When I began this series of posts detailing my European travels last summer, I had no idea it was gonna span to five posts! I guess it’s just a testament to my travel philosophy of seizing the moment and taking all the interesting opportunities that I can.
Our last few days of this trip were spent exploring the west coast of Naxos by E-Bike, taking a day trip across to Paros that almost went wrong, and experiencing a few hours of culture-shock in Athens. There’s still a lot of tales to tell and some pretty pictures to go with them, so let’s get started!
Day 12: E-Biking on Naxos’ West Coast
After the thrill and adrenaline rush of quadbiking on Malta, we had caught a bit of a bug for unusual transport options and experiences. Naxos was full of places to rent scooters, but we weren’t keen on driving one of these on a bigger island without prior training. And they probably wouldn’t have rented to us anyway as we were under 21.
Undeterred, we spotted a local car rental shop which also offered E-bikes for hire. These weren’t your standard electric assist commuter bikes, but instead had fat grippy tires to handle the dirt roads in the more remote areas of Naxos. We headed down to the shop around mid-morning but they were almost out of hire bikes! Thankfully they still had a couple left, though it meant I had to take a drop-frame bike instead of the cooler mountain bike style that Sam had.
The owners were very friendly and helpful, and showed us how to operate the electric assist and the bike lock before letting us out on the road. We were also advised to use the assist sparingly (i.e. not at full power) to prolong the range of the bike. E-Bikes are super hard work to pedal without assistance as the battery makes them heavy, so we definitely didn’t want to end up stranded a long way from home!
After signing all the forms we headed out into Agios Prokopios. Our plan was to cycle the coastal roads down to Alyko and possibly further on to Pyrgaki beach if the batteries would allow. At over 30km return it would be close to the limit of the bikes (estimated range of about 40km) but I really wanted to access these more remote and peaceful beach spots.
Like all the other days in Naxos, the weather was gorgeous and our spirits were high as we set off. Our route along the coastline offered beautiful sea views, and I insisted we stop every now and again to take a few photos at the prettiest points. Soon the road turned to dirt track and then we really had fun with the bikes as they made light work of the dusty conditions.
We stopped off at a mini market in Mikri Vigla, just south of Plaka beach, for some lunch supplies. Like all the mini markets on Naxos the prices were sky-high, but we managed to get some basic pastries, biscuits and fruit to see us through the afternoon.
From there the route took us slightly inland and we got a chance to test the power of the bikes on some tarmac roads, before descending slightly into Kastraki. It was then just a short stretch to the cedar forest of Alyko and our first planned stop.
The cedar forest itself is pretty unique on an island like this, but the most alluring attraction for us was the abandoned luxury hotel project right by the sea. As the story goes, the hotel began construction in the 1960s or 70s but the project was halted soon after the basic concrete shell was built. It’s difficult to find out much information about the reasons why, my guess would be financial, but what we do know is that the structure has been left that way ever since.
Over the years the hotel building has become an informal street-art museum, particularly frequented by the Indonesian artist Wild Drawing (known as WD) who now lives in Greece. Something like this always piques my curiosity and I was eager to wander round the ruins and admire the street art.
What we found was quite a sprawling complex, with multiple separate buildings and structures. Evidently the aim was to construct a grand luxury hotel in this relatively undeveloped area of Naxos.
We were able to enter with no problems, and although many walls were covered in crude scribbles and doodles, there was also some fabulous true art in there too. I especially liked the way that WD played with the space to create almost-3D effects, going so far as to spray paint a viewing spot on the ground to help visitors see the art exactly as intended:
Most of the buildings were still in decent enough condition, but we did have to be mindful of some holes in the floor and broken-off pieces of concrete littering the surroundings. There were a few other tourists around but we pretty much had each room to ourselves as we wandered through – it was nice to be at an attraction without all the crowds!
Sam and I scratched our names and the date into one of the pillars, as many other had before us. It would be interesting to come back here in a few years and see if our tags are still there!
We also managed to get onto the “roof” of one of the buildings – it would have been the floor of the never-built second storey. To be honest it probably wasn’t all that safe (mom, if you’re reading this, it was fineeee) but being up on the roof did give us an incredible view of the Alyko beach, cedar forest and hills of Naxos beyond. And as long as we were careful to avoid the cracked sections, it seemed to be pretty structurally sound.
From here we got back on the bikes and headed a bit further down the coast to Pyrgaki. The batteries had been holding up very well, in fact we were still both on the maximum 5 bars of charge, so we weren’t worried about stretching the range a bit further.
