Trust me, 20+ Greek islands in, I didn’t need Condé Nast Traveller to tell me this, but it’s nice to get a stamp of approval from the top travel tastemakers in the game, nonetheless:
Europe’s top island getaway right now, according to the prestigious travel publication run by some of the industry’s leading editors, is the laid-back, still partially-secret, postcard-ready Naxos, a Santorini dupe I feel most Americans are still sleeping on.
Worry not, we’re here to fix that.
In a ranking of Europe’s Best Islands for 2025 by CN Traveller, the Cycladic gem placed first 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 slightly befuddled, as you’ve maybe never heard of Naxos before, allow me to introduce you to one of Greece’s dreamiest summer escapes:
5x The Size Of Santorini, 5x The Fun
The first thing that will stand out to you as you pull up to Naxos with the ferry, either from party-heavy Mykonos or Instagrammer-colonized Santorini, is how lush and green it is.
It is the largest island in the Cyclades island group, which includes the famous duo, and unlike its smaller—but way more popular—counterparts, it packs quite the diverse landscape, paradisiacal beaches, and mountainside choriá that effectively look frozen in time.
That’s just Greek for ‘villages’. Sorry, had to flex my little-to-nonexistent knowledge of Greek while we’re at it.
Back to Naxos, chances are your first stop on the sun-drenched island is Naxos Town, or how locals call it, Chora. If you love Santorini for the whitewashed alleys, the Venetian fort, the cute harborside promenades, and the plethora of boutiques and tavernas, you’ll love it here.
Particularly because it’s way more lowkey, and not nearly as chaotic as Oia, although those hilltop viewpoints atop Kastro, the local castle dating back to the 13th century, are just as epic.
Of course, if you’re in Chora, you can’t miss out on sunset by Portara, the iconic giant marble doorway sitting on a tiny islet connected to the harbor by a causeway. It’s the last-surviving bit of what used to be a much larger temple, and the symbol of Naxos.
Before you go ahead and grab those flight tickets, make sure you run a little destination check on the Entry Requirements Checker page, especially if it’s Europe you’re headed to. This includes Greece.
Whether it’s mandatory fingerprinting or pending travel permits that will change how Americans view travel to Europe forever, there’s a lot you need to catch up on and prepare for ahead of flying.
Why Naxos Is Europe’s Top Island Getaway
No pun intended, Chora and its Portara are merely the gateway to Naxos, the island.
Which by the way, is the largest by far in the Cyclades, being 27 miles north to south, and roughly 15 miles east-to-west. In other words, it is about 5.5 times larger than an island like Santorini, so don’t go on thinking you can do it justice as a day trip or over a long weekend.
Condé Nast Traveller called it first, and I can vouch for them.
Naxos’ best-kept secrets are inland, like Aspeiranthos, a beautiful mountain village with marble-paved streets, stone houses, and mountain views for days, or Halki, a chorio dotted with neoclassical townhouses, best known for its local liqueur.
Speaking of that liquid courage, Vallindras Kitron Distillery, right in the heart of the village, has free entry, and you can get a guided look at the old copper stills, and if the owner’s feeling particularly generous that day—a yassou and efcharisto go a long way here—even taste all 3 kitron types.
Chora is the “capital on the coast”, but if the mountainous inland of Naxos had a main hub, that would be Filoti, the largest hinterland village. Great atmosphere, taverna-backed main square, and a maze of chalk-white alleys surrounded by verdant valleys.
Filoti also sits at the foot of Mount Zas, the highest mountain in the Cyclades, and if you’ve packed your hiking shoes, the uphill trail offers some truly spectacular views over the whole of Naxos, and even onto neighboring islands like Paros and Antiparos.
Etched onto the slopes of the mountain, the Cave of Zas is a must-see for Greek mythology enthusiasts: the Ancient Greeks believed Zeus grew up there to hide from his own father Cronus.
Wondering how safe Greece is to visit at the moment? The country scores 90 out of 100 on the Traveler Safety Index, a tool based on self-reports by travelers who’ve actually been, instead of some vague government advice that’s too broad or generic.
Check it out below:
Greece’s Best-Kept Secrets Are Here?
Before we get to Naxos’ paradisiacal beaches, I just have to tell you about my favorite cultural pit stop on the island, only a 9-minute drive from Mount Zas: the Temple of Demeter, perhaps the best-preserved ancient site in the Cyclades…?
It’s a beautiful Hellenic sanctuary, with more than just a handful of columns scattered hither and thither, and the visible skeleton of a marble temple. And the countryside surrounding it? Mamma Mia. Just stupidly gorgeous.
Seeing you’ve driven all the way back to the southwest–central part of Naxos, where all of the best beaches are, you might as well go for that afternoon dip after all the action-packed sightseeing.
From the best, it’s only 4 miles to Agia Anna, a long, soft golden sand stretch backed by tavernas and boutique hotels, and a slightly further 5 miles to Plaka Beach, yet another sandy strip with some development, not much, and just-enough infrastructure to not feel completely overrun, but not too crowded.
For something a bit more rugged and remote, and arguably more scenic than the main resort beaches, Alyko is set on a protected natural area on the south-western side of the island, framed by dunes, cedar forests, and a basically one rocky cove for every few souls that venture out this way.
Naxos is CN Traveller’s top pick for summer 2026, but if you’ve got a few more days to spare on your Greek island-hopping adventure, maybe you’ll want to go even more niche, even wilder and proper remote, and hit up the tiny, volcanic outcrop that is Folegandros instead.
I called it all the way back in March 2025 already: it truly is paradise… without the Santorini crowds.
