Pyrgaki
Best for. Travellers who want a calm, soft sanded beach away from the crowds, with shallow water, a little natural shade and a couple of simple tavernas.
Best spot. The sheltered northern corner for the calmest shallow water and the tamarisk shade, with a taverna behind the sand for a quiet lunch.
Know this. Pyrgaki is peaceful rather than dramatic, a soft and gentle beach for a slow day, so come for calm and not for a scene or a club.
Pyrgaki sits near the end of the southern coast road, and that remoteness has kept it gentle and quiet. It is a sheltered bay of soft, pale sand, backed in places by tamarisk trees that offer a little natural shade, with clear and usually very calm shallow water lapping at it. There is none of the drama of the cedar coves at Alyko next door, and none of the bustle of the northern beaches, just a soft, easy curve of sand that suits a slow day in the sun. For anyone who measures a beach by its calm, Pyrgaki is one of the most restful on Naxos.
The honest read is that Pyrgaki is peaceful rather than spectacular. A couple of tavernas sit behind the sand and there are a few sunbeds, but there is no club, no promenade and no scene, so you come here to do very little in pleasant surroundings. That is the appeal, and it is a real one, but if you are after vivid turquoise coves or a lively bar you should look to Alyko a little to the north or to the busier beaches up the coast. The sheltered position keeps the water calm on most days, and the tamarisk shade is a quiet luxury when the sun is high.
Come for calm and keep your plan simple. Settle in the sheltered northern corner for the gentlest water and the best of the shade, keep a taverna in mind for an unhurried lunch, and let the afternoon drift. The luxury at Pyrgaki is not service or scene, it is the simple, increasingly rare pleasure of a soft, calm, quiet beach at the end of the road. When you want more to look at, the cedar coves of Alyko are a few minutes back up the coast.
A taverna or two, not a club
Pyrgaki has a couple of tavernas rather than a beach club, which keeps it calm and quiet. See the Naxos beach clubs guide for the island's more organised sand.
Photo: marco marchetti via GoogleThe Pyrgaki tavernas
Pyrgaki is served by a couple of tavernas behind the sand rather than any beach club, with a few sunbeds and long open stretches of free sand beside them. The mood is quiet and simple, a shaded lunch and a calm swim rather than a daybed and a DJ, and loungers where they exist are limited and to be confirmed. For more organised sand and service, the northern beaches are back up the coast.
Near the southern end of the coast road
Pyrgaki lies near the southern end of the Naxos coast road about twenty two kilometres south of Naxos Town, roughly thirty to thirty five minutes by car or scooter, just beyond Alyko. A car or scooter is the practical way down, as bus service to this stretch is limited, and the road brings you close behind the sheltered bay.
Parking is informal on the tracks behind the sand and is rarely a problem. There is some natural shade under the tamarisk trees but few facilities beyond a couple of tavernas, so bring water and supplies, carry cash, and settle in the sheltered northern corner for the calmest water. Alyko is a short drive back up the coast.
Photo: marco marchetti via GoogleBook a beach club
Pyrgaki is a quiet, lightly served beach rather than a club. Tell us your dates and we can point you to a lounger at a more organised Naxos beach to match your day. We reply by email.
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Common questions about Pyrgaki
Is Pyrgaki beach in Naxos quiet?
Yes, Pyrgaki is one of the calmer and quieter main beaches on Naxos. It sits near the southern end of the coast road, a sheltered bay of soft sand with only a couple of tavernas and no club or promenade, so it stays peaceful even in summer when the northern beaches are busy. It suits a slow, restful day.
Is Pyrgaki good for families?
In usual conditions it is a gentle family choice. The bay is sheltered and the water is shallow and usually very calm, the tamarisk trees give a little shade, and a couple of tavernas sit behind the sand. Facilities are limited and there is no reliable lifeguard, so bring what you need and judge the sea for yourself.
Are there facilities at Pyrgaki beach?
Only a few. A couple of tavernas behind the sand serve simple lunches and cold drinks, and there are a few sunbeds, but there is no club, no promenade and little else, so Pyrgaki is best treated as a quiet natural beach. Bring water, snacks and your own shade beyond the tamarisk trees.
How do you get to Pyrgaki beach from Naxos Town?
It is about twenty two kilometres south of Naxos Town near the southern end of the coast road, roughly thirty to thirty five minutes by car or scooter, just beyond Alyko. Bus service to this stretch is limited, so a car or scooter is the practical choice, with informal parking on the tracks behind the sand.
Is Pyrgaki or Alyko better?
They suit different moods. Alyko is the more dramatic, with turquoise coves set among a cedar forest, but its famous cove can get busy. Pyrgaki is calmer and plainer, a soft sheltered bay for a quiet swim and a slow lunch. For scenery choose Alyko, for peace and gentle water choose Pyrgaki. They are a short drive apart.
