A Naxos sailing tour leaves the largest Cycladic island for its coast and the Small Cyclades to the south-east. It is one of the Cyclades sailing trips in Greece on Greece VIP.
This post covers what a Naxos sailing tour includes, where it starts and the sailing words heard on board. It also covers the Small Cyclades, Keros, the east coast bays, winds, lighthouses and sea depth. Sea history, the best season and common questions come last.
Each section ends with a Naxos sailing tour or a nearby cruise that can be booked online.
What does a Naxos sailing tour include?
A Naxos sailing tour includes snorkel masks, a route set by the weather and stops at small islands. Small Cyclades days set a course for Schinoussa or Iraklia. Yacht listings also add paddleboards, sea scooters and a freshwater shower.
Like other sailing trips from Naxos, a Naxos sailing tour can change route. Weather and sea conditions decide, and the captain has the final word.
Schinoussa offers Livadi and Tsigouri beaches as a lunch break on one semi-private route. Iraklia lies a long sail south of Naxos, one itinerary notes.
On a Naxos sailing tour to Koufonisi, the yacht docks in the island’s port. Guests can then explore the village or relax on nearby beaches.
The sea scooter on one Naxos sailing tour yacht is a diver propulsion vehicle. Inside a watertight casing, a battery-powered electric motor drives a propeller.
Standup paddleboarding is a water sport born from surfing, with modern roots in Hawaii. Yachts on a Naxos sailing tour carry boards for the swim stops.
A Naxos sailing tour yacht can carry a sprayhood, also called a dodger. This framed canvas has clear vinyl windows and covers part of the cockpit.
- Roller furling: A turning stay rolls up the jib.
- Snorkel kit: One yacht listing names masks and snorkels on board.
- Deck extras: One yacht adds pool noodles and wetsuits.
One private Small Cyclades listing includes fuel, taxes and crew.
Where does a Naxos sailing tour start?
On a Naxos sailing tour, guests board a yacht docked in the main port of Naxos town. Its marina holds about 80 berths at a listed depth of 3.5 m. Agia Anna and Apollonas add smaller harbours on the coast.
Tailed moorings at the marina are largely gone, so a Naxos sailing tour crew drops its own anchor. Stern-to mooring is the safest approach there.
A Naxos sailing tour yacht can refuel from a tanker truck on the quay. The wharf has electricity, with showers and toilets on the promenade.
On a Naxos sailing tour, the skipper reaches the marina on VHF channel 69. The port works channel 12, and a harbour master serves in summer.
An extended southern breakwater shields the marina better from ferry wash. Palatia, linked by a stone causeway, joined Naxos by a narrow isthmus in prehistory.
Yachts moor bow-to or stern-to at the outer end of the Agia Anna pier. A pier and breakwater shelter it from every wind but the westerly.
Apollonas has a small fishing harbour in the northeast. It turns dangerous only in an east wind, and depths reach 3 m beyond the mole.
- Shallow quay: Town berths dip under 1 m in places.
- Mainland pier: Deep-draft yachts avoid it, as depths drop sharply.
- Port Police: Crews pay mooring fees there outside peak season.
Currents run strong off Agios Prokopios, the municipality notes.
Which sailing terms does a Naxos sailing tour use?
A Naxos sailing tour uses old words for sides, sails, ropes and turns. Windward means upwind, toward the wind’s source, and leeward means downwind. Reefing shrinks a sail in strong wind. Speed on board is still counted in knots.
On a Naxos sailing tour, starboard comes from Old English steorbord, meaning steer side. Early ships were steered by an oar on the right side.
The other side was ladebord, or load side, from around 1300. The Royal Navy swapped larboard for port in 1844, as larboard sounded like starboard.
The Bermuda rig, with its triangular mainsail, comes from Bermuda. It developed there in the 17th century and spread to small craft in the 1900s.
The word halyard comes from Middle English halier, a rope to haul with. A jib has two sheets, yet only the leeward one works.
On a Naxos sailing tour, the helmsman calls “ready about” before a tack and “lee-ho” as it begins. British sailors write gybe; Americans write jibe.
The lee is the sheltered side, away from the wind. Crews anchor in the lee of land for calmer water.
- Heeling: Wind on the sails tilts the yacht sideways.
- Reef points: Short ropes through the sail secure spare cloth.
- Chip log: Knots tied 14.4 m apart once measured speed.
Bow, from Middle Dutch boech, names the hull’s front; stern names its back.
