The beaches, compared properly
Our choice with a toddler
Agios Georgios
★★★★★
It is not the island’s most spectacular beach. It is probably the easiest with a baby or young child, and that simplicity counts for a lot.
👶 Excellent for ages 0–6🌊 Shallow water🍴 Easy to find food🛒 Chora nearby♿ Easier access
Right beside Chora, with fine sand, clear shallow water, sunbeds, cafés, tavernas and shops. The southern section has more watersports and windsurfing; with little ones, choose the quieter part.
Choose it when: you want an easy day, a quick return for naps or to leave the car behind.
The classic choice
Agios Prokopios
★★★★½
A proper holiday beach: big, beautiful and well equipped, with everything nearby.
👨👩👧 All ages🏖️ Large beach🍴 Plenty of food options🚌 Regular bus service♿ Easier access
Agios Prokopios has a broad stretch of fairly coarse sand, clear water, organised areas, restaurants, cafés, mini-markets and watersports. A quieter section lies towards the western end near the chapel.
Choose it when: you want a beautiful beach with toilets, lunch and somewhere to buy things you forgot.
The best beach-and-taverna combination
Agia Anna
★★★★★
Easy to love as a family: beautiful for the adults and practical for the children.
👶 Great with little ones🌳 Some natural shade🍴 Waterfront tavernas🛒 Pushchair access to the chapel🚌 Frequent buses
Continuing south from Agios Prokopios, much of Agia Anna is organised, with golden sand, tavernas, beach bars and a small harbour. Small coves near the chapel feel quieter. A wooden ramp provides pushchair access towards the chapel.
Choose it when: you want to put down the bags once, swim, have lunch and return to the sand without driving again.
Room to breathe
Plaka
★★★★½
Long and bright, with room to suit your mood: organised here, almost wild a few hundred metres further along.
👨👩👧 All ages🏖️ Very long beach🌳 Junipers in places🍴 Cafés and tavernas🚗 Parking along the beach
Plaka continues south from Agia Anna. Some sections have sunbeds and food, while others offer large, quieter spaces. The sand is golden, coarser in places, with small pebbles in the water.
Our suggestion: Tortuga. A lovely option for a day on Plaka: sunbeds were free for restaurant guests on our visit. The menu offers Greek cooking with a modern twist and carefully presented plates. With children, it is convenient to alternate beach time and lunch in one place. Confirm the sunbed arrangement when booking.
Choose it when: you want more space and less of a resort atmosphere. With a baby, choose your exact section in advance.
The sporty choice
Mikri Vigla
★★★★
Beautiful, but choose it thoughtfully: wind is part of the scenery and activities here.
🧒 Better with older children🪁 Kitesurf / windsurf🏖️ Sand🚗 Parking🌬️ Check the wind
A rocky headland divides Mikri Vigla into Limanaki to the north and Sahara to the south. This is one of Naxos’s main kitesurfing and windsurfing areas. Families can enjoy it too, but with a toddler, check conditions before making it your main destination.
Choose it when: the children enjoy watching watersports, are older, or you want a more active beach.
Quieter without being isolated
Kastraki
★★★★½
A fine-sand cove with less bustle than the main beaches near Chora.
👶 Families🌊 Generally calm water☂️ Sunbeds / umbrellas🚗 Parking
Kastraki lies behind the Mikri Vigla peninsula near Glyfada. Fine sand, clear water and a more relaxed atmosphere, with some facilities still available.
Choose it when: you want to head south without giving up all your comforts.
A beautiful nature break
Alyko
★★★★★
Several small coves among junipers and dunes rather than one large beach. The scenery feels completely different.
👨👩👧 Families🌿 Nature🌊 Coves🚗 Easy parking🌬️ An option in northerly winds
The Alyko peninsula has several small sandy beaches with turquoise water, surrounded by dunes and junipers. A lovely outing when nature matters more than facilities. Naxos’s tourism office specifically suggests Alyko for swimming when northerly winds blow; assess the actual conditions on arrival.
Choose it when: you are bringing water, snacks and everything the children need, and want an exploring day rather than a beach-club day.
Time to slow down
Pyrgaki
★★★★
Further from Chora, quieter and with fewer facilities: exactly what some families want.
👨👩👧 Self-sufficient families🌿 Wilder setting🚗 Car recommended🧺 Bring drinks
Pyrgaki is part of the southwest coast where space and peace matter more than bustle. Facilities are limited: with children, arrive prepared rather than relying on what you might find there.
Choose it when: you want to switch off and the children are comfortable with fewer facilities.
Our choice for a quiet day in the south
Agiassos
★★★★½
A long beach of fine sand with shallow water, particularly appealing with young children if you do not mind driving further.
👶 Suitable for young children🌊 Shallow water🐟 Fish tavernas🚗 Free parking🌿 Little development
Agiassos stretches for about 750 metres along the southwest coast. The water is clear and shallow, with a few fish tavernas for lunch. It feels much less built-up than the beaches near Chora.
Choose it when: you want the beach to be the day’s main activity, away from the busiest tourist areas.