The road to Pyrgaki was a proper dirt and sand road which few cars ventured down. We had a great time tackling it on our E-bikes, and enjoyed that sense of being off-the-beaten-track. Supposedly there is a bus that comes down as far as here, but we never saw one past Plaka so it must have either not been running or only running very irregularly. Either way, the bikes were definitely the best option for us to explore this part of Naxos.
Pyrgaki was even more quiet than the beaches at Alyko. When we arrived early afternoon, there was just one older couple at one end of the beach and a small group of girls at the other, where there were a cluster of sunbeds and umbrellas to rent. We picked a spot roughly midway between the two and set up our watermelon umbrella, which had been a pain to transport on the bikes but was a godsend on the beach to keep us sheltered from the sun.
We were hot and sweaty after cycling in the midday heat, so naturally the first order of the afternoon was a dip in the sea! The water was delightfully refreshing and the sand was that satisfying kind that you can sink your feet deep into. We did our usual splashing and swimming, and I also introduced Sam to the wonderful sport of body surfing (like bodyboarding but without the board). Most of the time the waves here were too small for it to be very effective, but every so often we would get a bigger set rolling in and scramble to be in position to whoosh towards the shore.
Yes, I know, I’m very much a child at the beach :))
After a while we fancied an ice cream, so I headed back on the dirt road by foot as I couldn’t be bothered to unlock my bike, ride it a short way, lock it again, unlock it again… We had spotted a small mini market just before the road turned the corner into Pyrgaki, and I was hoping I could find some ice cream there.
Walking along this road, I realised that I’d severely underestimated how far away the mini market was, it was almost back to Alyko. On the bikes we must have been flying along! But by that point I was closer to the mini market than to Pyrgaki so it made no sense to turn round and get the bike. I pressed on, and to my delight was rewarded at the mini market, where they had a freezer full of ice creams (but no prices…)
At this point I was too hot to care about price and just picked two of the more budget-looking ice creams and headed to checkout. The staff didn’t speak much English, so I just tapped my card on the reader without really knowing the cost. Later we discovered that they’d mistyped the price into the card reader and so instead of the £3ish we would have paid, we actually only paid about 30p! I felt a bit bad on the mini market’s behalf but it was their mistake, and I didn’t see a way of fixing it with the language barrier. We were very happy to score some cheap ice cream regardless.
Then I had the task of racing back to Pyrgaki to get the ice creams to Sam before they melted in the heat. It wasn’t easy to run in the heat and only wearing swimwear, but somehow I managed it, and arrived just as Sam was starting to worry about the length of time I’d been gone.
We spent the rest of our time here alternating between reading on the sand and playing in the sea:
With a relatively long journey ahead of us, we packed up mid-afternoon and cycled back to Agios Prokopios to return the bikes before the hire shop closed for the day. On the way back we knew we had more than enough battery power so pushed the bikes to maximum speed as we hit the tarmac roads. It was a lot of fun!
We decided to spend the evening properly exploring the Chora old town. Although obviously geared towards tourism, the maze of tiny alleys and shops really are charming. You can buy a whole range of goods here, from the usual tourist tat to some genuine authentic pieces. Some highlights of the latter were handmade jewellery, traditional woven textiles and olive wood tableware.
With our tiny baggage allowance and equally tiny budget, we couldn’t buy much, but thoroughly enjoyed the window shopping. I did buy myself a new necklace as a reminder of the trip, and we also got some candied kitron peel to try.
I really loved walking the old town streets, it felt like I was living in a postcard! The air was still warm enough to walk around without a jacket, there was live music drifting out of the more upscale restaurants and the atmosphere felt laid-back and relaxed. I’d definitely love to come back here with some more money…
It was a great way to end one of the best days of the trip.
Day 13: Paros
This was our last full day in Greece and we were sad that the adventure was coming to an end, but wanted to make the most of the time we had left!
Our plan was to take the first bus to Chora to catch another ferry over to the neighbouring island of Paros. I had considered staying on Paros instead of Naxos when planning the trip, and agonised over the decision for a while before ultimately going with Naxos. So this was my chance to see whether I made the right decision!
Things did not get off to an incredible start, however, when our coach failed to show up…
We waited and waited for it, getting more and more anxious that we would miss the only ferry that would take us to Paros that day. In desperation we eventually threw in the towel and ran down to the taxi rank at Agios Prokopios beach, hoping that there would be a car there to take us to Chora. Thankfully there was one waiting, and we were quoted 12 EUR for the journey. It was expensive compared to the bus but we had no other option and were just happy to have a chance at making our ferry.