Which Small Cyclades does a Naxos sailing tour reach?
A Naxos sailing tour reaches Iraklia, Schinoussa, Ano and Kato Koufonisi, and Donousa. All five had residents in the 2021 census, and Kato Koufonisi had one. The port of Naxos lies about 22 nautical miles from Ano Koufonisi port.
On a Naxos sailing tour, Iraklia lies 18 nautical miles from Naxos Town. The island sits 2.5 nautical miles off the capes of south Naxos. It had 148 residents in 2021.
In June 2007, a floating, wind-powered desalination unit went into Agios Georgios bay. A Naxos sailing tour finds a marina there for about 30 small boats.
Schinoussa’s main village sits on a hill about 1.2 kilometres inland from the port. It had 211 residents in 2021, and nearby Mesaria had 18.
Tradition links the name Schinoussa to schoinos, a reed-like shrub. At Mersini harbour, a Naxos sailing tour passes Piso Ammos, a 95-metre beach facing south.
Ano Koufonisi, the larger island on cruises to Koufonisia, rises only 114 metres. Ano Koufonisi had 389 residents in 2021. In 1920, Miliarakis recorded it as Fakousa.
On Donousa, a Naxos sailing tour reaches sandy Stavros bay, 200 metres long and facing south-west. The sea is 5 metres deep about 85 metres out.
- Iraklia: Papas, its highest peak, reaches 419 metres.
- Donousa: Vathy Limenari was a walled 9th–8th century BC village.
- Wreck: The ship Orion sank off Donousa in 1944.
In 2021, Agios Georgios on Iraklia had 111 residents, and Donousa village had 185.
What does a Naxos sailing tour see near Keros?
A Naxos sailing tour sees Keros and nearby Dhaskalio from the sea. Keros lies 2 nautical miles south of Koufonisi. No one has lived there since 1968. A Cambridge report names Keros the earliest known Greek island sanctuary.
Keros has been an official archaeological site since 1992. As a sanctuary, it predates Delphi, Olympia and Delos by about 2,000 years.
A Naxos sailing tour circles an island once called Karos, Kereia or Keria. An Athenian tribute inscription of 425 BC holds its earliest known mention.
Keros has no drinking water source. It belonged to the Hozoviotissa monastery on Amorgos until 1952. Parts are now auctioned to shepherds as grazing land.
Colin Renfrew landed on Keros in June 1963 after a looting tip-off. In 1987, his team found no tombs, so the finds were not grave goods.
A Naxos sailing tour sees Dhaskalio from the water. Its workshops held a lead axe and a mould for copper daggers.
A Naxos sailing tour passes Dhaskalio, 90 metres west of the Keros shore. Its 16-by-4-metre hall was the largest building of its time in the Cyclades.
- Drains: Water channels ran under the Dhaskalio stairs.
- Abandoned: People left Dhaskalio around 2200 BC.
- Ores: Keros has no metal ore of its own.
Cambridge is publishing the results of its Keros excavations in five volumes.
Which east coast bays does a Naxos sailing tour visit?
A Naxos sailing tour on the east coast visits Moutsouna, Psili Ammos, Panormos, Lionas and Apollonas. Moutsouna’s beach takes up to 80 bathers. Apollonas, on the north-east coast, had 97 residents in the 2021 census.
Moutsouna’s beach has sand on the shore and seabed. Tamarisk trees give shade, and a boat-hauling pier stands at the east end.
Moutsouna had 89 residents in 2021 and belongs to the community of Apeiranthos. A 20-kilometre asphalt road runs from it to natural harbours and beaches.
A Naxos sailing tour off Moutsouna enters a Natura 2000 site. It is also an Important Bird Area where Eleonora’s falcons breed.
The Natura record names Psili Ammos as a spot where coastal housing needs control. Census records spell Panormos as Panermos, home to 4 people in 2021.
A Naxos sailing tour reaches Lionas, a small harbour village with 64 residents in 2021. The 1940 census first recognised it, with just 15 people.
Off Apollonas, a Naxos sailing tour crosses an underwater archaeological zone declared in 2012. It protects ancient pier remains dated to the 7th–6th centuries BC.
- Castle: Kaloeros, east of the bay, keeps a prehistoric tower.
- Road: A mule track served Apollonas until about 1960.
- Azalas: This hamlet had 35 residents in 2021.
At Apollonas, a Naxos sailing tour finds a beach 15 metres wide on average.
How do the winds shape a Naxos sailing tour?
