Best Time to Visit Naxos: Calm September Seas, Green May Valleys and Summer Winds

Sitting in the centre of the Cyclades, Naxos enjoys a sunny, dry Aegean summer climate tempered by the northern Meltemi breeze, while 1,003-metre Mount Zas catches enough winter rain to keep its inland valleys green through spring. For the best combination of warm, calm turquoise swimming and pleasant temperatures for exploring the Venetian Kastro and mountain villages, aim for late May to late June or September to mid-October.

Late Spring & Early Summer (May and June) is the best season for hikers and culture lovers. In May and early June, the inland valleys around the Temple of Demeter, Potamia and Halki are lush green and scented with lemon and citron blossom, daytime highs climb from 23°C in May to 27°C in June, and hiking to the 1,003m summit of Mount Zas is cool and clear. By early June, the shallow waters of Agios Georgios and Agios Prokopios are already 22°C and every beach taverna is open at shoulder-season rates.

High Summer (July and August) brings cloudless blue skies, 28°C to 30°C afternoons and lively evenings in Chora's Old Market. Because Naxos is so much larger than Mykonos or Santorini, and has 15 kilometres of sandy beaches, you never feel claustrophobic on the sand even in August. Note that the northern Meltemi wind blows strongest in July and August (great for kitesurfers at Mikri Vigla; for calm swimming on windy days, head to the sheltered west end of Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna or south-facing Mikro Alyko).

Golden Autumn: The Best Month for Swimmers (September and Early October) is magic on Naxos. In September, the summer winds subside, leaving 4-kilometre Plaka and Agios Prokopios as flat and clear as a glass swimming pool, the sea is at its warmest point of the year (23°C to 25°C), and September brings the grape harvest and Dionysia Festival concerts at Bazeos Tower. Check what to wear in Naxos before packing.