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The beaches around Naxos Town are worth sampling. For some unusual swimming just to the north of the port, beyond the causeway, Grotta is easiest to reach. Besides the caves after which the place is named, the remains of submerged Cycladic buildings are visible, including some stones said to be the entrance to a tunnel leading to the unfinished temple of Apollo. The finest spots, though, are all south of town, the entire southwestern coastline boasting a series of excellent beaches accessible by regular bus. AYIOS YEORYIOS , a long sandy bay fringed by the southern extension of the hotel "colony", is within walking distance. There's a line of cafes and tavernas at the northern end of the beach, and a windsurfing school, plus the first of four campsites , whose touts you will no doubt have become acquainted with at the ferry jetty. This first campsite, Camping Naxos (tel 02850/23 500), isn't recommended; Maragas and Plaka have far more attractive locations on Plaka beach. A word of warning for campers: although this entire coast is relatively sheltered from the meltemi , the plains behind are boggy and you should bring along mosquito repellent. Buses take you to AYIOS PROKOPIOS beach, with plenty of reasonably priced hotels, rooms and basic tavernas, plus the relaxed Apollon campsite (tel 02850/24 117) nearby. Hotel Lianos Village (tel 02850/23 366, lianos-village@nax.forthnet.gr ; ?43 and upwards) is an upmarket choice with a pleasant pool setting; of the restaurants Pizzeria Promponas has a varied menu and nice setting. Rapid development along this stretch means that this resort has blended into the next resort of AYIA ANNA (habitually referred to as "Ayi'Anna"), further along the busy road; here you will find accommodation of similar price and quality. The seaview Hotel Ayia Anna (tel 02850/42 576; ?34-42) and adjacent Gorgona taverna are recommended, as is Bar Bagianni on the road from Ayia Anna to Ayios Prokopios, a colourful and popular bar which serves vegetarian food. Moving along the coast, away from the built-up area, the beach here is nudist. Beyond the headland stretch the five kilometres of PLAKA beach, a vegetation-fringed expanse of white sand. Things are not so built up here, and parts of the beach are nudist (past Plaka campsite). There are two suitably laid-back and friendly campsites here: Maragas (tel 02850/24 552) which also has double rooms (up to ?24), and the newer Plaka campsite (tel 02850/42 700), a little further along, which is small and quiet with a few inexpensive bungalows (up to ?24); be aware, however, that it's 6km into town, and the camp's bus will not run at your convenience (they usually run in concurrence with the ferry service). The Hotel Orkos Village (tel 02850/75 321, orkos@nax.forthnet.gr ; ?59-72) has apartments in an attractive location, on a hillside above the coast between Plaka beach and Mikri Vigla. For real isolation, go to the other side of Mikri Vigla headland, along a narrow footpath across the cliff-edge, to KASTRAKI beach; towards the middle of the beach Areti (tel 02850/75 292; ?59-72) has apartments and a restaurant. A few people camp around the taverna on the small headland a little further down. In summer this stretch, all the way from Mikri Vigla down to Pyrgaki, attracts camper vans and windsurfers from all over Europe. On the Aliko promontory to the south of Kastraki there is a small nudist beach. From Kastraki, it's a couple of hours' walk up to the Byzantine castle of Apalirou which held out for two months against the besieging Marco Sanudo. The fortifications are relatively intact and the views magnificent. Pyrgaki beach has a couple of tavernas and a few rooms; four kilometres further on is Ayiassos beach. The rest of the southern coast - indeed, virtually the whole of the southeast of the island - is remote and mountain-studded; you'd have to be a dedicated and well-equipped camper/hiker to get much out of the region.
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