48 Hours in Naxos..... - Clutch & Carry-On

I’ve spent the last few weeks traveling through Greece, from the Ionian to the Aegean, I’ve now covered 6 islands in a month and it’s been such a dream getting to know places that were totally new to me.

The Cyclades have always been my favourite place to travel to, from the vibrant nightlife of Mykonos to the idyllic beaches in Milos they have always reminded me the reason I fell in love with Greece and though this was my 15th trip to the country it still gives me chills every time I discover a new island.

La Grande Vue

Whilst working on a campaign in Paros I saw the opportunity to spend a few days in Naxos by jumping on a speedy ferry across the sea. The ferries run like busses in The Cyclades so it’s an easy ‘snap’ decision to visit more than one place when you are there.

I only had a few days to play with and after a quick scan on Booking.com I came across a brand new resort, La Grande Vue. The resort, which had literally opened on the day I checked in, is a stunning set of 4 Cave villas each with a huge gorgeous swimming pool and wide open outside space.

The resort is a family run business but whilst the service is familiar it is also diamond in class. The rooms are traditional with hand crafted furniture and pretty boho touches but super fresh and modern in their minimal design.

I created a youtube video of my stay with a full villa tour as it really is such an impressive location whilst also having the perfect amount of seclusion.

Though we only had one full day in Naxos, we (begrudgingly if I’m honest) left La Grande Vue to explore some of the beaches that Naxos is famous for. The hotel arranged a hire car for my friend and I to get about, the vehicle was bought to site for us and we simply needed to complete the contract and pay, it was seamless.

Naxos is the largest island in The Cyclades but it is not on the cruise ship docking path so even though it has more space than most it’s not too inundated with tourists and there’s so much to share with everyone 😉 Those who have visited will boast first and foremost about the incredible beaches so as a fellow salty shore addict I googled the best local beaches.

Hawaii Beach

First up, around 20 minutes drive from the hotel was Hawaii Beach.

This was what I’d call ‘my kind of beach’. Insanely clear water, that dreamy turquoise colour that can be seen in these unedited photos and the picture perfect setting of being down a natural stairway on it’s very own ‘sea-level’.

There aren’t any beds or parasols so you will need to kit yourself out for the day unless you are just there for a quick swim like us 😉 The water gets deep pretty quickly which was actually an amazing change from most of the beaches in The Cyclades and made for the best SWIM!

Mikria Vigla Beach

Another insanely gorgeous beach was Mikria Vigla. In stark contrast to Hawaii Beach the water here was the prettiest pale sapphire blue. Clear as clear can be all the same but such a pretty almost cornflower colour, it was truly magical and the first time I’ve witnessed that shade of sea.

This beach is fully kitted out with parasols and beach beds, we opted to pay for 10 euros for two beds at a section of the beach that also offered ‘table service’ in the form of drinks and food from the local taverna.

This beach has a few very pretty sandy-feet walks if you are open to explore more than the direct shore in front of you and there’s more shallow sections for those who are keener on toe-dipping only 😉

Chora

Along with the beaches there’s a number of pretty traditional white and blue villages and then the main town of Chora where the port is. Here you can wander the cobbled streets to shop, snack and gaze.

The white wash walkways all have their own story to tell and though we only spent a morning weaving through them I would love to return again one day and see it come to life in the evening.

Side by side the town of Chora sits tall a true gem of Naxos, the temple of Apollo. Though it can be seen in all glory from afar the walk up is super easy and takes only 5 minutes to reach the foot of the ruin.

The temple is great but what makes this walk spectacular is the view on the walk down, it’s definitley up there with the list of my all time favourite views!