A Naxos sailing tour works with a north wind that averages 12 knots at the island’s airport. Its records put average gusts at 25 knots. Cycladic terrain slows that flow, but the strait toward Paros speeds it up.
The national weather station on Naxos carries World Meteorological Organization code 16732. Airport records give a mean direction of 355 degrees, just west of north.
In northeast Naxos, a mast near Koronos logged a mean of 7.4 metres per second. That site rates wind class 7, with northeast winds prevailing.
Inland readings sit far below the airport figures. A station at Kinidaros village logged a mean of 4 knots from the west-northwest, with 9-knot gusts.
On a Naxos sailing tour, the strait toward Paros funnels the wind. Sailing notes warn that currents and faster wind can make the passage dangerous.
Adverse currents in the strait make the waves steeper for a Naxos sailing tour. That steepness endangers craft shorter than 10 metres, or 33 feet.
A Naxos sailing tour can meet a calm off high north-shore cliffs, stretching miles out to sea. The same source names Naxos as one example.
- 2018 storm: A 124 km/h gust struck Naxos.
- No Balkan high: North winds keep south and east of Naxos.
- Swell shadow: The Cyclades block swell crossing the central Aegean.
In one studied outburst, Naxos wind hit 25 knots, with gusts over 30 knots.
Which lighthouses mark a Naxos sailing tour?
Three listed lights on Naxos mark a Naxos sailing tour. Cape Stavros, the northern tip, holds one; a red light marks the harbour breakwater. Frouros rock holds the third. Further lights stand on Donousa, Iraklia, Schinoussa and Koufonisia.
A Naxos sailing tour north meets Cape Stavros, flashing white twice every 16 seconds. Its lamp sits 50 metres up and reaches 13 nautical miles.
A Naxos sailing tour sees the harbour’s north breakwater head flash red every 4 seconds. That lamp sits 8 metres up and carries 7 nautical miles.
Near the harbour, a Naxos sailing tour can pass Frouros rock. Its light flashes every 5 seconds, white to 6 nautical miles, red to 3.
On Donousa, Cape Kaloterousa flashes white three times every 15 seconds. Its lamp sits 147 metres up, nearly three times as high as Cape Stavros.
A white lantern 14 feet tall houses it, with a range of 10 nautical miles. A lighthouse register describes the lantern’s condition as very poor.
A Naxos sailing tour to Iraklia meets a harbour light flashing every 1.5 seconds. Schinoussa’s light flashes white every 4 seconds, reaching 6 nautical miles.
- Koufonisia: A red light flashes every 3 seconds.
- Kopria: Two white flashes repeat every 12 seconds.
- Mikros Avelos: Three white flashes repeat every 10 seconds.
Metal frames carry the lights at Cape Stavros, Iraklia, Schinoussa, Koufonisia and Kopria.
How deep is the sea around a Naxos sailing tour?
A Naxos sailing tour crosses the Cycladic plateau. Between Naxos and Paros, the sea reaches only about 40 metres. The wider plateau slopes west from about 100 to nearly 200 metres. Basins east of Naxos drop far deeper.
Beyond the shallow coves used for snorkeling around Naxos, one midchannel sounding reads 34.8 metres. North of the narrows, the seabed drops past 60 metres.
At the last ice age peak, Naxos, Paros and nearby islands formed one large island. It then measured 160 km long and 90 km wide.
A Naxos sailing tour crosses water that split the two islands about 8,000 years ago. The plateau lost three-quarters of its land after the ice age.
Low shelf areas around a Naxos sailing tour slope just 1.58 degrees on average. Seismic profiles show erosion in places and burial under delta sediments elsewhere.
Under a Naxos sailing tour, the plateau has sunk 0.34 to 0.60 millimetres a year. One study traces that steady rate across the last 400,000 years.
Sampled northeast of Naxos toward Ikaria, European seabed data show 225, 316 and then 510 metres. North of Ikaria, the seabed passes 1,000 metres deep.
- Amorgos Basin: Fault relief there exceeds 1,200 metres.
- Plate motion: The Cyclades drift about 3 cm a year.
- Seismic calm: Shallow quakes past magnitude 6 recur over 200 years apart.
A Naxos sailing tour passes five drowned Naxos shorelines, 35 to 280 cm deep.
What sea history does a Naxos sailing tour recall?
A Naxos sailing tour recalls 376 BC, when Athens beat Sparta at sea off Naxos. Chabrias led 83 triremes against 65 Spartan ships. Thucydides recalls an earlier Athenian siege. Corsair, Ottoman and Austrian fleets came for the island.