As the car turned around the headland we could see the ferry already manoeuvring itself to dock into Naxos port. From then we were just hoping against hope that our car would get there in time!
Luckily we did, catching the ferry by the skin of our teeth. It was a stressful start to the day but we were still looking forward to exploring another island. Our journey passed smoothly as usual, and we spent our time on deck enjoying the sunshine, looking back towards Naxos and forwards to Paros.
The entry point to Paros is the port at Parikia, which is also the island capital. In contrast to Naxos, Parikia felt more bustling and less laid-back, but we were keeping an open mind and trying not to be too biased towards Naxos!
Sure enough, when we got away into the old town back streets, things were a bit calmer and we could appreciate the beautiful bougainvillea flowers and general architecture. The more peaceful spots were to be found in the residential streets where most tourists didn’t go. Of course, we tried to be as unobtrusive to the residents as possible but we really only saw one or two of them anyway.
We then found ourselves in the high street of the old town, which was generally nice but a little less authentic than the equivalent on Naxos. It did however have a top-notch bakery for some breakfast bagels!
Our main options were to either spend the day around Parikia or head up north to Naoussa, the second-largest town on Paros. Naoussa was reported to be romantic and beautiful, and it was also located close by to some interesting beaches and attractions that I was keen to visit. So after a brief discussion we decided to head up there for the day.
Naoussa was indeed very pretty, a classic white-and-blue Greek town with a still-thriving fishing industry. As we walked along the waterfront we saw fresh catches of octopus hanging out to dry in the sun, and almost every restaurant menu proclaimed some kind of local fish or seafood dish.
We spotted a strange little stone building built out into the bay beyond the fishing boats, and headed over to investigate. It lookec like some kind of small fort, but with arched openings all round the sides. I have no idea what this place was used for, but it did offer me a nice photo opportunity looking back towards Naoussa:
For a lunchtime picnic spot we sat under the trees at one the local beaches by Naoussa, but it left a lot to be desired compared to what we had been used to on Naxos! This beach was quite small and strewn with a considerable amount of litter, a big contrast to the unspoilt golden stretches of sand at Plaka and Agios Prokopios. Needless to say, we packed up after we’d eaten and headed on to find somewhere nicer.
During my research of Paros I’d noticed that one of the top highlights of the island was the beach at Kolymbithres, famous for its moon-like rock formations. Located at the other side of the huge Naoussa bay, most tourists go by bus or water taxi, but we were conscious of our rapidly dwindling budget and opted to walk around the bay instead. It was a fairly long way in the heat, but the route was very scenic and gave us great views of Naoussa and the sea beyond.
Finally we made it to Kolymbithres, and the rock formations were indeed very cool! I’d never seen anything quite like them before.
In between the rocky outcrops there were a series of tiny sandy bays, the only beach to speak of here. Their size and the popularity of the location meant that they were super crowded and we saw some insane prices for sunbeds and umbrellas (up to 50 EUR!)
We hid our belongings in some cracks in the rocks instead, and headed for a paddle. The water here was a lovely temperature and it was fun to swim about amongst the rocks and climb up onto some of them, although there was also a lot of seaweed floating around!
With the lack of shade and beach space, we moved on after a while. Since we were already around the bay from Naoussa, we decided to keep on walking and head for Paros Park, a protected coastal nature reserve. We were hoping that here we could find a little more peace and tranquility and discover a more remote part of the island.
Our route took us along the coastal road, past a scattering of tavernas and a boat repair yard. We certainly thought that we had found a quieter area, but on reaching Monastiri beach we quickly realised that was not the case!
Monastiri turned out to be commercial and resort-y. The entire beach was filled with expensive sunbeds, there were speakers blasting out music and nearby there was a (also very expensive) bar and food shack with a DJ. Needless to say we didn’t stop here…
But I still had faith in Paros Park, and as we reached the headland beyond Monastiri that faith was rewarded. Here the coastline was pretty much untouched, and offered us some wonderful views back across to Naoussa opposite:
Shortly we came across a marked walking route, leading to a lighthouse perched right on the edge of the headland. The tiny path took us across the clifftop, winding its way through all kinds of flowers and coastal plants. We also spotted a few more of those large lizards, and this time I managed to get a much better photo!
Apart from a couple of other adventurous tourists, we were pretty much alone the whole way. When we got to the lighthouse we were rewarded by lovely sea views and a nice spot to sit and read for a while.
