The white sand
A long fine stretch with clear shallow water to the waist.
**The best beach on Naxos and the closest to town** โ fine white sand running about a kilometre and a half, with **very shallow** water that stays waist-deep a long way out. Naxos differs from its neighbours in precisely this: where Santorini's beaches are dark volcanic and Mykonos's are small and crowded, **the west coast of Naxos is an unbroken chain of long sandy beaches** โ unquestionably the best in the Cyclades. Agios Prokopios is the first and nearest: only **5 km** from town, and fully serviced โ umbrellas, loungers, tavernas and hotels directly behind. Behind it are small **salt lagoons** visited by **flamingos** during the migrations. โ Its shallow water makes it **excellent for children**, but it is also **exposed to the north wind** that blows in summer. โ And it joins the beach of **Agia Anna** to the south on foot.
A long fine stretch with clear shallow water to the waist.
Behind the beach, visited by flamingos on migration.
You can walk south along the sand to the next beach unbroken.
Agios Prokopios, 84300 Naxos, Greece
**A strong summer north wind that shapes a Cyclades trip more than any other factor.** โ **What it is**: the **meltemi** is a dry northerly blowing across the Aegean in **summer** โ strongest usually in **July and August**. It can last **a day, three days or a week**, drop, and return. โ **Its effect**: it makes **beaches exposed to the north and west** โ Agios Prokopios among them โ sandy, choppy and uncomfortable, and it sometimes **cancels smaller ferry crossings**. โ **How to handle it**: **(1) do not cancel your day โ move.** Every Cycladic island has a **sheltered side**: if the northerly blows, go to a beach facing **south or east**; on Naxos the **southeast coast** (towards Moutsouna and Psili Ammos) is calmer. **(2) Ask at your hotel in the morning** โ locals know which side is working today. **(3) Plan ferries with slack** and never book a flight for the morning after a sea crossing. โ **The upside**: the meltemi **breaks the heat** and makes August bearable.
**Because of geology and size โ not taste.** โ **Santorini is volcanic**: its beaches are coarse **black or red sand** that gets extremely hot underfoot and is hard to walk on barefoot, and the water deepens quickly close in. Visually striking, but not comfortable bathing beaches. โ **Mykonos is a small rocky island**: its beaches are **short coves**, lovely but limited in area, **very crowded**, and largely covered with paid beach-club loungers โ so your free space is small and prices high. โ **Naxos is a large non-volcanic island** with a west coast of **unbroken sand for tens of kilometres**: Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna, Plaka, Mikri Vigla, Kastraki and Alyko โ **fine white sand, shallow water** and wide free stretches. โ **The practical conclusion**: anyone travelling **with children** or wanting **a genuine beach day** should choose Naxos among the Cyclades, rather than the more famous ones.
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