Our Second Honeymoon

Travel | Lifestyle | Reflection

This trip felt like our second honeymoon.Not because it was extravagant, but because it reminded us what it feels like to travel as two people again.

Initially, I thought that I’d write a travel post of our recent trip to the islands of Naxos and Paros—images, where to eat, what to see. But somewhere in my first notes, I realised this trip was so much more than that—and I couldn’t keep my storytelling essence on the side. 

We first visited the island of Naxos two years ago with our dearest friends from Canada, their two daughters and our son. We fell in love immediately—the Chora, the people, the food, the beaches, all of it! So much so that we already knew we’d be back.

What we missed on that first trip was a traditional Naxian festival—violins and greek dancing. A local told us those happen around Agios Nikodimos when the island celebrates their patron saint. When we checked the calendar, it landed just a day before our wedding anniversary and thought, what a great way to celebrate our 20th. The plan basically wrote itself—come back to Naxos and make it a celebration.

The only question was our son. He has come to an age (shy of 18) where there was a lot of back and forth—excited about the trip, already listing off the tavernas he wanted to revisit, but also floating the idea of staying at home on his own. We told him either was fine with us. When the time came to booking things, he made his choice—he’d rather hold down the fort! That’s the part that turned this into a second honeymoon!

naxos, again!

Coming to Naxos a second time felt like a sweet return. The port of the island is my favourite. As you approach the island, the ancient ruin of Portara stands on its shores as a kind of welcome to visitors. Once off the boat, Chora’s facade—stacked whitewashed homes leading up to the Venetian castle—comes into view.

Naxos is a Greek island I’d recommend putting on your list when in Greece. It’s a tapestry of things—historic monuments, sandy beaches, mountain hikes, windsurfing, picturesque villages and food you’ll be talking about for ages!  

Visiting Naxos wasn’t about discovering something new—although we did do a few things different this time—it was more about experiencing it in a different direction since it was just the two of us now. We returned to what we already loved—Yasouvlaki, our old favourite, was exactly as good as we remembered. Doukato, too—still the best table in Chora, as far as I’m concerned. Even the ice cream at Milkato tasted better the second time around. (read post here)

This time round, we decided to rent a motorbike so that we could see more of the island. A car would have been the more comfortable choice, the Cyclades get windy come evening, but the motorbike won out for one simple reason—parking. 

what an average day looked like 

Most mornings, we slept in. We enjoyed an espresso in our room—thanks to the Nespresso machine we had—and decided where the day would take us usually happened over brunch. Our most favourite brunch spot is Hug Me in the Chora but there were also mornings for traditional spinach feta pies and small triangular cheese pies from local bakeries that gave us our morning fix. 

But brunch was only the start of the day. Once we’d mapped things out over coffee, we were usually on the motorbike heading somewhere new. And if there’s one thing I’d tell anyone visiting Naxos—don’t skip the villages. We took a break from the beach areas and spent a perfect, calm half-day trip exploring a few. We drove up to the village of Apeiranthos and it felt like stepping into history—stone houses, narrow marble-paved alleys,Venetian towers. From there, we wound our way down to Rotonda with its most spectacular view for an aperitif and then lunch in Filoti, under the vast maple tree  and pulled over here for galaktobouriko (traditional greek dessert) in Chalki as we headed back to Chora. It was one of our most favourite days.

Some days were spent on the beach and lunch at a nearby taverna. If we weren’t on a beach, late afternoons were for refreshing midday showers and siesta in the coolness of our room. Our evenings ended the same way—Portara at sunset, dinner, strolls and shopping in the old town’s alleyways and then drinks at Baco. 

I can confidently say that anywhere you eat in Naxos, the food is bound to be excellent! Naxos is known for its culinary culture—farm-to-table tradition, exceptional local cheeses and world-renowned potatoes. Don’t be afraid to go somewhere that isn’t on someone’s itinerary list.

By now, Chora had its regulars—Yasouvlaki, Doukato, Kali Kardia, Milkato for ice cream, Hug Me for brunch. A few new favourites made the list this time too. Taverna Naxos, and To Elliniko Restaurant were absolutely fantastic! Highly recommend Rotonda—beautiful views, atmosphere—enjoy an afternoon coffee to a late night dinner under the stars.

Honestly, it’s hard to go wrong on this island. Whether it’s traditional greek food, fresh seafood, or even pizza, Naxos just doesn’t disappoint. Don’t be afraid to explore—some of our best meals came from places we stumbled into. And then there’s Grotta beach. My favourite place on the whole island—not for swimming, but for sitting and watching the waves crash against the cliffs. The sound and the scale of it made me feel completely still.

It’s moments like that one that remind me why I’m a firm believer in exploring a place your own way. Yes, take the tips, gather insights—but mostly, just go. Ask yourself what you want your days to look like and let that lead you.

That’s exactly the approach we brought to Paros. A few afternoons there, no strict plan, just wandering and taking notes on what caught our eye.

a weekend on the island of paros

A short ferry ride from Naxos, and Paros felt like a different kind of island entirely. Its port was bustling with commotion—Paros has become one of the most popular destinations in Greece over the last couple of years and you could feel it the moment we stepped off the boat.

Since we only had two days, we went in with a simple approach—call it research. We rented another motorbike and set out to explore and see some of the island’s towns, staying in Parikia as our base. What can I say about Paros? I loved the rides from town to town. Short distant roads that took us from one sea view to the other.The whitewashed homes with their rectangular shape and soft curvy edges. At night, they seemed like fireflies scattered across the night sky. The island felt encircled by boats in every shape and size, making the horizon feel a little more magical. Naoussa was my most fave, especially in the morning. Its quintessential Cycladic charm won me over with its old port and the fishermen mending their nets before heading out for the day. Just beautiful.

Every single beach was stunning and inviting. I did find Naoussa a bit pricier than Parikia, but like I said, it was two days of research. I’ve already made notes of beaches to visit and things I’d like to do, but that’s for another trip. One thing I noticed on Paros—for every five restaurants, there was a gelato place waiting right beside it. I thought it was a fun observation and had to share.  

Between the two islands, we walked 52 kilometres and covered 320 kilometres on the motorbike. We’re already hoping to spend next summer in Paros for a full week, somewhere with more facilities and more room, so we can also relax. 

By the time we boarded the ferry home, my legs were tired but my heart was full. We came home sun-worn and happily exhausted, already dreaming of next summer. Travelling just the two of us felt different—not better, just different. A little slower, a little more us. We’ll be back with Georgios next time. But twenty years in, this felt like exactly the trip we needed.

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