From here we began the hour-and-a-half walk back around the bay to Naoussa. It did feel a little never-ending at points, but we played word games to keep our spirits up and the time passed remarkably quickly after that!
Our first priority in Naoussa was finding some food – all that walking had given us a great appetite! Affordable options were a little thin on the ground, but we ended up going for pizza at an Italian place that seemed popular (I know, not very local, but we had sampled a lot of Greek cuisine already!)
Afterwards we spent the remainder of our time in Naoussa wandering around the old town, which was probably my favourite part of Paros! There were some lovely streets filled with bougainvillea flowers, and the atmosphere really came alive at this time of day.
From there we caught a bus back to Parikia and had just enough time for a sunset walk along the coast before our ferry arrived to take us back to Naxos. I think we definitely made the right choice to stay on Naxos, it just had a more laid-back and unspoilt feel than Paros. Having said that, I’m sure there are great parts of Paros that we didn’t have time to see in one day, and I definitely wouldn’t be against staying there in the future to discover some of those hidden gems!
Day 14: Naxos → Athens → Luton, UK
Our final trip day was all about travel. We had quite a way to go to get ourselves back to the UK!
The morning got off to an interesting start, to say the least. We came down early to check out so that we could take our bus to Chora in good time (we didn’t want any repeats of the previous day where we had to frantically run for a taxi!) but the receptionist was nowhere to be seen. This was quite a problem as it meant we were unable to pay for our 6-night stay…
After speaking to one of the lovely housekeeping team, we were told to check ourselves out and that the hotel would collect payment from the card used for booking (side note: this did not work due to bank security features and I ended up sending a bank transfer from the UK a couple of weeks later). We made our bus in good time, and the remainder of the journey back to Athens went similarly smoothly.
This time we were headed for the main port of Piraeus. Being on the other side of the Athens peninsula to our starting port of Rafina, the journey there followed a different route and we passed by numerous smaller islands which we hadn’t seen before. We continued to be very lucky in the weather, with beautiful clear conditions and a smooth sea.
As we came closer to Piraeus, we began to see many other boats of all shapes and sizes around us. Piraeus also operates as a cargo terminal and there were several of these huge container ships queueing to enter, as well as some local boats whizzing around.
We docked as scheduled and joined the flow of people leaving the ship. We weren’t sure of where to go, but continued to follow the main crowd and soon enough we came to the metro station, where we could catch a metro into the centre of Athens.
I was not a fan of the crowded, somewhat grimy docklands and the graffiti-covered metal box of a metro that we had to take into Athens. After the chilled and relaxed island culture, spending our time almost entirely in nature, it was a huge shock to the system to be suddenly thrust into such a bustling urban environment. I also felt uneasy on the metro – particularly as there was a sizeable group of intimidating-looking men clustered at our end of the carriage.
However, I did want to give the city a chance, and we had several hours free to look around before our flight back to London Luton that night. We took our metro as far as Athens centre and then opted to explore on foot to get a feel for the city.
Our main plan was to go to see the Acropolis – surely the most famous attraction in the whole of Athens. Unfortunately it cost money to enter, and even with a student discount we were just too broke at this point to afford the 10 EUR entry fee each, especially considering how crowded it would be at this point in the day. We did however get a glimpse of the ancient ruins from the rocks below:
The scaffolding, whilst clearly necessary for conservation, also didn’t help to persuade us that paying to enter was worth it… It was disappointing not to go in, but I’m sure we’ll be back again some day to visit Athens properly.
The rocks we were at also gave us a wonderful view out over the wider Athens metropolis. The city felt absolutely huge to us after spending the last fortnight on small islands!
We were able to have a closer look at some of the smaller ancient sites in Athens through the fencing round the edges. I think we got a pretty decent view considering it was free, but it would have been nice to have the freedom to enter as well.
We then went to find some food before heading off to the airport, and came across a pasta bar takeaway. You could pick and choose pasta styles and sauces to make your own order, and they turned out super tasty!
From there we just got a couple of snacks for the journey and then headed to the airport for our four-hour night flight back to the UK. I spent most of the flight asleep, an incredible achievement for me and especially on a Ryanair flight where they always refuse to dim the lights and constantly come down the cabin trying to sell scratchcards and cigarettes!
And that was it, our European trip was over. We had an absolutely incredible two weeks, and I’m so grateful that we got to do so many fun things and see all these new places. And if you’ve read this series of posts from the beginning, congratulations and thank you for sticking with me.
Here’s to the next adventure!
