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Trust me, with over 20 Greek islands nearby, I didn’t need Condé Nast Traveler to tell me this, but it’s still nice to get a stamp of approval from the top travel tastemakers in the game:
Europe’s best island holiday According to the prestigious travel publication run by some of the industry’s leading editors, laid-back, still partially secret, postcard-ready Naxos is currently a dupe for Santorini, which I think most Americans are still sleeping on.
Don’t worry, we’re here to fix that.
In a ranking of Europe’s best islands for 2025 by CN Traveller, the Cycladic gem came in first place with a score of 95.71, ahead of Mediterranean powerhouses Ibiza, Capri, Hvar and yes, even Mallorca.
If you’re looking at this wall of text a little confused, because you may not have heard of Naxos, let me introduce you to one of Greece’s dreamiest summer getaways:
5x as big as Santorini, 5x as much fun
The first thing you’ll notice when you take the ferry to Naxos, either from party-heavy Mykonos or Instagrammer-colonized Santorini, is how lush and green it is.
It is the largest island in the Cyclades archipelagoto which the famous duo belongs, and unlike its smaller, but much more popular counterparts, it contains quite a diverse landscape, paradisiacal beaches and mountain slopes. choria that actually look frozen in time.
That’s just Greek for ‘villages’. Sorry, I had to adjust my little to non-existent knowledge of Greek while we were at it.
Back to Naxos, chances are your first stop on the sun-drenched island will be Naxos Town, or as the locals call it, Chora. If you love Santorini for its whitewashed alleys, Venetian fortress, cute harborside promenades and abundance of boutiques and tavernas, you will Love it here.
Mainly because it’s much quieter and not nearly as chaotic as Oia, although the viewpoints atop Kastro, the local 13th century castle, are just as epic.
If you are in Chora, don’t miss the sunset at Portara iconic giant marble doorway sitting on a small island connected to the harbor by a causeway. It is the last remaining part of what was once a much larger temple, and the symbol of Naxos.
Before you proceed with booking airline tickets, make sure you do a little destination check on the Entry Requirements Check page, especially if you’re going to Europe. This also includes Greece.
Whether it’s mandatory fingerprinting or pending travel authorizations that will forever change the way Americans travel to Europe, there’s a lot to catch up on and prepare before you fly.
Why Naxos is the best island getaway in Europe
No pun intended, Chora and its Portara are merely the gateway to Naxos, the island.
This is by far the largest of the Cyclades, with a length of 44 kilometers from north to south and about 24 kilometers from east to west. In other words: it’s about 5.5 times bigger than an island like Santoriniso don’t think you can do it as a day trip or during a long weekend.
Condé Nast Traveler called it first, and I can vouch for them.
Naxos’ best kept secrets are inlandsuch as Aspeiranthos, a beautiful mountain village with marble-paved streets, stone houses and mountain views for days, or Halki, a chorio dotted with neoclassical mansions, best known for its local liquor.
Speaking of that liquid courage, the Vallindras Kitron Distillery, right in the heart of the village, has free entry, and you can take a tour of the old copper stills, and if the owner is feeling particularly generous that day – a Yassou And efcharisto come a long way here and even sample all three kitron types.
Chora is the “capital of the coast”, but if the mountainous interior of Naxos had an important hub, it would be Filoti. the largest hinterland village. Great atmosphere, a central square with tavernas and a maze of chalk-white alleys surrounded by green valleys.
Filoti is also located at the foot of Mount Zas, the highest mountain in the Cyclades, and once you’ve packed your hiking boots, the uphill path offers truly spectacular views of the whole of Naxos, and even neighboring islands such as Paros and Antiparos.
The Cave of Zas, engraved on the slopes of the mountain, is a must-see for lovers of Greek mythology: the ancient Greeks believed Zeus grew up there to hide from his own father Cronus.
Wondering how safe Greece is to visit right now? The country scores 90 out of 100 on the Traveler Safety Index, a tool based on self-reports from travelers who have actually been there, rather than vague government advice that is too broad or general.
Check it out below:
Are Greece’s best-kept secrets here?
Before we reach the paradisiacal beaches of Naxos, I have to tell you about my favorite cultural pit stop on the island, just a 9-minute drive from Mount Zas: the Temple of Demeter, perhaps the best preserved ancient site in the Cyclades…?
It’s one beautiful Hellenic sanctuarywith more than just a handful of columns scattered here and there, and the visible skeleton of a marble temple. And the surrounding countryside? Mama Mia. Just crazy beautiful.
Since you’ve driven all the way back to the southwestern central part of Naxos, where the best beaches are, you might as well take an afternoon dip after all the action-packed sightseeing.
From the best it is only 6.5 kilometers to Agia Anna, a long, soft golden sand strip backed by tavernas and boutique hotels, and just over 8km to Plaka Beach, another stretch of sand with some development, not much, and just enough infrastructure to not feel completely swamped, but not too crowded either.
For something more rugged and remote, and perhaps more beautiful than the resort’s main beaches, Alyko is nestled in a protected nature reserve on the southwestern side of the island, surrounded by dunes, cedar forests and basically one rocky cove for every few souls heading this way.
Naxos is CN Traveler’s top pick for summer 2026, but if you have a few days left on your Greek island hopping adventure, you might want to go even more niche, even wilder and quite remoteand instead hit the small, volcanic outcrop called Folegandros.
I already mentioned it in March 2025: it is truly a paradise… without the hustle and bustle of Santorini.
