Naxos Is Greenest of the Greek Isles

NAXOS, Greece — This largest, greenest and most beautiful of the Cycladic Islands, with its abundant water supply and rich farmlands, is one of the most pleasing and rewarding stops in the Aegean.

And, thanks to the lack of an airport (Naxians say they don’t have enough votes in parliament), it is far less crowded than better-known Greek isles.

Getting here: Fly Pan Am, TWA or KLM to Athens, all with stops. Olympic Airways flies nonstop from New York City, then on to the island of Paros, just three miles from Naxos. An LAX-Athens round-trip, advance-purchase ticket will cost between $1,010 and $1,110, depending upon month and day of week flown. Olympic’s 45-minute Athens-Paros leg is $53 one way, and the three-mile ferry ride to Naxos is a pittance.

How long/how much? Give Naxos a day or two, perhaps another for excursions into the island or a day-trip to Paros. Lodging costs are moderate and the marvelous Greek dining is inexpensive.

A few fast facts: Greece’s drachma recently sold at 161 to the dollar, about .0062 each. Best time for a visit is between May and the end of November. While northern and central Greece may have severe winter weather, the islands have mild winters with temperatures in the mid-50s and 60s.

Getting settled in: Hotel Nissaki, St. George Beach; $41 B&B; double, high season, $35 low season. Just 300 yards from town on the seashore, it has 15 sparkling but simple bedrooms furnished in white pine. It’s small, comfortable, and has a colorful taverna inside, plus a beachside cafe with tables on the sand.

Galaxy Hotel, St. George Beach (same prices as Nissaki), is almost a clone of the Nissaki except that it is larger and has a few more amenities, including a pool, air conditioning and cable TV. Even its architecture features the stark-white cubes favored by island hotels. The Galaxy is just a short walk from the beach.

Chateau Zevgoli, Old Town hill; $42 B&B; double, high season, $36 low season, is a traditional pension with 10 rooms, most having beautiful lapis doorways around a small flower-filled courtyard. Old ceiling beams, a beehive fireplace and antiques give the Zevgoli the warm look of a bygone era. A short walk down the hill are the town’s best restaurants and shops.

Regional food and drink: Apart from its good wines, Naxos turns out excellent cheeses, including a Gruyere- type and various chevres .

The best bet for dining is always fresh seafood. Try barbounis , a red mullet loaded with small bones; octopus, either marinated cold or grilled; calamari (squid) and calamarakia (baby squid); fresh sardines grilled or fried, and plenty of lobster.

Good local dining: Nikos Restaurant and Coffee Bar (over the Commercial Bank near the port) is a gathering place for those who want to socialize and enjoy good seafood. It has an outdoor garden-terrace and a huge indoor area from which diners can visit the kitchen and smoking grills. The mezes (Greek appetizers) and swordfish are excellent. At Nikos, vacationers also can catch up on Greek dancing.

Taverna Lucullus (near the market in Old Town), hidden away in a labyrinth of narrow streets, has been one of the town’s best dining spots since opening in 1908. It’s a study in taverna furnishings: simple blue furniture, walls covered with local artifacts and weavings, ceramics and game skins.

In addition to Greek dishes, the taverna serves half a dozen types of grilled beef.

Other tavernas with typical Greek food, grills and fresh seafood are Taverna Klimataria (near the post office) and Red Lion (St. George Beach), which also has a garden.

On your own: Start exploring with a walk up the hill to the Kastro (citadel) and its Roman Catholic cathedral. The cathedral has a full-figure Byzantine icon on the high altar that may be turned in its frame to show the Virgin and Child on one side and John the Baptist on the other.

Down the hill is the Naxos Museum, noted for its six Cycladic figures, bead jewelry, Greco-Roman amphoras and, on the roof, a 4th-Century Hellenistic mosaic.

Just beyond the harbor is Palace Island (Palatia), which has the beginnings of a 6th-Century BC Temple of Apollo that was never finished. Although a causeway connects Palace Island to the quay, the temple’s imposing entryway is best appreciated from afar.

St. George Beach is a comfortable walk from town, with other superb beaches at Mikri Vigla and Kastraki. Like almost all Greek beaches, they’re topless.

For more information: Contact the Greek National Tourist Organization, 611 W. 6th St., Suite 2198, Los Angeles 90017, (213) 626-6696, for a brochure on the Cycladic Islands, including Naxos, a map of Greece and an Athens brochure. Ask for the Naxos package.