if so what can you tell me about it?

stanbr

Grotta hotel is very well respected and has an excellent reputation. It however is no where near the beach so you will have at least a 15 minute walk to get to the beach and then of course all the way back. Grotta is well positioned for Naxos town but it is situated up a hill so at night the walk up the path can be interesting. St George is also close to town but on streets all the way. I would likely choose Grotta in the off season for its great views and when the beach is not important.
At your budget Hotel Glaros is a good choice in St George. It is about 15 meters from the beach, It is small and family run. Virtually next door but without sea view is Hotel Galini. Great breakfast.
http://travel.webshots.com/album/577944630zjGouH
You could also try Asteria which is directly on the beach. Hotel Spiros one of my favourites is in you price range has kitchen facilities and a pool but is back about 200 meters from the beach. It does have ocean views from the second floor.
http://travel.webshots.com/album/577937409BloLVg
Hotel Galaxy is the more luxurious hotel in this list. it is beside Spiros on the ocean side about 100 meters from the beach. it is probably above your price range but you might get it at a reduced price if you do a walk up in September.
Galaxy
http://travel.webshots.com/album/577938219xWoGvP
Glaros
http://travel.webshots.com/album/65008339YYjlTb
I understand the hotel was remodeled this winter so the pictures probably are not representative any more.

Heimdall

On the other hand, Grotta Hotel is nearer the main bus station, so if you wish to use the better beaches south of town (Prokopios, Plaka, etc), or take the bus to the mountain villages, it's more convenient. I'll admit I haven't stayed there, though. I use Hotel Argo in St George, and catch the bus to the beaches as it is leaving town. St George Beach is okay, but I never swim there.

Chania

I also rely on Hotel Argo as a first choice. I like the town beach and it has never been busy in May or early June. I like Hotel Argo because it has some units with kitchenettes and I get a ground floor unit so I have an outdoor eating spot with an easy walk to the beach and town. There are lots of other choices at that time of the year depending on what you want.

BeachGirl247

We visited Plaka beach and lunched at Villa Medusa for the afternoon yesterday and enjoyed it very much, so much we're going out again today. The sand is nice to walk on and the water is beautifully clear and easy to swim. You can walk for a long distance either direction and right now there isnt much of a crowd and the temps are perfect. It was a perfect addition to a day of driving in the countryside.

We're on St George beach at Hotel Nissaki. Not a great beach for us as it's not as clear and is very shallow for a long distance. It's a perfect beach for families with small children as it's very calm water.

Robbietravels

We're headed for Naxos tomorrow. Staying at Medusa for 4 nights to end our Istanbul/Greek Island sojourn. I'll post here my feedback on the hotel. We're paying 125E, might be less when you are going.

Quark

When we stayed on Naxos we chose Agios Prokopios Hotel. It is not on the beach but a short distance away. We thought the beach was beautiful and we love the Caribbean. The hotel was very basic but suited our needs. There are restaurants and markets right in the area as well as a bus stop where you can get the bus into the port area. One of the best Gyros we had in Greece was on the main road just across from the turn in to the street the hotel is on. It's a little place run by a Greek family. They had the best tzatziki sauce too. The beach at mikri vigla was very nice. We rented an ATV for a couple of days and had a blast. One of the places we found was Apollonas, a small fishing village. We had a terrific seafood lunch, spent some time on the little beach and then saw the Kouros in the hills. Enjoy your time there.

el13207

BeachGirl247 and Robbietravels- I'm interested in your feedback regarding the Medusa...We have booked 4 nights there for our stay in mid-Sept., based on various reviews which comment favorably on both the hotel and the beach. Decided against staying at the Grotta or anywhere else in town because we really do love unspoiled beaches. Since we will be staying in town (Chania)while on Crete and in town (Oia) while in Santorini prior to our stay in Naxos and ultimately Athens, we decided to make Naxos more of a beach focus, while still planning on renting a car to explore the rest of the island.
Thanks to everyone else for their feedback, all of which we are taking into account.

BeachGirl247

I can only comment on the beach, restaurant, envorons, etc. We thought it was a beautiful, remote place with a lovely, accommodating staff. There is a deck with chairs and sofas shaded by umbrellas to ejoy relief from the sun. Loungers with umbrellas on the beach are for your use, too. Food was very good compared to the mediocre beach-shack food up the dirt road we experienced. Maybe someone has a recommendation for a good place?

If you want to go in town you will need a car but know that the return in the dark will be very difficult as roads are not well marked and no street lights to help you. Even in daylight it is a maze and missed turns happened every time we ventured out. However, you can walk up the path to the "main" restaurant area and catch the city bus. Bring a flashlight to help guide you.

Enjoy!,

Robbietravels

Just spent 4 days at Medusa Resort on Plaka Beach. The beach is beautiful and worth the 20 minute drive in to Hora (the main/port town). The hotel itself is charming and the gardens and lay out serene. Rooms, of course are small but balcony overlooking the sea is heavenly. Room is well laid out (we were upstairs in 204; there are 21 units on the property). Dining is indoors, outdoors in the garden or beachside; bring insect repellent. The staff do everything possible to make your stay a really laid back vacation. Mariengela, the front office manager goes beyond, beyond to accommodate all requests. She gave excellent directions although determining which is the "main road" when deciding between two unmarked dirt tracks is a challenge (a flashlight came in handy) . I noted the exact km. at each direction point. Yesterday I knew I'd taken a wrong turn when the dirt path became so narrow a man on his donkey stuck his feet into the driver side open window to pass me!
I would recommend Medusa. I had one meal there in which the grilled chicken was dry and overcooked, otherwise the food was fine. I enjoyed the fresh tuna salad for lunch. I had a surprisingly good massage on the beach by a Chinese man who strolled by.
We had a dinner at Faro's. It's another 10 minutes further south and don't think the beach was any better.
Sorry we had to leave. We, too stayed in Chania and Firostefani. Now in Athens ready to fly home. You can email with other questions