The location was perfect with quick walking access to Agiou Giorgos, the waterfront promenade and thus the bus station and port, along with the seaside tavernas. The immediate neighbourhood has a good supermarket and good restaurants - Meltemi, Scirocco and others, a useful pharmacy on the corner of the small main square just down the street. The house was very comfortable for two couples, we shared it with our oldest friends. The outdoor spaces worked very well for quiet time, although we spent less time on the roof terrace with its magnificent views as the weather and winds were a factor in this early Spring. The laundry facilities were welcome and well used. The kitchen and dining facilities worked well as we ate in two nights out of seven.
Best of all was the attentiveness and generosity of Iacovos, our host. He made taxi arrangements for ferry pickups twice and for two separate departures to either the airport or the port. At arrival he spent more than an hour giving us an overview of the town, and the island with its history, its villages and beaches. We did not rent a car so we booked the KTEL whole day tour 2 for a wonderful professionally guided trip to seven stops in the central interior and the north. Unbelievable value. We would have signed up for tour 1 if it had been available. The next day we took the regular bus to Filoti to get another taste of village life and landscape. We finished touring with a bus trip to the first three beaches to the south and walked them at leisure before returning to Chora for a last night dinner together on the beach at the Nissaki hotel restaurant which was a disappointment given its reviews. Not recommended by Iakovos but of the 4 he did recommend, all were excellent. As well as those above we enjoyed Boulamatsis and Kozi run by members of the same family. One on the promenade, and the other right on the Grotta beach overlooking the Portara. Instead of feeling like you are in the midst of the tourist hordes, there is the sensation of dining at a remote island taverna that is known only to few.
So a great house, especially for families, and a great host who knows and cares about his island, its beauty, history and landscape and wants to share that with you. And Naxos has something for everyone: fabulous beaches, charming and historical mountain villages, significant history, amazing agricultural products, the labyrinth of old town Chora with its shops and Fortessa, great excursions and a very family friendly vibe. This house and host offer an excellent opportunity to enjoy all that and more.