Hawaii Beach
Best for. Travellers chasing the most vivid water on Naxos and happy to swap any comfort for a small, wild cove and a swim they will remember.
Best spot. The little cove itself on a still morning, when the turquoise is at its brightest and the few good rocks for a towel are still free.
Know this. It is tiny and unserviced with a scramble down, so come early, bring everything, and step to the broader Alyko beaches when it fills.
Hawaii is the cove everyone has seen in a photograph without quite knowing where it is. It hides at the edge of the Alyko headland on the southwest coast, a small pocket of sand and rock that the island nicknamed for the unreal colour of its water. On a calm morning that water does the impossible thing the pictures promise, glowing an intense, lit from within turquoise over the pale sand, the brightest blue on an island that is not short of them. It is a small, quiet pleasure, the kind of place a discerning traveller seeks out precisely because it is not on the main strip.
The honest read is that Hawaii is a view and a swim, not a day of comfort. The cove is tiny, there is nothing here at all, and the last stretch to the sand is a short scramble down a rocky path rather than a stroll. That keeps the prams and the crowds away, which is part of the charm, but it also means you should arrive prepared and early, because the handful of good spots for a towel go quickly and a busy midday robs the place of the very stillness that makes it special. Anyone who needs flat, easy access is better served by the broad sands of Alyko a few minutes away.
Treat Hawaii as a jewel to visit rather than a beach to settle on. Come in the early light when the colour is at its most vivid and the cove is yours, swim in the clear sheltered water, then move to the wider Alyko beaches or the cedar forest behind when the sun climbs and others arrive. The real luxury here is not a daybed or a cocktail, it is timing the visit so that for half an hour the most beautiful water on Naxos belongs to you.
No club, just the colour
Hawaii has no club and no bar of its own. For a drink, sunbeds and easy sand, the broader Alyko beaches are a short walk round the headland. See the Naxos beach clubs guide for the organised options across the island.
Photo: Thomas Schemm via GoogleBring your own, or walk to Alyko
Hawaii is a wild cove with no organised club, sunbeds or bar, so you lay out your own towel and carry in your own water and lunch. When you want shade, a drink or more room, the broader Alyko beaches and the bar nearby are a short walk round the headland, and the cedar forest behind is a cool spot for a wander. For a dressed up daybed scene, the organised beaches near Naxos Town are the place instead. Any prices at the neighbouring venues are set locally and to be confirmed.
At the edge of the Alyko headland
Hawaii sits at the edge of the Alyko headland on the southwest coast, around eighteen kilometres south of Naxos Town, on the same road and bus that serve Alyko. A car or scooter is the easiest way to arrive, and from the parking above it is a short walk and a scramble down a rocky path to the sand, so come in footwear you can climb in and leave the pram behind.
Because the cove is tiny and unserviced, this is a visit you prepare for. Bring water, an umbrella and lunch, and keep the broader Alyko beaches and their bar in mind for shade and a drink. The cedar and juniper forest behind Alyko is a lovely, cool detour, and a calm early morning is both the prettiest light for the colour and the easiest time to find a spot.
Photo: Thomas Schemm via GoogleBook a beach club
Hawaii itself has no club, but the organised beaches nearby do. Tell us your dates and we can point you to a sunbed at Alyko or another Naxos beach to match your day. We reply by email.
We are an independent editorial resource. Booking requests are passed to clubs and operators, and some may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices, availability and opening status are set by the venue and are to be confirmed at the time of booking.
Common questions about Hawaii beach
Where is Hawaii beach in Naxos?
Hawaii beach is a small cove on the southwest coast, tucked into the Alyko headland near the cedar forest, around eighteen kilometres south of Naxos Town. It earned its nickname from the astonishing turquoise of its water, which on a calm day is the most vivid colour on the island. You reach it on the same road and bus that serve Alyko, then a short walk and scramble down to the sand.
Why is Hawaii beach in Naxos famous?
It is famous for its colour. The water sits over pale sand in a sheltered pocket, and in still conditions it glows an intense Caribbean turquoise that has made the little cove a favourite for photographs. The beach is small and wild, with no facilities, so the fame is all about the view and the swim rather than any comfort or service.
Does Hawaii beach have any facilities?
No. Hawaii is an unspoiled cove with no sunbeds, no bar and no shade beyond a few rocks, so bring water, an umbrella and your lunch. The nearest comforts are at the broader Alyko beaches and the bar around the headland, which are a short walk away. Any prices there are set locally and to be confirmed.
Is Hawaii beach in Naxos easy to reach?
Reaching the area is easy by car, scooter or the Alyko bus, but the cove itself sits below a low drop, so the last stretch is a short walk and a scramble down a rocky path. It is manageable for most people in proper footwear, though it does not suit anyone who needs flat, step free access, and it is not the place for a pram.
Is Hawaii beach good for swimming and snorkelling?
On a calm day it is lovely, with clear, sheltered water over sand and rock that is a pleasure to swim and snorkel in. Because it is small and faces the open southwest, a windy afternoon can bring chop and reduce the visibility, so a still morning is the time to see it at its glassy best. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed, and there is no lifeguard.
