You’ve already visited Paros, Corfu, Mykonos, or Crete, but you’re still craving more? Don’t forget about Naxos, the largest island in the so-called Cyclades, which offers a great combination of historical landmarks and beautiful sandy beaches.
If you’ve already made your decision, this guide is here to help you decide where to stay in Naxos.
But if you’re still hesitating and wondering about whether the trip is worth your time, we hope that our insight will have you buying tickets to this picturesque island the next morning — it’s worth it!
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The 4 Best Places to Stay in Naxos
Having said that, it’s likely that you’ll spend most of the time on the west coast of the island since most of the popular villages, cities, and accommodations are located there. All three places covered in our guide are close to each other — from north to south.
Whatever location you choose as your permanent residence, you can visit the other two in no time without breaking a sweat, as public transport is quite developed in Naxos.
- Naxos Town (Chora): The capital of Naxos is probably the best choice for first-time travelers to the islands since it offers plenty of historical landmarks, a great beach, and some decent shopping options.
- Agios Prokopios and Stelida: The two small villages located around three miles from the capital offer a contrasting pair — Agios Prokopios is crowded and popular, and Stelida is calm and relaxing.
- Plaka: Boasting the largest and longest beach on Naxos, it also offers some interesting and important historical landmarks nearby and plenty of accommodation of all types and price ranges.
Where to Stay in Naxos: Best Areas & Hotels
Naxos may not be as popular and sought-after as the other larger and more advertised Greek islands, but it’s still an island on the Aegean Sea, and we know what that means — plenty of tourists from around the world.
That’s why the island is packed with hotels and apartments. We can’t say which place on the island is luxurious, which is mid-range, or which is cheap — all of them are quite versatile in what they offer.
The best and most expensive hotels, obviously, are located on some of the most popular beaches and generally near the sea.
Concerning the budget and the mid-range options, you can find cheap apartments and hotels in every area covered in our guide. However, as we mentioned, it’s the western side of the island that’s the focal point in terms of tourism.
You won’t find much elsewhere, as the inland is also practically “barren,” at least from the aspect of urbanization and tourist infrastructure. Natural beauty does abound, though.
1. Naxos Town (Chora)
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If you want to stay in the very tourist hub of the island with the largest port, a charming Old Town, plenty of historical landmarks, and some of the best beaches on the island, Naxos Town, also known as Chora, is the right place for you.
It’s quite an easy choice to say that it’s the most suitable place for the start of your Naxos adventure and the perfect choice for first-time visitors to the island.
Why is that so? The answer to that question is quite extensive since Chora basically has it all.
The first thing you should do is stroll the interconnected maze of streets, visit the beautiful (and large) historic harbor, and take a look at the Venetian and Greek architecture of the city. A stroll through the Old Town is also a must-do.
Concerning the things you simply have to see, here’s a list of priorities:
- The Temple of Apollo – Portara
- Glezos Tower (or Castle)
- Roman Catholic Cathedral
- Archeological Museum
- Venetian Museum
- Della Rocca-Barozzi Venetian Museum
Next come the beaches, and there are plenty of them in Naxos Town. Saint George Beach is definitely one of the best ones on the island, located a little to the south of the Old Town.
But there’s one other less popular beach, albeit just as scenic, located on the other side of the city — Grotta Beach. Finally, if you want to do some shopping, Protodikiou Square (Plateia Petroi Evipaioi) is the most suitable place for that since it’s the real commercial center of the city.
In terms of accommodation options and restaurants, Naxos Town can’t get any better. There are plenty of hotels and apartments of every size, quality, and price range.
The same holds for the restaurants, with numerous traditional and fast food Greek and seafood eateries. All in all, there’s hardly a more complete, all-around place in the wider Greek islands.
Naxos Town (Chora) Budget Hotels
- Alenor City Hotel is a cheap two-star hotel located around 300 meters from the famous Agios Georgios Beach, a little further off from the center of Naxos Town. The hotel boasts a nice garden, free parking and free Wi-Fi, and rooms with air conditioning, flat-screen TVs, and private bathrooms. There’s a free airport shuttle available, too.
- Hotel Sagterra is another relatively cheap two-star accommodation located 400 meters from both Agios Georgios Beach and the city center of Naxos. The hotel offers free Wi-Fi but no parking. There are non-smoking family rooms furnished with all the amenities, a gorgeous outdoor swimming pool, and a continental breakfast in the morning.
Naxos Town (Chora) Mid-Range Hotels
- Lygdamis Hotel is a beautiful and all-clad-in-white three-star hotel located within walking distance from the beach of St. George. It’s also very near to Naxos Old Town. The hotel has free Wi-Fi throughout the premises, a nice rooftop with a great view of the Aegean Sea, and 10 rooms furnished in a traditional Cycladic style. It also provides an airport shuttle.
