Naxos beaches
Naxos has the longest stretch of sand in the Cyclades. Which beach is right on any given day comes down to one thing: the wind.
Last reviewed July 2026
The short version
- Closest to town
- Agios Georgios, on the edge of Chora. Agios Prokopios and Agia Anna, a short bus ride south.
- The famous ones
- Plaka, the island's longest beach. Both organised, both on the bus, both stunning on a calm day.
- The wild ones
- Alyko and its cedar forest, Kastraki, Glyfada, Hawaii. Quieter, less organised, and you will want a car.
- On a windy day
- Head to the sheltered south, or to Sahara near Mikri Vigla. The long west beaches get gusty.
- For windsurfing
- Mikri Vigla. The one place the meltemi is a feature, not a problem.
- With children
- Agios Georgios: shallow, calm, walkable, fully equipped.
The west coast of Naxos is one long ribbon of pale sand running south from Chora, and most of the island's best beaches are strung along it. They are shallow, clean and gently shelving, which is why Naxos is such a good island for families. The catch is the wind.
A car changes everything here. The three beaches nearest town are on the bus route; the wilder coves to the south mostly are not. How to get around Naxos.
Read the wind first
This is the thing you only learn by living here. In July and August the meltemi, the north wind, can blow hard for days at a time. When it does, the long open west-coast beaches like Plaka get gusty and the sand starts to sting.
The move on a windy day is to head for the more sheltered south, or to Sahara, the cove just behind Mikri Vigla. On a calm day, the west coast is unbeatable and you should be on it. Check the forecast, or just look at the flags on the beach bars before you commit to a spot.
The one place the wind is welcome: Mikri Vigla, the island's windsurfing and kitesurfing centre. What ruins a lazy beach day there makes a perfect one.
Close to town
These three are within reach of Chora on foot or a short bus ride, and between them they cover most of what a beach day needs. If you have no car, you will spend most of your time here, and that is no hardship.
Agios Georgios
The town beach, walkable from the port. Shallow, calm and fully equipped, with tavernas and shops right behind it. Not the most beautiful on the island, but the most convenient by far, and our first pick with small children.
DirectionsAgios Prokopios
Regularly voted one of the best beaches in Greece, and it earns it: a long golden shore, turquoise water and dunes behind. Well organised, on the bus every half hour, and big enough that it never quite feels crowded.
DirectionsAgia Anna
A continuation of Agios Prokopios, a fifteen-minute walk down the sand, with a small fishing harbour at one end. Busier and more built-up, but easy to reach and lined with cafes. Good for a half day when you want food and a swim without a plan.
DirectionsThe long west coast
South of Agia Anna the coast opens into the beaches Naxos is known for: longer, wider, emptier the further you go. Plaka is the one everyone asks about, and it deserves the reputation. Mikri Vigla is where the wind crowd goes.
Plaka
The island's longest beach: a wide strip of white sand with dunes behind it and a view across to Paros. Organised at the northern end with beach bars and sunbeds, wild and empty if you walk south. The one we get asked about most. Gusty when the meltemi blows.
DirectionsMikri Vigla
A small headland with a beach on each side. The north side is windy and famous for kitesurfing and windsurfing, with schools along the sand; the south side, Kastraki, is calmer and clearer, good for a swim and a snorkel. A car helps, though the bus does reach it.
DirectionsKastraki and Sahara
Kastraki runs on for nearly four kilometres of undeveloped dune-backed sand, quiet even in August because there is so much of it. Sahara, the sheltered cove just behind, is the place to retreat to when the wind is up.
DirectionsGlyfada
One of the longest and wildest on the island, reached through sand dunes and cedar. Exposed when the wind blows, which makes it another windsurf spot, but on a calm day it is close to empty. Park by the Faros restaurant and cross to the sand.
DirectionsThe wild south: Alyko
At the southwest tip of the island, Alyko is a protected headland of dunes and a rare cedar forest, sheltering a string of unorganised coves. This is the part of Naxos that feels like nowhere else in the Cyclades. There is no shade beyond the trees and no canteen, so bring water, food and an umbrella.
Alyko
The main cove, sheltered from the wind by the cape and the cedars, with the clearest water on the island and the ruins of an abandoned hotel behind it, covered in murals by the artist WD. The easiest of the group to reach and the best for a first visit.
DirectionsHawaii Beach
Hidden below a low cliff, reached on foot along sandy paths through the cedars. Soft sand, crystal water and, on the right day, close to nobody. The name is optimistic but the beach is genuinely lovely. Wear something on your feet for the walk in.
DirectionsKedros
A white-sand beach backed by dense cedar, quiet and unorganised, popular with naturists at the far end. Come with everything you need and stay for the light.
DirectionsPyrgaki
The last of the southwest beaches before the road runs out. Dune-backed, wild, with a couple of simple tavernas and a huge sand dune, Psili Ammos, at the far end that almost nobody walks to. The end of the line, in the best way.
DirectionsThe Alyko coves mostly are not on a bus route, and the ones that are drop you a walk away. To do this stretch properly you need a car, a scooter, or a lift.
The best coves are the ones the bus doesn't reach.
If you would rather not drive the sand tracks yourself, we can arrange a private transfer to the southern beaches and back, or a driver for the day. Booked and paid online, fixed price.
- Drop-off and pick-up at Alyko, Kastraki or Pyrgaki
- A driver for the day if you want to see several
- Child seats and beach gear no problem
- Fixed price, quoted before you travel
The best beaches for families
Naxos is a genuinely good island for a beach holiday with young children, because the west-coast sand shelves so gently that the water stays shallow a long way out. Three picks:
- Agios Georgios is the first choice: shallow, calm, walkable from town and fully equipped, so you are never far from a toilet, a snack or a shady taverna.
- Sahara, behind Mikri Vigla, is the family pick on a windy day, sheltered when the open beaches are not.
- Agios Prokopios works too, so long as you set up at the calmer, quieter western end near the chapel rather than in the middle of the beach-bar strip.
Whichever you choose, go in the morning. The wind usually picks up through the afternoon, and the gentle beach you arrived at can turn choppy by four.
Asked often
Which is the best beach in Naxos?
For most people, Plaka or Agios Prokopios: both long, sandy, organised and on the bus route. For something wilder, the coves of Alyko in the southwest. The right answer depends on the wind and whether you have a car.
Which Naxos beaches can you reach by bus?
Agios Georgios, Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna, Plaka and Mikri Vigla are all on the bus route from Chora. The wild coves of the southwest, around Alyko, mostly are not, or leave you a walk from the stop.
Do you need a car for the beaches in Naxos?
Not for the main ones near town, which are all on the bus. For the quieter southern beaches around Alyko, Kastraki and Pyrgaki, yes, a car, scooter or transfer is the practical way to reach them.
Why is it so windy on Naxos beaches?
The meltemi, a strong north wind, blows through July and August. It makes the long open west-coast beaches gusty. On those days, head to the sheltered south or to Sahara behind Mikri Vigla, or embrace it and go windsurfing at Mikri Vigla.
Which Naxos beach is best for families?
Agios Georgios: shallow, calm, walkable from town and fully equipped. Sahara is the sheltered alternative on a windy day. Go in the morning before the wind builds.
Where is the best beach for windsurfing in Naxos?
Mikri Vigla, on the exposed north side of the headland. It is the island's windsurfing and kitesurfing centre, with schools on the sand for beginners.