NAXOS: THE ISLAND THAT LIVES IN MY HEART
Naxos: Our second home layered with memories
There are places you travel to — and there are places that shape you.
For me, Naxos is not simply a destination; it is a feeling, a rhythm, an embrace. It is the island that raised me in its sunshine and whispered its stories across my lifetime. I first arrived on Naxos when I was barely one year old — long before I could understand what it meant to belong somewhere. But somehow, from that very first visit, my heart decided: this is home.
Naxos isn’t just a favourite island.
It is my island — a second home layered with memories, laughter, summers that felt endless, and moments that still warm my soul.
A Morning That Belongs to the Sea
Our Naxos days begin where the waves kiss the sand at St George Beach.
The sunlight stretches across the bay, and we wake to the glistening of the water — a view I’ve watched since childhood, yet it still stops me in my tracks every time.
We stay just steps from the beach, in a hotel where balconies drift over the sea breeze and mornings begin with salty air and soft golden light. Then we wander down to our place — Vammos Beach Bar — where time slows in that magical Greek way. My ultimate favourite days are spent on a sunbed, reading a book at Vammos with an afternoon cocktail & my favourite Greek salad!!
Sun loungers, warm sand beneath toes, ice-cold drinks, fresh local flavours, music floating through the air — and that endless cerulean horizon. It’s where I exhale. Where days drift blissfully, where memories stack like seashells.
This is my happy place, and I never tire of it.
Evenings Where the Heart Leads the Way
From the beach, a gentle stroll brings us into Naxos Town — a world of cobbled pathways, whitewashed walls, and the scent of jasmine carried on the evening air. Shops glow softly, tavern tables spill into squares, and the island truly comes alive.
And then, there is Scirocco.
If there is a place that holds our hearts, it is this restaurant — our constant, our tradition, our treasured ritual. We loved it so much, we had our wedding reception here and many other special family events since. To sit, to dine, to laugh here is to relive a thousand beautiful moments, every single time. It is comfort and celebration wrapped into one — a rare treasure in a world that changes too fast.
After dinner, we wander the Old Town’s maze of romantic alleyways — tiny boutiques, hidden courtyards, candle-lit corners rich with Greek charm. The quieter side streets lead us to the port, where the sea laps gently against bobbing boats and gelato drips down fingers in the warm night air.
And then, on less windy evenings, we walk to the Portara — the ancient marble gateway that has stood watch for millennia. We bring wine, sit on the rocks, and watch the sky ignite in gold and pink. There is peace here, and perspective. It is a moment we never skip — a Naxos ritual as sacred as the sunset itself.
Beyond the Town: Where Naxos Shows Her Soul
Naxos is beautifully expansive — a graceful blend of coastline and countryside. A short journey reveals some of the most extraordinary landscapes in the Cyclades:
Agios Prokopios — turquoise waters that rival the Caribbean
Filoti & Halki — mountain villages filled with local culture, winding cobbled streets, traditional cafes, and artisanal boutiques
Apollonas Bay — wild beauty at the northern edge of the island
There is a purity to life here. Cheese shops that craft flavours by hand, family-run tavernas serving recipes handed down generations, olive groves whispering in the breeze, and mountain paths that feel like another world entirely.
Naxos holds sophistication — yet never loses its soul.
A Gateway to the Cyclades — But a World of Its Own
Ferries glide in and out daily — Paros, Mykonos, Santorini, Koufonissi.
Day trips are effortless, yet there is something grounding about staying here. The island feels whole — a place where you don’t merely island-hop, you belong.
And every time we return from exploring another island, stepping back onto Naxos feels like exhaling into comfort.
Why Naxos Will Forever Be Mine
I have travelled the world. I have seen beauty in every direction. But Naxos is the island that lives inside me. The place where childhood memories became traditions, where the sea taught me to breathe, where love was celebrated, and where my heart always returns.
Naxos isn’t just beautiful — though it is breathtaking.
It isn’t only delicious — though the food lingers in your dreams.
It isn’t merely welcoming — though its warmth wraps around you instantly.
Naxos is real, grounding, enchanting, and eternal.
It is home. It is the one place in the world that no matter how long I am there, I really struggle to leave. I am at my absolute happiest when we are waiting in the diesel bay of the ferry and it turns to reverse in to Naxos harbour and I get my first glimpse of this magical island that I consider my second home. I’m beyond happy with that view!!
And every time I leave, I carry a piece of it with me — and leave another piece of my heart behind, waiting for my return. Naxos forever!!
Much love,
TJ Travels xoxo
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