- Princess Of Naxos is another very nice three-star hotel with a perfect location between the beachfront and the historic center of Naxos Town. Apart from the free airport shuttle on request, the hotel offers an outdoor swimming pool with sunbeds, free parking and free Wi-Fi, and room service throughout the day.
Naxos Town (Chora) Luxury Hotels
- Alkyoni Beach Hotel is a very nice and luxurious four-star hotel located on St. George’s Beach, just ten minutes from Naxos Old Town. Its decorations and design are inspired by traditional Cycladic architecture, and it offers an outdoor swimming pool, a restaurant, and a bar on the premises. As you’d expect, there’s also free Wi-Fi, free parking, and a very tasty breakfast in the morning.
- Argo Boutique Hotel is a great family-owned four-star hotel located in a more quiet part of Naxos Town, merely 50 meters from the beach and no more than 400 meters from the center of the city. It has all the amenities you’d expect from a hotel of this stature, namely an outdoor swimming pool, a spa and wellness center, and a bar and restaurant.
2. Agios Prokopios and Stelida
People enjoy the sunny weather as they swim in the sea on the beach of Agios Prokopios in Naxos island in Greece on Aug. 20, 2018/Alexandros Michailidis/Shutterstock
Agios Prokopios and Stelida are two small villages located around three kilometers from Naxos Town.
If the capital of Naxos offered an interesting mix of culture and nature and a vacation full of both learning and relaxing, these two small island villages are all about the sea, the beaches, and the restaurants.
With the exception of the archeological richness of Stelida, they are perfectly suitable for those visitors who want to have a relaxing Greek vacation with a lot of swimming, burning on the beach, and savoring the traditional Naxos cuisine.
There isn’t much to say about Agios Prokopios aside from the obvious. The beaches are golden, sandy, and very comfortable; the sea is unbelievably blue and clear but also very shallow, making it a perfect location for a kid-friendly family holiday.
Agios Prokopios — together with Saint George Beach — is definitely one of the most popular places for tourists that come to visit Naxos. It’s always full of people, the beaches and the restaurants are crowded, and the energy level is very high.
There are plenty of accommodation options, too, with some of the best and most expensive five-star hotels on the island. Stelida, on the other hand, is a different story.
The small village is usually bypassed in favor of more attractive places like Agios Prokopios or Agios Georgios.
An up-and-coming place still waiting for its star to shine, it’s the complete opposite of Agios Prokopios: calm, relaxed, and even quiet — with as beautiful sand and water as any place in Naxos.
It’s also quite rich in archaeological finds, many of them stashed at the Archeological Museum in Naxos town.
In terms of accommodation options, both places are equal and even better to some extent than Naxos Town. Both villages are packed with hotels of all types, sizes, and price ranges, perfectly suitable for any kind of traveler.
Agios Prokopios and Stelida Budget Hotels
- Hotel Francesca is a very cheap two-star hotel with a great location: only 100 meters from Agios Prokopios Beach, two miles from Naxos Airport, and three and a half miles from Naxos Town. The hotel has a swimming pool, the rooms boast a small kitchenette, and there’s a nice balcony with a great view of the garden.
- Hotel Semeli is a perfect choice if you want to save some money but also want to stay in a hotel that’s furnished in the Cycladic traditional style. This two-star hotel has an outdoor swimming pool, all the usual amenities, and a sweet location close to many shops, taverns, and the beach.
Agios Prokopios and Stelida Mid-Range Hotels
- Proteas Hotel & Suites is a three-star hotel and another accommodation built and furnished according to the architectural and decorative principle of the Cycladic style. Again, like many of the hotels in the area, it boasts a swimming pool, and it’s located near the beach and the sea. The breakfast served in the morning is simply superb.
- Naxos Nature Suites is a three-star hotel that’s a perfect option for visitors who are visiting Agios Prokopios or Stelida with their family and kids. The hotel covers a large area with a swimming pool, garden, and children’s playground. It’s in close proximity to the airport, and the rooms are spacious and have air conditioning, private bathrooms, and TVs.
Agios Prokopios and Stelida Luxury Hotels
- Naxos Island Hotel is a very luxurious and generally expensive five-star hotel located very close to the Agios Prokopios Beach, offering a breathtaking view of the Aegean Sea. The hotel offers practically everything: from an outdoor swimming pool and a restaurant and bar on the premises to a spa and wellness center, free Wi-Fi, free parking, and an airport shuttle.
