Naxos is the largest of the Cyclades Islands in Greece, yet it remains relatively undiscovered by Americans. Despite its gorgeous beaches, rich history, and convenient location, couples often overlook Naxos in favor of the Instagram-famous blue domes of Santorini and the lively party scene of Mykonos. Yet this island, which was known in ancient times for its worship of Dionysus, the god of fertility and wine, actually makes an excellent destination for a romantic getaway to the Greek Islands.
Much more affordable than pricey Santorini and Mykonos, Naxos lets you stretch your Greece budget for a longer stay. There are beaches to enjoy, cute villages to visit, mountains to hike, and ancient temples to explore on Naxos, along with on water activities like diving, snorkeling, and sailing. If you are wondering where to stay on Naxos for a honeymoon, anniversary trip, or romantic getaway, I have a good option for you.
Virtu Suites Naxos is a boutique hotel with a bohemian vibe, located just across the street from the aquamarine waters of Agios Prokopios beach. Find out what makes this hotel a Greek gem!
Virtu Suites Review: Where to Stay on Naxos
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My husband and I just took a trip to Greece to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We spent three nights at the Canaves Oia Epitome on Santorini, five nights at the Virtu Suites on Naxos, and our final night at the Hotel Grand Bretagne in Athens. You can see our full itinerary for 10 days in Greece here. Our time in Santorini was an absolute dream, but who can afford to spend too long there?
We were able to spend five nights on Naxos at the Virtu Suites for much less than our three nights in Santorini. Granted, we took a less expensive room level, but it isn’t just the room that costs less in Naxos. We traded $500+ degustation menus for $50 dinners at local tavernas (with an appetizer, two entrees, two drinks, and dessert!) Plus, Naxos offers a welcome respite to the over-touristed hustle and bustle of Santorini.
Location on Agios Prokopios Beach
Virtu Suites is a small boutique hotel located on the beach in Agios Prokopios, about 15 minutes drive south of Chora, also known as Naxos Town, the main town on the island. The hotel has a prime location just across the road from this gorgeous stretch of beach.
The village of Agios Prokopios is small compared to Naxos Town, with a collection of hotels, villas, and a smattering of restaurants and beach shops. If you are looking for a fine dining options and shopping, you may be better off staying in Naxos Town or St. George’s Beach. But if you enjoy walking to local, family-run restaurants and don’t mind taking a cab to the larger town or port, Agios Prokopios is a great place to stay.
Rooms at the Virtu Suites
We stayed in a Deluxe Sea View Suite. Our suite, number 3, was located on the ground floor just a couple of steps from the pool. We enjoyed sitting outside our room in the evening, but since the sunbed was located in front of the suite next door, we ended up spending more time at the beach than the pool.
I absolutely fell in love with the decor of the Virtu Suites, which uses a gorgeous blend of organic materials like rope, wood, and natural fabrics. Our room featured a King-sized bed and a nice sized seating area. The closet was slightly small for an extended stay, offering a couple of drawers and hanging space, along with an in-room safe. Of course I was happy to find robes and slippers — one hotel amenity I always enjoy!
The room also offered a Nespresso machine (but with breakfast included in our room rate we never used it), an in-room fridge with complimentary still and sparkling water, WiFi, and a flat-screen television.
The only drawback in my view is the open bathroom concept. There is a large glass-enclosed walk in shower, large sink vanity, and a separate WC. I’m someone who always needs to get up in the night to use the WC so I prefer a separate bathroom to not bother anyone by turning on the lights.
Restaurant & Bar at Virtu Suites
When we arrived in Naxos, we were welcomed to the Virtu Suites with a welcome drink of our choice. I selected the Sunset cocktail, and that became my drink of choice for the rest of the trip. The open air restaurant is open all day, serving up complimentary breakfast in the morning (you make your selection and preferred time the night before), as well as lunch and dinner.
The food at Virtu Suites was quite delicious, featuring local specialties like eggplant salad, tomato balls, and Naxian fries (sliced fried potatoes). We also enjoyed the pasta with tomatoes and grilled salmon. We enjoyed each of our meals at Virtu Suites, but for variety we also walked over to Spiros and Giannoulis for dinner on a couple of nights and went into Chora for some other meals.
Beach and Pool
Virtu Suites provides complimentary beach loungers and umbrellas for guests, they just need to be reserved the night before. If additional space is available, they then rent these to non-guests for day use. Food and beverage service is also available at the beach, you just may need to walk up to request a menu. The beach is made up of teeny pebbles which seems more like coarse sand than the rocky beaches on Santorini. It is not too rough on your feet, so you don’t need water shoes and it doesn’t stick to you either!
