Bonjour tout le monde! Je suis de retour!
It's time for let me to continue my Chapter 23!
So, after Santorini, the initial plan was to head over to Mykonos, another famous Greek island, but the journey to Mykonos is sooooo long, around 5 to 6 hours ferry ride!!! The thought of it makes me seasick already. So in the end I decided to spend a night in one of the islands in between Santorini and Mykonos. After much considerations and massive researching, I decided to head to Naxos, the largest island in the Cyclades islands group and it was ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS EVERRR! (Too much best decisions for this trip! Hahahaha!)
Unlike Santorini, the landscape of Naxos has no calderas but is filled with mountains and greeneries, but gives off a very peaceful vibe. This place is definitely perfect for people who wish to relax and enjoy the nature.
Upon arriving in Naxos, I immediately regret my decision of staying for just one night! One night is definitely NOT enough to discover the beauty of this island. There are so much activities to do on this island, you can go to one of the many beaches for a swim or snorkeling, go on an adventurous biking or hiking tour on one of the many mountains, go on a ancient Greek historical tour or just chill by one of the cafes in the Old Town! My 1 day 1 night in Naxos only allows me to explore the Old Town. #sadmuch
Located right next to the port, which is just walking distance from the main town area, is The Portara. The Portara is the entrance to an unfinished temple that faces directly towards Delos, Apollo's birthplace.
While I was snapping away at The Portara, there was this Italy born&raised Chinese girl doing the same too. In the end we started a conversation and found out that we were both on our solo birthday trip (her birthday was the day after we met)!!! Afterwards, we watched the sunset together, and she even offered to bring me around for dinner! Best memories of this trip was that after dinner, we even spent hours in her room (with a balcony) stargazing and HTHT!
So we went to this traditional Greek restaurant that was recommended by both our hotel staff and IT WAS AMAZINGGGG! It's cheap and the portion was hugeeeee! The restaurant was popular among locals as well as it was jam packed when we arrive and a few dishes on the menu were already sold out! I forgot what was the name of the dish I ordered but its soooo good! In case you are wondering why Greek food has fries, it's probably a Naxos thing because I heard that the staple food in there is potatoes!
Maro's Taverna
Where: Ioannou Paparigopoulou, Naxos 843 00
Open: only dinner time
Another thing I love about Naxos was the hotel I stayed. I got a room €40/night (because its low season, I heard other places you can get €20+/night) at Saint Vlassis Hotel. The service and the room were top notch!!! Booked it because it was inexpensive and was ranked no.1 on Tripadvisor but it totally exceeded my expectation!!! Though I only stayed a night, Konstantinos (the guy above, who is the owner as well) picked me up from the port and even fetch me back when I leave too! The breakfast was great as well, with wide variety of food! Though the location is a bit out of town but its not too far to walk to the town too, with Konstantinos' detailed explanation of the routes I should take.
This is SOOO VALUE FOR MONEY! During the conversation with Konstantinos in car after he had picked me up, he shared that he previously worked in many big hotel chains like Hilton, so that explains the top notch service!!! *INSPIRED AGAIN*
After checking out of the hotel, I had a few hours to spare before catching the next ferry to Mykonos, I went to explore the beach near by the Old Town. Almost eyes drop upon seeing how blue and clear the water is!!! Damn pretty! Can't help but to have a mini photoshoot with the clear blue sea!!!
*ahem, once again, I didn't edit all these photos!*
Though it was just a very very short stay on this island, I really enjoyed my time here. Until Santorini, this island is much less touristy, a good break from crowds and expensive tourist traps. So peaceful yet so rich in culture and history, so much for one to explore! If I ever come back to Greece, this is one island that I'd definitely return!
Stay tune for my next post on the last Greek island, Mykonos, for my Chapter 23 trip!!!
À bientôt!