Naxos
A low-cost holiday in Greece
Are you struggling with booking a summer holiday because everything is out of your budget? This happened to me a short time ago. I was looking for a quiet place not too far away and that gave me the opportunity to see new places and after a detailed and careful search I booked 10 day trip to Naxos. When we say Naxos, everyone thinks of wonderful Sicily and no one thinks of the Greek island.
Perhaps it is not the most famous 'Naxos', perhaps because it has an airport with a runway that does not allow such large tourist traffic and therefore raising the prices of the direct flights. The best solution to get to the island is to land in the famous Mykonos and take one of the many ferries that depart from the island to Naxos. If you are wondering if you need to take a taxi from the airport to the port, the answer is no, wait for one of the many buses that will take you to your ship for €1.50. Naxos offers numerous small family-run hotels. I booked Villa Flora, which I highly recommend to everyone. Flora, the owner, is very unique, her rooms are spotless and equipped with a kitchen. The breakfast that she offers is different every day, abundant and totally homemade. The hotels are all very close to the sea and mine was 100 meters from the beach of St. George, a noted and well-known beach that asks for €10 a day for an umbrella, two chairs and WIFI service. This beach is perfect for those traveling with small children, the water is low and children can play safely!
Naxos offers several beautiful beaches to see and with the option to rent a quad (around 30€ per day). This makes it possible to visit the whole island with extreme ease. The island has not yet been contaminated by mass tourism and which makes snorkeling amazing due to the clear and clean waters and stunning underwater landscape. There is the possibility at the port to organize day trips (ranging from 30 euro to 100 euro) that allow you to visit the island and you can easily spot dolphins. From the island of Naxos, it is also possible to visit other islands with extreme ease because it doesn’t have a large airport but the port has considerable traffic during the summer. Mykonos, Paros, Ios, Skiathos, and Santorini are within easy reach for a day trip on comfortable ferries that have very affordable prices. Eating out every night on this island will definitely not weigh on your finances, a full meal costs on average €10 to €15 per person with wine or beer included. It is difficult to recommend a specific place because we have tried several restaurants but we ate well everywhere. What I do not recommend is to stop and eat at the port where the prices are clearly higher. Naxos is a quiet island suitable for all ages and you should visit absolutely in my opinion because the sunsets on the doors of Apollo are worth the whole vacation!
Claudia Costabile