Nautical Naxos [Greece]
After hopping on a boat from Santorini, we arrived in Naxos for a quick stay from May 2 - 4.
Naxos is a LOT less touristy than Santorini. It had a lot of kids running around and felt liveable in a way that Santorini did not. It was quieter and more rugged. At the same time, there were elements of modernism that had seeped onto the island in a way that Santorini almost intentionally rejected in order to be perceived as an iconic tourist destination. For example, there were some multi-lane roads and plenty of cars in Naxos rather than lots of cute walking alleys. I wouldn't say it's a must-see destination, but it helps break up a long boat ride between Santorini and Mykonos and has its own charms.
Taken before Gen Z made crocs cool again.
The #1 charm being, of course, its FABULOUS sunsets. We arrived in the evening on May 2nd, so the sunset was one of our first tastes of Naxos. What a greeting! It was 10x nicer than the overhyped sunsets in Santorini. We decided to walk around to find a place to eat, and the town was bustling with locals. Eventually, we settled on a place called Irini's Restaurant for Naxian lamb. I had never really tried lamb while growing up, but thanks to a hot pot event hosted by Jenny's parents, I came to enjoy it during university! This lamb was unique because it was super tender and cooked in a tomato sauce.
The next day, we went on the hunt for a nice beach to kick back and relax... and we found it at Agios Prokopios! It had clear blue water, soft white sand, and plenty of comfy beach chairs sans the crowds. Not sure whether the credit goes to the off-season timing or Naxos itself as an under-visited destination, but I'll take it either way!! This sand was so much nicer than the burning-hot lava dust and perilous ledges of Santorini's beaches. To get there, we had to ask for directions from a random roadside tuck shop and take a suspiciously empty bus on a multi-lane... freeway(?)! But it was worth it.
Afterwards, we spent the afternoon lounging by our hotel pool (yay for free drink tickets). We spent more time at the hotel than I'd care to admit. My mother is freakishly good at striking up conversations with people and getting them to spill all their secrets (probably because she's a harmless third party and a good listener? Who knows). This time, it was the hotel receptionist. She told us all about her recent divorce and move from Italy to run this hotel in Naxos, about her horrible ex-husband, and the children she did not get to see all too often. People's lives are so entertaining.
For dinner, we went to a cute restaurant called Elliniko. It looked aesthetically pleasing, but the grilled chicken and mushroom pie we ordered were slightly underwhelming. Then we walked back across the beach in the dark. It was calming but also got a little unsettlingly quiet / dark in some areas. Ah well, comes with the territory of going to a less touristy island, I suppose.
Naxos didn't have too much to do, so we spent the next morning sitting around the hotel lobby, sitting by the beach right outside our hotel, and then eventually sitting and waiting at a restaurant by the port. Good thing my mom and I can entertain ourselves easily with books. That's all for Naxos — thanks for the brilliant sunsets, the nice beaches, and not much else (sincerely! The quiet vibe was a nice, serene change of pace).