Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Plane -- Olympic Airways (tel. 210/966-6666 or 210/936-9111; www.olympic-airways.gr) has at least one flight daily between Athens and Naxos Airport (tel. 22850/23-969). A bus meets most flights and takes passengers into Naxos town (2€).

By Boat -- From Piraeus, there is at least one daily ferry (6 hr.) and one daily high-speed ferry (4 hr.). Check schedules at the Athens GNTO (210/870-0000; www.gnto.gr), the Piraeus Port Authority (tel. 210/451-1311, or 210/451-1440 or -1441), or Naxos Port Authority (tel. 22850/22-300). Boats are notoriously late and/or early; your travel or ticket agent will give you an estimate of times involved in the following journeys Remember: That's estimate, as in guesstimate. There is at least once-daily ferry connection with Ios, Mykonos, Paros, and Santorini. There is ferry connection several times weekly by high-speed ferry or hydrofoil with Siros, Tinos, and Samos, and somewhat less frequently with Sifnos and with Folegandros. For ferry tickets, try Zas Travel (tel. 22850/23-330), on the paralia opposite the ferry pier.

Visitor Information

The privately operated Naxos Tourist Information Center (tel. 22850/22-993; fax 22850/25-200), across the plaza from the ferry pier, is the most reliable source of information and help. (Don't confuse it with the small office on the pier itself, which is often closed.) The center, run by the owner of the Chateau Zevgoli provides ferry information; books charter flights between various European airports and Athens, accommodations, cars, and mopeds; arranges excursions; sells maps; exchanges money; holds luggage; assists with phone calls; and provides 2-hour laundry service.

Naxos has a helpful website, www.naxos-island.com, with maps, bus schedules, hotel listings, and a photo tour of the island.

You will want to find a good map as soon as possible, as Hora (Naxos town) is old, large, and complex, with a permanent population of more than 3,000. The free Summer Naxos magazine has the best map of the city. The Harms-Verlag Naxos is the best map of the island, but it's pricey at 7€. John Freely's Naxos (1976) remains delightful and helpful.

Getting Around

By Bus -- The bus station is on the harbor; bus schedules are often posted at the station, and free schedules are sometimes available. Regular bus service is offered throughout most of the island two or three times a day, more frequently to major destinations. In summer, there's service every 30 minutes to the nearby south-coast beaches at Ayios Prokopios and Ayia Anna. A popular day trip is to Apollonas, near the northern tip. In summer, the competition for seats on this route can be fierce, so get to the station well ahead of time.

In addition to the public buses, Zas Travel (tel. 22850/23-300) offers day excursions around the island in season, usually for about 25€.

By Bicycle & Moped -- Moto Naxos (tel. 22850/23-420), on Protodikiou Square south of the paralia, has the best mountain bikes as well as mopeds for rent. A basic bike is about 12€ per day. For a moped, expect to pay from 20€ per day. Naxos has some major inclines that require a strong motor and good brakes, so a large bike (80cc or greater) is recommended (as is checking the brakes before you set off).

By Car -- It's a good idea to inquire first about car rental at the Naxos Tourist Information Center, which usually has the best deals. Car is the ideal mode of transport on this large island, and most travel agencies in Naxos town rent them, including the oddly named Naxos Vision (tel. 22850/26-2000; www.naxosvision.com), AutoTour (tel. 22850/25-480), Auto Naxos (tel. 22850/23-420), and Palladium (tel. 22850/26-200).

By Taxi -- The taxi station (tel. 22850/22-444) is at the port. A taxi trip within Naxos town shouldn't cost more than 4€. The fare to Ayia Anna Beach is about 8€; to the handsome inland village of Apiranthos, 20€.

Fast Facts

Commercial Bank, on the paralia, has an ATM. It and other banks are open Monday through Thursday from 8am to 2pm, and Friday from 8am to 1:30pm. Naxos has a good 24-hour health center (tel. 22850/23-333) just outside Hora on the left off Papavasiliou, the main street off the port. Holiday Laundry, on Periferiakos Road, Grotta area (tel. 22850/23-988), offers drop-off service. The police (tel. 22850/22-100) are beyond Protodikiou Square, by the Galaxy Hotel. The telephone office (OTE) is at the port's south end; summer hours are daily from 7:30am to 2pm. The post office is south of the OTE by the basketball court; it's opposite the court on the left, on the second floor (Mon-Fri 8am-2pm).