Naxos
View of the Kastro, or castle district, of Naxos town. (FOR MORE PICS SCROLL DOWN)
JULIO
We took the ferry from Santorini to Naxos and it was a beautiful and modern ship. Like a skyscraper on the sea, the ferry was huge, had Wi-Fi, amazing restaurants, accommodating bathrooms and any other amenity you can think of. Arriving in Naxos was a massive breath of fresh air. It leaves behind the tourist track of Santorini and you find yourself in a Naxian Cycladic island culture that has been well preserved and appears in some ways trapped in time.
Upon arriving, the stunning Portara, or doorway to the Temple of Apollo, stands as a monumental tribute to the ancient history and culture that still lives in this fertile breadbasket of Greece. The people, scenery and vibe all seem absolutely storybook. You immediately relish in the fact that you have arrived to a place that is still very authentic and existing how it was thirty or even fifty years ago. Finally, we were hearing mostly Greek being spoken as we had left the droves of tourists behind us.
From the central port we took our luggage and rolled through a spectacular fishing village to St. George's Beach. We first stayed at a really cool beach side hotel called Kalergis with a charismatic host/proprietor Aris who became a good friend and guide to us. Kalergis also has a beautiful Cuban/Greek beach bar in which they play excellent tropical, Latin and lounge music, serve snacks and a have a great breakfast called Vamos Beach Bar. It was idyllic sipping on delicious coffees, drinking wine and relishing in the beautiful scenery of St. George's Beach. We later extended our stay and moved over to Thomais Studios which was lovely as well and a slightly more luxurious.
The port town is just a short walk away and simply delightful. Beautiful little tavernas (restaurants) with reasonable prices and huge portions, delicious souvlaki places and village culture are present everywhere. There is also a new area of Naxos which is just up by the town square that has wonderful eateries, shops, markets and beautiful little alleyways that thrill around every corner.
Naxos is famous for its ivory colored marble, cheeses, potatoes, olives, and produce; it is easy to see why. The food is fresh and INCREDIBLE. We rented a car the second day to explore more of the island and headed straight for laid-back Plaka beach. Plaka is a gorgeous, almost Hawaiian looking, beach area with aquamarine waters, beautiful soft sand and very gentle surf to be able to enjoy a swim. I foolishly ended up putting the rental car key into my pocket (which had a hole) losing it after our first meal and much to my surprise finding that somebody had placed it on top of the railing next to the car so that I could find it and drive off happily. Yay Greece!
We went on to explore the lizard-filled Temple of Demeter which was filled with an ancient mystique and well preserved ruins. We then drove up through the hills near Kinidaros, Apiranthos and various other quaint mountain villages. We enjoyed memorable vistas around every turn, rural goat/sheep herders and a massive old hillside marble quarry. One thing to note if you rent a car in Greece…. the gas is very expensive. The cars are very small, so we pretty much overfilled our car and ended up wasting a bunch of money on gas. It was nice however to see the countryside from a vehicle and be able to explore some of the attractions in the center and far side of the island.
Naxos is a magical island that we did not want to leave it. We heard from the locals that Anthony Bourdain had recently come a few months prior and was soon to let the out the secret of Naxos to droves of hipster tourists. Yikes. However, the truth is is that it is an incredible island filled with awesome Naxian people, food and culture and gives you a real taste of a traditional Greek island, the Cyclades, and is chock-full of excellent kefi or that great positive Greek vibration.
christina
Before we left California I woke to a dream in the middle of the night telling me to go to Naxos. I had not even begun reading about the islands so it was odd that my subconscious was telling me this. In the dream there were people that kept referring to the island by both the name Naxos as well as a fictional “Nadua.” I woke in the middle of the night and wrote it down.
Fast forward a month and we found ourselves on this island of my dreams in the middle of the Cyclades. It’s no wonder that we were sent here – it is the perfect island – a “small Crete” was how one local referred to it. When we first arrived at night from Santorini we were greeted by the gate of entry – the unfinished doorway to the temple of Apollo, the ancient God of Light. After dropping our bags off we made our pilgrimage to this point of entry. While standing there overlooking the town below and the island in its grandeur it was no wonder that this would be the place of entry – the place from which you enter into the magic that is Naxos.
After visiting the gate of Apollo, we rented a car and went to visit the Temple of Demeter on the interior of the island. Demeter, the Goddess of Grain and the Harvest is obviously present on this island - so abundant and self-sufficient with resources and food. It was not lost on me that the first temple we visited in Greece was dedicated to creativity and fertility as our trip has just begun and we are embarking on this new creative endeavor.
For the next few days we unwound with the locals and realized quickly that Naxos is a place where Greeks come to spend their vacations. Quite the opposite of Santorini, yet only 2 hours away by ferry. The town plateia (square) was full of people speaking Greek, children running freely through the square at midnight and live music everywhere – it was apparent that we were in Greek Disneyland – where everything had some fairy dust sprinkled on it.
The beaches are impossibly beautiful with clear, clean turquoise water and sandy bottoms, the mountain villages picturesque and the port town filled with a zest for life and great local food. The winding medieval streets were a labyrinth of treasures and lighting and the general filoxenia (goodwill) of the people was felt in everything sweet from the baklava to our hotel staff.
As compared to the Santorini track, this felt like the Greece I remembered with people drinking raki (moonshine) into the night and letting go of their inhibitions and worldly issues. Though it felt genuine, this is also the first we heard of the financial crisis and its effect on the economy. Our host Aris told us of how so many people were in the islands working the season so as to return to the city for the rest of the year, unable to find work in Athens. Another person we met told us of how she was unable to send money out of the country. It felt like a moment of bliss away from the economic realities that have encroached the spirit of Greece.
Up close on the beautiful Naxos Chora from the ferry landing when you first arrive.
The port (or limani) from the town. Naxos sunsets are divine.
We stayed at Agios Nikolaus beach on our trip and this was our first night sunset. We just watched in awe while enjoying a delicious Naxian wine. Paradise found.
The view outside the window of our fabulous suite at the Thomais Studios.
Julio developed quite an affinity for the local ALPHA beer.
Christina taking in the Cycladic beach life.
This water was shallow for one hundred yards. Perfect for kids.
Mixed mezedes or Greek appetizers
A thorough selection of local Naxian cheeses.
Behind us is the Portara or gate to the temple of Apollo. This is the stunning symbol of Naxos.
Enjoying a Freddo Cappuccino at Vammos Beach Bar. This frozen Cappuccino and Frappe (an instant Nescafe beverage) started every morning in Greece.
Enjoying dinner at 10pm in the Kastro. Winding cobblestone little streets with feline door guardians, charming eateries and shops line the town.
Naxos is HUGE by island standards so we rented a car for a day and drove the island to see the sites and get a feel.
Visiting the Temple of Demeter inland
Christina making friends with the lovely hostess at Ariston Souvlaki house. Its 11pm and everyone of all ages is out in the streets.