We went to Greece for a kitesurfing mate's wedding and spent 5 days with him and his new wife on the island of Naxos after the wedding. The marriage wasn't a week old and Chrissy was a kite widow! 10/10 to her for tolerance! We stayed in Mikri Vigla which is a collection of houses plus a shop, a dodgy bikini salesman (i have a picture but it really is unpublishable!) and a kitesurfing school.

Naxos has very constant wind and for this reason, has been popular with windsurfers for may years. Do be prepared for potentially getting a little bit of hassle from some of the older windsurfers who will be jealous because you can fly! When we were there, being a kitesurfer was a bit like being a snowboarder in a ski resort in the early 90s but that was 3 years ago so i suspect things will have changed!

The coarse sandy beach is quite narrow and there are a lot of sunbathers and related obstacles around so it is not the best place for beginners. You'll probably get the best out of the spot if you can at least stay upwind consistently and generally go where you want to. By the way, watch out for sea urchins on the rocks - mind you, you've probably got more than sea urchins to worry about if you've wound up on the rocks. Also, make sure your kite is well weighted down if you leave it on the beach as there are lots of spiky plants in the dunes that will destroy your bladders. Trust me, i have patched one up and it wasn't pretty!

Other Stuff

Being part of Greece, Naxos has its fair share of fabulous archaeological remains. Demeter'sTemple at Sangri is definitely worth a visit. We would recommend getting there early in the morning as it is inland and therefore as hot as a badger wearing a fur coat while on holiday in the Kalahari by about 9.30am. There are various layers of archaeology to look at around the site and a nice little museum which also has air conditioning and is therefore a good place to be for at least part of your visit!

There are lots of excellent tavernas around and about for eating out. Both of us were really impressed by the quality of greek food, especially the seafood. Don't be a wuss, try the octopus, it tastes great! Don't worry about eating late after a sunset session either as most places serve food until at least midnight.

A wander around Naxos town is absolutely worth doing as there are loads of interesting things to see and narrow, twisty little streets to get lost in. There's a whole selection of interesting local shops to look in (all are open late) as well as the standard buy-a-pair-of-Oakleys-for-6Euros-they're-real-honest tourist shops on the harbour.

Getting There

We flew from Manchester to Athens via Frankfurt with Lufthansa which, despite the raw bacon sandwich, was reasonably pleasant. Once you get to Athens, there are various ferry services that will get you to Naxos and various other islands if you'd prefer. The trip to Naxos from Piraeus (the port of Athens) takes about 6-8 hours so take a book and some sun cream. You'll want to book your ferries in advance if you're going to Naxos in peak holiday season as they get very busy.