Diodorus writes that Chabrias besieged Naxos town, where a Naxos sailing tour now starts. The Spartan Pollis sailed in to help, and the fleets met.
Pollis killed Cedon, the Athenian left-wing commander, and sank his ship. Chabrias struck back with his strongest ships and took eight Spartan ships with crews.
Phocion’s skilful action on the Athenian left wing decided the victory. Athens rewarded Chabrias by freeing him and his descendants from public duties called liturgies.
Nearly a century before that battle, Athens besieged Naxos itself. Thucydides calls the siege the first conquest of an allied city in the Delian League.
Naxos is believed to have lost its walls, its fleet and its League vote. Pericles later sent 500 Athenian settlers to the island, Plutarch writes.
Catalan mercenaries raided the remnants of the Duchy of the Archipelago in 1317. Later threats came from corsairs and from Ottoman fleets.
- 1532: Naxos paid corsair Kurtoglu to escape looting.
- 1537: Ottomans took booty worth 25,000 ducats.
- 1826: Austrian ships occupied Naxos for three days.
Bishop Ierotheos and Michail Markopolitis led Naxos in 1821.
When is the best season for a Naxos sailing tour?
A Naxos sailing tour suits June to September, the four busiest months for flights. Greece’s aviation authority counted 13,043 arrivals at Naxos in July 2023, the yearly peak. Piraeus ferries rise to about 37 crossings a week then.
The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority logged 154,751 passenger movements at Naxos airport in 2023. Every one of the 74,505 arrivals came on a domestic flight.
Air arrivals climbed from 4,242 in April to 10,707 in June. August still saw 12,632, and September stayed at 11,238 before October fell to 5,686.
Flights for a Naxos sailing tour follow the same curve. The authority recorded 676 landings and departures at Naxos in July, against 118 in February.
Naxos and Piraeus share about 37 ferry crossings a week from June to September. From October until June, that drops to around 5 a week.
Paros features in boat trips around Naxos. Its crossings drop from about 31 weekly to around 6. Irakleia falls from about 7 to around 2.
A Mediterranean wave climate study names November to March the stormy period. It calls June to August relatively calm, which favours a Naxos sailing tour.
- Low month: February 2023 saw 1,703 air arrivals.
- North Aegean: Winter wave power tops 8 kW/m.
- Trend: Aegean summer waves grow up to 4 cm per decade.
Air departures in October 2023 reached 7,601, above arrivals.
What do travelers ask about a Naxos sailing tour?
Naxos sailing tour questions cover transfers, toilets, clinics, charts, police and port rules.
How does a traveler reach the port for a Naxos sailing tour from the airport?
Taxis meet passengers landing at Naxos airport, which has a 901-metre runway. The intercity bus terminal stands just metres from the main port. Bus tickets are bought in advance at its office. The radio taxi number is +30 22850 22444.
Does a yacht on a Naxos sailing tour have a toilet and fresh water?
On a Naxos sailing tour, the toilet is called the head. One Naxos yacht listing also names a freshwater shower. Small boats can have a hand pump. Too much paper blocks it. Watermakers can turn seawater into drinking water.
Where is medical care during a Naxos sailing tour?
The Health Center of Chora, the port town, answers on +30 22853 60500. Seven regional clinics serve Apiranthos, Chalki, Komiaki, Koronos, Melanes, Filoti and Vivlos. The municipal tourism site lists each clinic’s number, such as Filoti on +30 22850 31404.
Which chart and pilot book cover the harbour of a Naxos sailing tour?
Greek chart 423/1 is the harbour chart for Naxos. Chart 423 covers the southeastern Cyclades. Volume 2 of the Greek pilot book has detailed notes on Naxos. The Coast Guard website links to Notices to Mariners from the Hydrographic Service.
How can police be reached during a Naxos sailing tour?
The municipal tourism list gives two police stations. Chora police answer on +30 22850 22100, +30 22850 23280 or +30 22850 23801. Filoti police answer on +30 22850 31224. The airport line, +30 22850 23292, appears on the same list.
Can the Port Authority stop a Naxos sailing tour from leaving?
Yes. Greek port authorities can bar a vessel from sailing. At Piraeus, one fast ferry stayed in port after an engine fault. It left only after repairs and a seaworthiness certificate. The Naxos Port Authority answers on +30 22850 22300.