- 18 Grapes Hotel is another gorgeous and elite five-star hotel located in Agios Prokopios. The hotel has a true arsenal of amenities: an outdoor swimming pool with sun beds, room service, babysitting service, an airport shuttle service, free Wi-Fi, and free parking. If that wasn’t enough, there’s also a spa and wellness center, an on-site bar, and great breakfast in the morning. Oh, and let’s not forget the luxuriously furnished rooms.
3. Plaka
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The final place in our guide to Naxos is the area around the famous Plaka Beach — the longest and most beautiful beach on the island, one of the most popular in the whole of Greece.
Other than that, though, just four miles to the south of Agios Prokopios and Stelida and six miles from Naxos, Plaka is another typical small island village full of hotels, restaurants, and idyllic relaxation.
The best thing you can do here is, again, chill at the beach and swim in the crystal clear water of the Aegean Sea. Plaka Beach seamlessly stretches from north to south, seemingly without end.
The most important thing to remember is that the northern part is full of clubs and restaurants, and the southern part is generally quieter and less crowded. There are also other great beaches in close proximity to Plaka.
Maragkas Beach stretches to the north, and Orkos Beach and Paralia Mikri Vigla to the south. As we said earlier, most of them are packed with taverns, cafes, and restaurants and boast many different water-related, usually family-friendly, activities.
If you direct your gaze to the island’s interior, there are a couple of important landmarks that you just have to visit, but they’re a bit further away from the coastal villages.
Nevertheless, Plaka is the best base for exploration of the island, and around seven miles away lies the famous Temple of Demeter from the 6th century BC.
If you drive another mile further inland (maybe after you’ve visited the temple of Demeter), you’ll reach Bazeos Tower, an imposing historical structure that’s definitely worth the visit.
Plaka — like the rest of the east coast of Naxos — is really prepared for tourists of all kinds, regardless of preferences or financial stature.
The area around the longest beach on the island is practically packed with different kinds of accommodation, especially with numerous great budget and mid-range options. The restaurants, especially the seafood places and the traditional taverns, are also great.
Plaka Budget Hotels
- Plaka Hotel I is a curious accommodation. A hotel with two stars that comes at an amazingly low price, it has no less than two swimming pools. The rub is that they are located around 100 meters from the rooms. Speaking of the rooms, they’re rather large, spacious, and sunny, and there’s a decent Greek restaurant on the premises, too. Plaka Hotel I is a steal in this price range.
- Plaza Beach Hotel doesn’t disappoint, either, as it’s another very cheap three-star hotel with a swimming pool located on the beachfront. It boasts a restaurant and a bar on the premises, as well as a decent fitness center. The most distinctive part, however, is the dark wood furnishing that makes it homey and comfortable.
Plaka Mid-Range Hotels
- Plaka Hotel II is another relatively cheap accommodation that borders between the budget and the mid-range categories. The location of the apartments is simply great: around 80 meters from the main beach in the city. The hotel also boasts a snack bar and a beautiful outdoor swimming pool.
- Amodari studios on the beach is a three-star accommodation located in what’s considered the best location in Plaka, really close to Plaka Beach, Orkos Beach, and Mikri Vigla Beach. The Naxos Island National Airport, on the other hand, is around three miles away. The hotel has a swimming pool, bar, and tasty breakfast in the morning.
Plaka Luxury Hotels
- Aegean Palace is a beautiful and very large four-star hotel. Its biggest strength is that it offers no less than two outdoor swimming pools, one of them specially adapted for small children. The rooms are opulent, with balconies overlooking the sea. In terms of services, the hotel offers room service, free airport shuttle service, and tasty breakfast.
- Mirabelle Luxury Villas is one of the most charming hotels in the area, boasting great views of the sea, the mountains, and some important landmarks. A four-star accommodation with hot tubs, a swimming pool, and a kitchenette in every room, it also offers an airport shuttle and very tasty continental breakfast in the morning.
So, Where Should You Stay in Naxos?
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We reached the end of this short but very interesting narrative trip to the island of Naxos. But what if you couldn’t make a decision on where to stay? Let’s summarize.
We saw that the place is small, but it has practically everything that the larger and more popular Greek islands have to offer: fantastic sandy beaches, numerous seafood restaurants and tavernas, plenty of historical landmarks, and the Aegean Sea.
| 🍽️ Best for Shopping & Dining | Naxos Town (Chora) |
| ⛱️ Best for Relaxing on the Beach | Agios Prokopios & Stelida |
| 🏰 Most Historic Area | Plaka |
So, with so much to see and do, and no bad area in which to stay, what are you waiting for — book your trip today and experience for yourself all that this legendary tropical paradise has to offer!