Kavos Naxos

Rooms

The first thing that jumps out at you when you enter the grounds are the colourful and well-tended gardens: red geraniums, roses galore, fanning palms, aromatic herb bushes and a pink halo of bougainvillea around every white-washed wall. This gives a sense of space and softness which is rare in Greek hotels, and ensures that each studio, villa and veranda is well screened from its neighbours.

Interiors are carefully styled with tones of Cycladic blue and green offset by cool creams and white. Overall, the feel is simple but stylish. You'll find satellite TV, air-con, Coco-Mat beds and a private vine-shaded veranda with sea views, wooden furniture and occasional visits from one of the resident cats. Bathrooms gleam with local marble and shiny chrome fittings; separate showers and decent hot water pressure are proof that Greek plumbing need not always be a dampener on your spirits (and the floor and the toilet paper).

Suites are lovely open-plan rooms for 2-3 with private terraces. There's a living area on the lower level (full-sized sofa bed, kitchenette with fridge, hotplates and kettle) and, up a few steps, a twin- or double-bedded sleeping area with shower room alongside. They may be smaller rooms, but are in no way the duff choice: they would be perfect for a couple (and a child).

Villas are free-standing bungalows (for 4-5 or 6) with 2 or 3 bedrooms, a living room (sofabed and French windows to the veranda), a fuller kitchen (including mini oven) and 2 bathrooms (one with bathtub as well as a shower, the other an ensuite with shower). Several of the villas also have spectacular roof terraces to enjoy a panoramic sea view to the surrounding islands. The Apartment has a large living room (2 sofabeds), a further open-plan kitchen-diner-lounge area and a double bedroom with shower room. For a romantic getaway stay in the Honeymoon Suite, with a kingsize canopy bed draped in billowing curtains, a Jacuzzi shower for two, and large private terraces with sunset views and sea views.

Features include:

• Hairdryer
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

The poolside restaurant, Stelida, is one of the best-loved restaurants in Naxos. Open to visitors as well as hotel guests, the romantic restaurant serves creative Greek cuisine from morning through to the evening (with a special sunset happy hour offering Kavos Naxos’ legendary mojitos). There is plenty of choice – daily specials, fresh grilled fish, interesting pasta dishes, locally sourced lamb and other meats – and an excellent selection of wines, too.

Breakfast, which is excluded from the room rates, is served until midday. You can order a cheese-filled omelette made with local eggs, a snowy mountain of Greek yoghurt, fruit and honey, even a jam pancake if you’re lucky; and, if that hasn’t kickstarted your taste buds, the fresh-pressed citrus juices will.

If you fancy eating out, Axiotissa in Kastraki (a 20-minute drive away) is a delight, with lots of fresh, home-grown ingredients combined in unusual Med-meets-Oriental ways. In the labyrinthine backsreets of Hora there are some delightful tavernas spilling onto the whitewashed cobbles and tiered rooftops. See our island guide for details.

Alternatively you can dine on your shady veranda (or, in some houses, on your own roof terrace): each suite has a small kitchenette with a 2-ring hob, a fridge-freezer, sink, kettle and basic cutlery and crockery and pans (villas and apartments also have a mini-oven). It's enough, say, to whip up a spag bol with Greek salad, but you would struggle to cook a moussaka (and, with their own restaurant a few paces away, this is understandable).

Features include:

• Bar
• Fridge
• Kitchenette
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• The coast around Ayios Prokopios is basically a string of sandy beaches. Head south to Ayia Anna or Mikri Vigla if you want a change (or, in mid August, a bit more towel space); head north for the enclosed lagoon of Ayios Georgios, a perfect spot for windsurfers with its safe and shallow waters and its reliable afternoon winds
  
• Just beyond that (10 mins’ drive) is Hora (Naxos Town), the island’s main town, a maze of cobbled lanes and over-arching white-washed houses behind a seafront which buzzes with ice cream parlours, waffle bars, fish restaurants and low-key night clubs. At the top of its hill is a Venetian citadel with a small archaeological museum and a lovingly-restored historic residence which is open to the public and hosts sporadic concerts of chamber and folk music
  
• For any other exploration, you’ll need to hire a car or moped; staff can have one delivered to the door. Highlights include the hike up Mt Zas, the highest spot in the Cyclades at 1001m; the mountain village of Apirathos, with its small geological and natural-history exhibitions (it was once an emery-mining community); the sleepy village of Halki, with its kitro-tasting outlet and simple outdoor taverna; the fortified monastery of St John Fotodotis on its isolated perch between the two; and various ancient kouroi (statues of over-sized young men) which were abandoned in their beds of stone in mid creation
  
• Or grab an Anavasi map and a bus (or cab), and hike some of the shady walled paths which thread between terraced olive groves and rugged mountainsides; our favourites include from Ano Potamia (lovely taverna) to the two kouroi statues of Melanes, and Moni-Halki on the fertile Tragea plateau, stopping to visit the low slung chapel of Panagia Drosiani en route. If you prefer to be guided, ask Barbara about the organised hiking holidays in spring and autumn
  
• There's great horse-riding to be had along the beaches and flower-lined country lanes of western Naxos - just ask at reception. Mountain biking with or without a guide is also popular during the cooler months

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Hiking
• Horse riding
• Kitesurfing
• Nightlife
• Sailing
• Snorkelling
• Swimming
• Windsurfing

Kids

Children of all ages are very welcome, and the various types of accommodation suit couples with 1, 2 or 3 kids. The beaches nearby are very safe: sandy, gently shelving, no tides, no signifcant currents, and rarely any big waves. One child is free if sharing a room with 2 adults. Baby-sitting can be arranged.

Best for:

Toddlers (1-4 years), Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

The 2-bedroom villas are ideal for parents with 1-2 children (or 3 if you don't mind using an extra bed, though we'd recommend the 3-bedroom villa for that). Each studio can take one child (on the sofabed), but studios 5 and 6 interconnect to sleep 4-6 - handy if all the villas are full.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available, Family Rooms

Distances:

• Airport: 10 mins
• Hospital: 15 mins
• Beach: 10 mins' walk

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

The hotel is on the island of Naxos in the Cyclades island group. It's in Ayios Prokopios, a 15-minute drive south from Naxos town/port, or 10 minutes south from the airport.

By Air:
Fly to Athens or Naxos (5km - restricted flights). Click on the links below for a list of airlines.

From Athens
Either take a boat (4-6 hours), hydrofoil (3-4 hours) or internal flight (1 hour) to Naxos.

By Boat/Hydrofoil:
Most boats and hydrofoils to Naxos go from Piraeus, to the west of Athens, connected to the airport by a regular bus in 40-60 mins. There are several sailings every day. Some vessels go from the port of Rafina, a short taxi ride from Athens airport.

From the Port/Airport
If you don't intend to do much exploration you could take a taxi or book a transfer through the hotel; otherwise hire a car for some or all of your stay.

Detailed directions will be sent once your booking is confirmed.

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