Naxos Marina

Naxos, the queen of the Cyclades would come to be said: the largest of the islands in the archipelago, the most diverse, the most fertile. And, invariably, it too almost lacks good anchorages with the sole exception of the Naxos marina, which is not a minor exception, since it offers as many as 80 berths and a sufficient level of services (a rarity in Greece, as we know).

Naxos the island of myth: in fact, it is said that here, in Naxos, Ariadne was abandoned by Theseus, who was unrecognizant of the girl’s help in escaping from the labyrinth after killing the Minotaur. Ariadne recovered almost immediately, however, as the god Dionysus arrived on the island, fell in love with her and wanted to marry her. The cult of the “drinking” god is very strong here, and even today the island is a good producer of (good) wine.

And speaking of wine it comes to mind to say that Naxos is also an exceptionally fertile island compared to the others in the Cyclades; it has a rough terrain with the highest peak reaching 1,000 meters, it has green and fertile valleys, beautiful and universally appreciated sandy beaches, in short it really offers a nice variety of landscapes that are definitely worth a visit.
There is no shortage of opportunities to poke around in history: there are many archaeological sites, including that of the well-known and popular sanctuary of Dionysus, still used today, in stupendous condition, as well as no shortage of Venetian castle ruins and beautiful monasteries.

The only marina on the island-but also the only ports, if we expand the discussion-is located precisely in Naxos, the island’s capital, otherwise known as Chora. The small town offers a towered fortress, an interesting Jewish quarter, an archaeological museum full of worthy artifacts, and also, of course, the “usual” array of narrow streets, white Cycladic houses, and picturesque nooks and crannies. Welcoming you to Naxos is Apollo’s Gate, a beautiful, excellently preserved archway that towers over the island of the same name, overlooking the harbor.

Getting to Naxos per se is not problematic, while the entrance to the port-which was built “behind” the commercial harbor-presents some pitfalls. First, a little more than a nautical mile west-southwest of the harbor is an extensive outcropping reef, which can be difficult to locate in rough sea conditions. It lies 500 meters offshore from Cape Moungri; the passage between the reef and the cape is not problematic, so when in doubt keep fairly close to shore by rounding the cape.

Entry into the harbor can be difficult with meltemi due to currents; keep the long breakwater as a reference and you will have no problem entering the basin, after which the entrance to the marina is just to the south. The “new” marina (it is about fifteen years old) offers almost complete shelter: only with very strong southerly winds does some current manage to bother, but for most days of the year it is absolutely quiet. The noise and chaos of the surrounding streets, on the other hand, can be considerable in very high season-keep that in mind and be patient at bedtime.

A total of 80 berths are offered by the Naxos marina, all of which are provided with water and electricity. Transiting boats are usually moored at the first dock near the entrance; those fishing dfi more should still avoid the main dock since depths there drop somewhat below the port’s average 3 meters. There are mooring lines but they may be too short for long boats, so you will also have to resort to anchoring.

Toilets with showers are on the port promenade, diesel fuel can be delivered to the ports by tanker truck. There is no shortage of supermarkets, small stores, even luxurious stores, and certainly no shortage of places to eat; there are more than seventy in town.