The water of the Aegean Sea is gorgeous, with beautiful shades of turquoise and blue. Unlike St. George’s beach, which is popular for surfing and windsurfing, the water at Agios Prokopios is calm. The beach drops off quickly when you enter the sea, leading to soft sand and clear water. While the beach is lined with these beach clubs and some public areas, it never felt overly crowded and in the morning, you pretty much had the water to yourself.
The pool is cute and offers a great spot for a quick swim to cool off or night swim, but if you want to sunbathe, the beach is the better place.
Service & Spa
From our warm welcome to accommodating a late check out, service was excellent at Virtu Suites. The small staff at Virtu Suites went above and beyond to make our stay comfortable. From arranging taxis to helping out when I accidentally flooded our room using the jets and rain shower, the team did everything they could to make our stay everything we had dreamed about in the two years we have been planning our trip.
Virtu Suites also offers a full service spa, with facials, massage, and other body treatments. We didn’t indulge on this trip but looking over the spa menu makes me think we were missing out!
We loved our stay at Virtu Suites! The beach was beautiful, the service was superb, our room was lovely, and the food was delicious. If you are looking for where to stay on Naxos for a romantic getaway, I’d say book a trip to Virtu Suites.
Things to do in Naxos
If you are wondering what to do while you are on Naxos, you can easily keep busy or just relax and enjoy the beach. Here are the things we enjoyed:
Spend the Day on the Water with Naxos Sailing
We loved spending a day on the water with Captain George of the sailing yacht Annabella of Naxos Sailing. The full-day private sailing to Antiparos and Paros gave us a chance to explore a neighboring island without having to deal with ferry schedules.
Our first destination was some small islets off Antiparos. After some time spent snorkeling, we headed over to the mainland of Paros to snorkel into a sea cave. The next stop was in the small village of Piso Livadi on Paros. We had the option of enjoying the town or beach here but we decided to take a cab to the main village of Naoussa.
I fell in love with this village and it made me want to return and stay on Paros if we get a chance to go back to Greece. After that, we sailed back to Naxos Town, and Glenn and I even took turns piloting the boat.
Take a Tour with Philema Food Tours
I’d highly recommend a full-day Cheese, Food, Wine, and Island Tour with Eleni from Philema Food Tours. This was one of our favorite days on Naxos and a perfect choice if you want to understand more about Naxian food, wine, and local culture.
Our first stop was at a family farm of cheesemakers. After meeting the goats whose milk we would be soon turning into cheese, we stepped inside the farm kitchen to a feast of homemade Naxian specialties. We then got hands-on and had a chance to help make one of Naxos’ most famous cheeses.
The next stop was in a small village with only seven full-time residents and a potter whose family has been creating pottery for generations. We explored the town’s olive oil press, watched a pottery demonstration, and browsed through his shop.
The tour wrapped around the island, winding through the mountains and stopping at a few scenic overlooks for photos. A highlight was a stop in the charming village of Chalki. Most well-known for the Kitron distillery, this town is also a great spot to see artisans in action.
For lunch, we stopped in the village of Apeiranthos. The white streets of this beautiful village are lined with local marble, making it a beautiful place to wander and get lost in the labyrinth of small streets.
We had a delicious lunch at Amorginos Restaurant, where we got to sample two famous dishes in this village — a veal with eggplant, tomato sauce, and cheese baked and topped with yogurt, and roasto. Roasto is pork thigh aged for two months and stuffed with garlic, pepper, and cooked in tomato sauce. While I’m not usually a huge pork fan (unless it is bacon or pancetta), this dish was delicious!
The final stop on our tour was at a vineyard. While Naxos has the most vineyards and vines that go back for millennia, it is not known for its wine-making. But one winemaker is looking to change that by producing a more refined wine using traditional grapes from Naxos. A vineyard tour and tasting was the perfect way to end our tour with Philema Food Tours.
Visit Portara at Sunset
Portara, or Apollo’s Temple, is a perfect spot to catch a sunset. Just make sure you arrive early if you want to set up a tripod or get the perfect angle to watch the sun descend behind the gate.
Explore Chora
Take at least half a day to explore the Old Market in Chora, or Naxos Town. It is easy to get turned around but wandering in the labyrinth of streets is part of the fun! For a rest with a view, grab a coffee or drink at 520 Cocktail Bar & Restaurant.
Be sure to also walk down to St. George’s Beach. For a cheap and delicious lunch in the port, head to Pikantiko Grill House for souvlaki.
Tamara is an over 50, award-winning travel writer, and recent empty nester based in Rhode Island. After years of writing about family travel on We3Travel and inspiring wanderlust as co-host of the Vacation Mavens family travel podcast, she started Your Time to Fly as a place to share ideas for girlfriend getaways, romantic escapes, and solo female travel for midlife women.
