Planning a trip to Naxos
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.naxosnow.com, with maps and a photo tour of the island.
If you enjoy map reading, get 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. Map or no map, prepare to get lost at least once in the little streets in and around the kastro. 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.
Fast Facts
Commercial Bank, on the paralia, has an ATM. It and other banks are open Monday through Thursday from 8am to 2pm, 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. 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).
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 from 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 15€ per day. For a moped, expect to pay from 30€ 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. Taxi fares are slated to go up in 2012, but in 2011, a taxi trip within Naxos town cost around 4€. The fare to Ayia Anna Beach was about 8€; to the inland village of Apiranthos, 20€.
Getting There
By Plane
The website of Athens International Airport, www.aia.gr, is a useful resource for domestic airline schedules. Olympic Air (tel. 810/114-4444 and 210/966-6666, official Greek phone numbers that are rarely answered; www.olympicair.com) offers daily flights between Athens and the Santorini airport Monolithos (tel. 22860/31-525), which also receives European charters. Aegean Airlines (tel. 810/112-0000; www.aegeanair.com) also has several flights daily between Athens and Naxos, Santorini. A bus meets most flights and takes passengers into Naxos town (2€).
By Boat
The websites www.gtp.gr and www.openseas.gr are useful resources for ferry schedules. 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 (tel. 210/870-0000; www.gnto.gr), the Piraeus Port Authority (tel. 210/451-1311, -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. There is at least a 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.
