After our few days on Santorini, we headed on the Blue Star Ferry (the big, slow ferry – I would go as slow as necessary to avoid sea sickness!) for a two-hour ride to our next stop, the island of Naxos, Greece, the largest of the Cyclades island chain. With ferry times, we had only planned just over a day in Naxos. We didn’t rent a car, just booked a hotel close to the ferry port, restaurants and a nice beach, and settled in for a relaxing day.
Temple of Apollo – Portara
The main tourist attraction in Naxos was walking distance from both the port and our hotel, so first thing in the morning on our full day in Naxos, we headed there, which was on a little islet just outside of the main town.
It is called the Temple of Apollo (but really, it seems there are quite a few Temples of Apollo around Greece, so I think specifically this one is Naxos’ Temple of Apollo.) And in fact, the only thing standing is a big doorway, because the temple is unfinished. It is beautiful, and apparently nice (and crowded) at sunset.
We just took a leisurely stroll around it, then headed back along a little walkway back into town.
After checking this off the list, the first of the ancient Greek ruins we would get to see on this trip, we took a quick stroll around the picturesque town of Naxos. We stopped at a few shops to pick up souvenirs and enjoyed the walk before it got too hot. We were once again grateful that tourism was down this summer in Greece, because I can imagine the winding streets becoming crowded with tourists very easily.
Agios Georgios Beach
The afternoon in Naxos meant it was time to relax. We went to a beach just feet from our hotel, Agios Georgios beach, which is known as a very family-friendly beach. It was immediately apparent as to why it was family friendly. The water was warm, and super shallow. You could walk out a good distance before getting deeper than knee-level. It was a great beach to splash and play around in, and we took full advantage.
The boys eventually decided to rent a paddle boat with a slide attached, so they could paddle out deep enough to slide in.
By late afternoon, we had enough time at the beach and headed back into town for dinner and got to see a bit of the sunset.
That was all we did in Naxos, but after a busy and stress-filled time in Santorini, we thoroughly enjoyed our relaxing day, and agree that is one island we would be happy to return to, next time renting a car and seeing more of the sites outside of the main town.
