Where To Stay In Naxos, Greece: The Best Beach & Mountain Hotels

April 30, 2023

where to stay in naxos,best naxos hotels,naxos luxury hotels

Naxos was a welcome respite from the crowds of Santorini…very chill, with turquoise waters and whitewashed buildings as well as tiny ancient mountain villages. It makes a great addition to any Greek island itinerary and offered very affordable luxury accommodation options.

So I wanted to share my recommendations for the best Naxos hotels!

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Where to stay in Naxos

The majority of hotels are clustered along the beaches right near Naxos Chora (Naxos Town), and then there are a handful scattered along the coast in other areas. There are also some apartment rentals in the mountains, but only one hotel that I’m aware of (and we’ll talk about it).

Both of the hotels I’m recommending are on the luxury end, but don’t think of some glamorous, expensive, corporate resort. The hotels you’ll find in Naxos are small, family- (or local-) run gems.

I’ll give you one on the beach in Naxos Town and then one unique one up in the mountains. I chose both of these after doing solid research (using my easy process for picking the best hotel or rental), and was NOT disappointed!

Are Naxos hotels all-inclusive? No, generally not. Many do include breakfast in the room cost, however (both of my recommendations below do, and the breakfast is impressive).

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Where to stay in Naxos Chora / on the water

The clear pick here is the lovely Hotel Grotta, where I spent a couple nights (after doing doing a LOT of research). You can see additional reviews on TripAdvisor as well.

I would recommend it wholeheartedly and would absolutely stay here again! One note is that it overlooks the water but is not technically *beachfront*.

I was welcomed enthusiastically by Nicoletta and her team, and she sat me down in the dining room with some chicken pie and house-made wine before even getting me checked in. It was nice to take just a few minutes to chill after a crazy morning getting to the ferry in Santorini.

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My room was clean and comfy, and a decent size for a European hotel room (though the bathroom was tiny). I had booked a room that boasted an ocean view (and Portara view) from the little patio, which I recommend.

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Review: Staying At The Unique ELaiolithos In Naxos

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There’s a nice rooftop at Hotel Grotta that also has great views. I didn’t get a chance to spend time up here, but there are a few lounge chairs if you want to soak in the sun or enjoy a cocktail. The sunsets from up here would be pretty epic!

In that second pic below you can see the short dirt path that leads from the hotel to the town…it’s an easy 5-minute walk. And the third pic is looking back at where the hotel sits on the coast—such a picturesque location!

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This is the view from the hotel toward the famous Portara, at sunset…not too shabby! The second pic is sunrise, which you’ll note is not as epic on this side of the island.

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And then there’s breakfast. The #1 thing you’ll hear about Hotel Grotta is that their breakfast offering is INSANE. When I mentioned to my tour driver in Santorini that I was staying here, the first thing he said was, “Man, that breakfast is crazy!”

Every morning there was a veritable smorgasbord of Greek dishes, casseroles, phyllo, cakes, puddings, fruit, yogurt, and so much more.

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There’s SO. MUCH.

So that’s my pick for where to stay in Naxos if you want to be really central and conveniently located near Naxos Town and want to be on the water. Now let’s head inland!

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The best Naxos luxury hotel in the mountains

Knowing I was spending a couple nights at Hotel Grotta, I wanted to seek out a totally different experience from the beautiful beachfront hotels and apartments that lined Naxos Town.

And ELaiolithos Luxury Retreat was the perfect choice (see TripAdvisor reviews here as well). It’s a “green” luxury hotel run by local Helen Marakis, blending sustainability and hospitality. Pretty much all the materials (and food and drink) are local, including beautiful Naxian marble and textiles.

This is not only one of the best Naxos hotels, but also the only hotel (that I could find) up in the mountain villages. In addition to providing a very different experience than the beachfront hotels, it gave me a centralized base for exploring the mountain villages and southeast coast.

I’ve got a much more detailed review of ELaiolithos that you should check out as well, so I won’t go into quite as much detail here.

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The location is great, nestled right on the side of one of the mountains near a couple tiny villages. You definitely need a car to stay here, in my opinion. The hotel is adults only (16+), which was a selling point for me.

The hotel’s main spaces are all outdoor, with a huge patio that includes the dining area, lounge chairs, and small seating areas. She also has added a swimming pool and outdoor gym area since my visit (so I haven’t seen them).

Helen is a wonderful host, giving her hotel guests many resources for experiencing local life in Naxos. The hotel offers various cooking classes, winery visits, and more, but she also has facilitated a guest helping harvest olives, picked them from a hike, or taking them to a friend’s baby’s baptism.

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Each of the rooms at ELaiolithos are unique, and I had chosen the Ariadne & Dionysus suite. It was quite large, with a small kitchenette area and comfy bed.

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But let’s face it, I didn’t spend a ton of time in my room, because the view is the star here. ELaiolithos overlooks the Drymalia Valley, with views of Mount Zeus in the distance. You can even see the islands of Ios and Sikinos way out in the Aegean!

One night I watched the sunset while sipping a couple of the delicious and unique cocktails on the hotel’s menu, which Helen whipped up herself. My favorite time for the views was sunset, it’s AMAZING.

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And the breakfast wasn’t too shabby either. My meal both mornings delicious, fresh, and unique, with fresh fruit juice, toast with homemade marmalades, and a hard boiled egg (plus plenty of strong Greek coffee).

I devoured local soft cheese and tomatoes with olive oil and herbs and enjoyed fresh yogurt with soft citrus marmalade for the main dish one morning. The following morning was my birthday, and I enjoyed a crepe and omelet, both of which were delicious!

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I absolutely believe these are two of the best hotels in Naxos and where you should stay in Naxos if you’ve included it on your itinerary. Hit me up in the comments with any questions!

Reviews of other amazing hotels that you may love:

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