As there are no international flights to Naxos journeys to the island can be time consuming. The three main routes to Naxos are flights to Athens, Mykonos or Santorini and then a ferry trip. Overnight flights to Athens mean you can catch an early morning ferry at the port of Piraeus (5-6 hours ferry trip), otherwise it is an overnight stop in the capital. There are daily domestic flights from Athens to Naxos but again these are early morning and seats can be in short supply. There are now cheap flights to Mykonos and Santorini which helps cut ferry times but again probably requires an overnight stop as ferry sailing rarely coincide with flight arrivals, although Santorini is better in that regard.
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There are no international flights to Naxos. Visitors usually fly to nearby Mykonos or to Santorini then catch a ferry.
Alternatively, there are flights to Athens from where there are domestic Olympic Airways flights to Naxos (about 30 minutes flight time) or ferry connections from the port at Piraeus.
There were two domestic flights daily (including Sunday) but this is now reduced to an early morning one (about 7am). It may be increased again in future so check with the airline.
It is worth noting that, although Santorini is only two hours away by ferry Santorini airport is on the opposite side of the island from the ferry port so you will need to take a bus or taxi to transfer.
However, the Santorini route is probably easier as there are more ferry connections to from Santorini to Naxos and, unlike Mykonos, the ferry schedules tend to coincide with flight arrivals.
Naxos airport is on the road to Prokopios, about 1km east of Naxos Town. There are few facilities at Naxos airport, just a small waiting area, toilets and, recently, a cafe.
There are frequent delays on departure and arrival so take some water with you. There is no public transport to and from Naxos airport but usually there are plenty of taxis outside to meeting incoming flights.
An alternative route to Naxos is a domestic flight to Paros (there are three a day) then a short ferry hop. Either way this probably means an overnight stop in Athens. Try Allsun for cut price deals on Olympic Airways tickets. Aegean Airlines also flies to Mykonos and Santorini.
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Naxos is at the hub of the Cyclades ferry service and there are ferries to and from just about everywhere. Ferries leave daily from Piraeus (Athens) and Rafina on the mainland. In fact Rafina is now closer to the new Athens airport. Ferries leave Piraeus in the morning, about 8am, and the evening 5-8pm. The journey takes 6-8hrs. There are faster catamarans from Piraeus. The main ferry companies operating to Naxos are GA Ferries, Blue Star and Minoan.
From Naxos you can get ferries to Andros, Astipalia, Amorgos, Ikaria, Folegandros, Ios, Kalymnos, Kos, Milos, Mykonos, Paros, Rhodes, Samos, Santorini, Sikinos, Syros, Tilos and Tinos s well as several more remote destinations. The Naxos Star does a day trip cruise to Paros and Santorini throughout the summer.
First impressions of Naxos port are not favourable. A huge swathe of dirty concrete full of parked cars, buses and lorries. There are several booths handing out information on rooms and usually a large number of people at the end of the quay offering rooms. Turn right at the end of the key for the Paralia promenade with cafes, bars and tavernas where you can sit and get your bearings. The main taxi rank is also here.
On Naxos there are any number of daily island cruises to the more remote beaches. There are also daily cruises to Paros and Santorini in the summer. Trips to Mykonos and Delos are popular although it is possible to use normal ferries, stay overnight on Mykonos and take a local day trip to Delos. Most travel agents can be found on the Paralia next to the port and they offer day cruises around Naxos and to neighbouring small islands such as Amorgos, Donousa, Iraklia, Koufounis and Shniousa.
Summer ferry schedules may not be confirmed until April or May, and not published until then.
The information is as accurate as I can make it but note that ferry schedules can change at any time.
Naxos has a wide range of holiday accommodation. The choice includes quality hotels in Naxos Town to cheap rooms in many of the Naxos island resorts. If you arrive on Naxos without a reservation in high season you can take pot luck with the many room owners that wave signs at you as you leave the ferry or you can try the tourist office in Naxos Town. There are also several booths on the dock with information about hotels and rooms.
Naxos Town has plenty of reasonably priced rooms to let and plenty of hotels. Most of the holiday Naxos accommodation is centred around Agios Giorgios Beach on the southern edge of the town. The main beaches further south along the coast to Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna, Plaka and Kastraki also have plenty of holiday accommodation.
If you book in advance it's a good idea to check the facilities on offer. Although there are plenty of self-catering apartments and villas to rent the accommodation, particularly the kitchens can be very basic. Many apartments lie in the grounds of hotels so you can enjoy hotel facilities.
Naxos has always been popular with backpackers and the island has three well-equipped campsites on the beaches at Agios Giorgios, Maragas and Plaka. All the sites have mini-markets, restaurants and laundries as well as minibuses to take campers to the ferry port.
Roads on Naxos have much improved in recent years and there are any number of car and bike hire firms to choose from. Naxos is a big island and, although there is a decent bus service to the main villages you will need your own transport to see some of the most beautiful areas. A couple of car tours are given below but, in any event, don't miss the scenery and Aperanthos, Melanes, Apollonas and Danakos; the coast between Mikri Vigla and Pyrgaki; the area around Engares and the new east coast road from Moutsouna to Psili Ammos.
Naxos has a good bus service, though it is geared to the locals rather than tourists. There are Naxos buses every 30min or so on the Hora-Prokopios-Agia Anna-Plaka route. Inland, Naxos buses go to Halki, Filoti, Apiranthos and Apollona and there are bus services to Keramouti, Koronoas, Melanes, Mikri Vigla, Moutsouna, Pyrgaki and Sangri. Details from the KTEL bus route offices on 22291. The main bus station and taxis are just outside the port near the tourist information centre. A free minibus service operates around the islands capital. There are now many coach tours of the island - check out the travel agents in Naxos Town - although trips over narrow mountain roads and along vertiginous cliffs can be hair-raising.
There are plenty of taxis in Naxos and a radio-taxi service is also available on 22444. The main taxi rank is on the Paralia, the main promenade and taxi drivers charge a fixed rate to all the main stops such as the airport and beaches at Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna and Plaka. To take a taxi anywhere else on Naxos it is better to negotiate the price first.
Naxos is a terrific island for walking, crisscrossed by paths and donkey trails. The Naxos Tourist Office has a wide variety of maps of walking trails and its worthwhile seeking out copies of Naxos and the Small Cyclades by Graf Editions, which outlines 30 hikes, and Walking Tours on Naxos, by Christian Ucke, on sale in island bookshops. There are fairly accurate maps available in local shops. Roads Edition 111 and Harms verlag are good and the Topo series is very good for planning walks. The roads are mostly asphalt and very quiet once out of Naxos Town and so fairly safe to walk.
