Alyko beach

The beautiful sandy beach of Alyko is located in the south-west of Naxos and is approximately 17.5 kilometres away from the island’s capital. It is one of the largest and most beautiful beaches of Naxos, with white sand and a new forest of cedar trees. Alyko is, in fact, the name of the greater coastal area that includes the saltpans (from which the area takes its name, saltpan = alyki) right after Glyfada beach and the peninsula that follows. It includes several sandy beaches and coves like Alyko, Mikro Alyko, Kedros and Hawaii, that form as the mountains dive in the Aegean Sea.

Kedros beach is right after Glyfada beach and it is the northernmost of the Alyko peninsula. It includes a dense cedar tree forest stretching down to a fantastic white sand beach. Hawaii is the second beach with the characteristic 10m drop down to a fantastic sandy beach. Rock formations separate it from Kedros beach and the next one, Mikro Alyko, a small sandy beach, ideal when the north winds blow in the Aegean Sea. The last beach, Alyko is the most popular of them all, most probably due to its easy access and its convenient orientation that make it a safe haven when the north winds rise.

A vehicle is needed to get access to this beach and it is an easy ride because you drive on an asphalt road all the way on our suggested route from Naxos Town towards the south coastline.

There are a few rooms and studios to rent and a short way off there are resorts and very few but excellent taverns. The main beach of Alyko is the southernmost of the group and is situated within a small cove, adequately protected from the northern winds. It is an ideal beach for those who seek isolation, although it gets a bit busy during high season. Since it is not an organised beach there are no umbrellas or sun-beds available for rent, so make sure you bring your own.

This excellent beach is one of the best choices for those who prefer quiet, but also wish to be in short driving distance from the many and varied tourist facilities offered in Hora and other very cosmopolitan tourist resorts located on the island.

The closest beaches to Alyko are Glyfada beach and Pyrgaki beach.

For access from Alyko to other facilities, post-office, banks, hospitals etc, the town of Naxos is the only option. However, there are pharmacies in the nearby villages (in Tripodes).

Access to Alyko from Chora is easy and the road is asphalt all the way to the beach. There are two ways to get there, either from Tripodes or from the newly constructed road from Plaka beach. The route to Alyko offers fantastic and panoramic views of the entire coastal area from Mikri Vigla to the peninsula of Alyko itself.