The North Windmill is a peaceful haven; away from the hustle and bustle of Naxos town and busy life in general. Perfect if you’re looking for a little slice of authentic island living! A beautiful location!
Naively, we thought we’d sort transport out on our arrival and then resorted to taking a taxi to the location. This cost us thirty euro. George urged us well in advance to organise a car hire and recommended a company. As neither my partner or I were confident driving on the right side, we chose to hire a quad bike for our stay of three days. This was great fun!
George kindly enquired about local bus services. These are quite infrequent and given the nearest village was 4.3km away - Engares, it was quite a walk in the heat. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the beautiful countryside and got there at 10.30am to get a bus journey to Naxos. This departs from Engares/Gallini in the summer at this time. The bus stop was down from the mini market on the corner in Engares and ticket purchase was in a little shop closer to the stop.
We arranged a quad bike early on our second day and thereafter enjoyed parts of the north; namely Abrams and Apollonas beach. The Tower of Agia, a Venetian beauty, is found on the way and worth the stop. The coastal roads north on-route to Apollonas are snake like (vertical drop on some cliff edges) with spectacular views of the other islands. Hold on tight!
Appollonas beach is within a little cove and lined with little eateries. This was a quiet beach...sandy with waves nice and gentle. Hardly any tourists and quite popular with families. We saw the awesome Kouros...an unfinished and abandoned marble sculpture, a small climb above the village. It’s definitely worth the trek.
In the villages of Engares and Gallini there are tavernas serving delicious meals and made from local produce. We had wonderful, home cooked meals in the taverna called Platia. Local shops serve the produce from the farms nearby. We also stopped by the Olive Oil Museum in Engares and we were taken through a pleasant tour along with sampling their delights.
On retreat at night to the windmill, a little drink was enjoyed on the lovely patio looking out at that beautiful view with stunning sunsets. The stars certainly came out at night and the moon shone big and bright. Thanks again to George and Helen. What a special place the North Windmill is!