Car Hire Naxos Airport

Naxos Airport Mini Guide

Would you recommend Naxos for a holiday?
Very much so. It’s the largest island in the Cyclades, virtually in the middle of the Aegean and is a beautiful and unspoilt island. There’s much to be seen here with natural wonders and archaeological sites including the ancient marble gateway standing incongruously on an islet in Naxos Harbour. It has the huge Mount Zeus in the centre bringing it a lot of rain through the autumn months and making the island very fertile. As an indication of the low key nature of tourism on the island, Naxos earns more from agriculture that from tourists.

How do I get to the Island?
Many people choose the ferries from Athens or Santorini and there are some high speed ones, reasonably priced, taking under four hours to get there. Others use the airport which has two scheduled flights daily on Olympic from Athens and the very occasional charter flight from Austria. It’s easy to get from the airport to the resorts, the main one by far being Naxos Town itself where most of the tourist facilities are located.

What is the airport Like?
It’s one of the smallest you’ll encounter in Europe with the terminal looking like a municipal fire station. It’s only two miles from Naxos Town and so you’ll be in your accommodation very quickly after arriving.

What to expect when you land
Very little really. The plane stops close to the terminal and you walk the short distance to the building. There’s no passport control as the only flights are domestic and you may have a little wait whilst bags are unloaded. In this time you can scope out the adverts for accommodation and attractions on the island or arrange your hire car from the desk near the terminal doors. If you need any help then you need to catch a member of the airport staff who can usually assist with general enquiries. Once you have your bags, there’s no customs to negotiate so it’s a quick hire car trip or taxi ride to Naxos Town or further afield if you’re going for a quieter option. There are no buses from the airport as the flights are too infrequent to warrant a route.

And when leaving Naxos Airport
Take a good book and some food if you don’t want to be bored or hungry. There are no shops at all at the airport although there are a couple of kiosks outside the terminal building. There is a coffee bar at the airport which has a very limited range of pre-packed food and drink. Beyond that, it’s a case of finding a seat and reading a good book until your flight is called.

Naxos is the largest of the Cyclades islands but still isn’t too big. A hire car will enable you to see all the sights of the island during your holiday. The south west coast is the most popular with tourists with its long sandy beach but heading inland you’ll pass the desolate salt marshes shimmering with the summer heat and then drive up through valleys packed with lush citrus groves and olive plantations.

The views from the mountains are spectacular and a brisk walk through the cool mountain air will make a refreshing change from life on the beach.