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Plaka vs Agios Prokopios: which Naxos beach should you choose?

Reviewed by TheOneToGo Editorial · Updated June 7, 2026

The verdict

For most visitors, Agios Prokopios is the smarter first pick. It is closer, easier, calmer when the wind is up, and genuinely hard to get wrong. Go with Plaka if you already know you want a longer, quieter, sandier day with room to roam, and you are happy to trade some convenience (and gamble a bit on the afternoon wind) to get it.

Pick Agios Prokopios for the easiest great beach day near Chora, and the more reliable swim when the summer wind kicks up. Pick Plaka when you want room to spread out, a longer walk, and a slower day with fewer edges to it.

blue wooden door on white concrete buildingPhoto by Johnny Africa on Unsplash

Both beaches sit on the same west-coast run south of Naxos Town (Chora). Agios Prokopios comes first, about 6 km out. Then Agia Anna, then Plaka stretching farther south past Maragas, closer to 8 km. They are near enough to compare honestly, but they do not play the same once you have a towel down.

Agios Prokopios is the tighter all-rounder: closer to town, quicker by bus, more compact, and it has a whole village of services right behind the sand. It is also tucked into a bay that takes the edge off the Meltemi, so on a windy day the sea is usually calmer here. Plaka is the beach to disappear into for a few hours. It asks a bit more of you, especially outside high summer, and gives back more space.

PlakaAgios Prokopios Beach
Best first choice Better if a beach day, to you, means walking, reading, and picking a quieter patch well away from the main cluster. Worth the extra few minutes if you have time to settle in. The better default if you only get one beach day on Naxos. Closer to Chora, dead easy to reach, and the clearest mix of sand, food, and facilities in one spot.
Beach feel Long, open, and sandy, and it never feels packed for its whole length. The north end near Maragas is where the bars and sunbeds cluster. Walk south and it loosens up fast, including a quieter stretch that is nudist-friendly toward the far end. More defined and busier, with a real resort-village feel. Tavernas, cafes, sunbed concessions, and rooms sit right behind roughly a kilometre of pale, soft sand.
Swimming Lovely for long, lazy swims on a calm day. It sits more in the open, though, so on a windy afternoon (July and August in particular) it can chop up and blow sand. Read the sea before you commit the whole day to it. Usually the safer bet for a simple swim-and-lunch day. The bay is naturally sheltered from the Meltemi, so it tends to stay calmer and clearer when other west-coast beaches turn rough. The water is the reason people keep sending you here.
Food and beach setup There are tavernas, beach bars, and sunbed sections, but they are spread out, heaviest at the Maragas end. That spacing is half the appeal, and also why it feels less convenient if you want everything within a few steps. Wins on convenience, plainly. You can go swim, coffee, lunch, a quick shop, all without turning the day into a logistics exercise.
Getting there from Chora Summer buses run the Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna, Plaka corridor often, roughly every 15 to 30 minutes in peak season, but service thins outside it and the ride to Plaka takes a touch longer (often 20 to 30 minutes with summer traffic). Check the current KTEL Naxos timetable before you build the day around it. Closer to town and the simpler ride: about 15 minutes by public bus, plus taxi or a short drive. The clear winner if you have no car.
Where to stay Base yourself around Plaka or Maragas for a beach-first trip if you do not mind being farther from Chora come dinner. It suits a longer, settled stay more than a quick stopover. Base yourself here for a beach stay that still keeps dinners in Chora realistic. It also works well for families and first-timers, since everything is close.
Main tradeoff You give up convenience for breathing room, and you accept the wind risk. This is the beach I would pick for a slow full day, not a quick dip between other plans. You give up space for ease. It gets busy, but it is busy for reasons that make sense once you are there.
The verdict

Pick Plaka if

  • You want space and quiet more than convenience.
  • You are staying around Agia Anna, Maragas, or Plaka and want a slower beach rhythm.
  • You have a car or scooter, so the extra distance and thinner off-season buses do not matter.

Pick Agios Prokopios Beach if

  • You are based in Chora and want the easiest excellent beach by bus.
  • You want clear, sheltered water, lunch, shade, and a simple plan all in one place.
  • It is a windy day and you would rather not risk a chopped-up sea.
Agios Prokopios Beach guide

FAQs

Yes, easily. They are on the same coastal route with Agia Anna between them, only about a kilometre or so apart. On the bus, check the current KTEL schedule first so you are not stranded between departures. With a car or scooter you can sample both with no planning at all.

Agios Prokopios. It is closer to Chora and the simpler bus beach, around 15 minutes. Plaka is reachable by bus in summer too, but it is farther (20 to 30 minutes) and the service thins outside high season.

Usually Agios Prokopios, because food, shops, rooms, and organized beach sections all sit close together, and the bay is sheltered so the water stays calmer. Plaka can be great with kids as well, but it suits you better if you are happy to walk a little and settle in for the day.

Plaka, once you move south away from the Maragas end. Agios Prokopios has the classic popular-beach buzz, which is exactly right if you want energy and everything within reach.

It can be. Both face roughly west and the Meltemi blows hardest in July and August. Agios Prokopios sits in a sheltered bay, so it usually handles wind better. Plaka is more open, so on a gusty afternoon the southern stretch in particular can get blowy and kick up sand. If the forecast looks windy, lean toward Agios Prokopios.

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