For whom not
On this page I want to briefly describe for whom our cottages (and Naxos in general) are not so suitable.
In summer (second half of June, July and August, sometimes also part of September) it is hot in Greece, i.e. in these months Greece is not recommendable as a vacation destination for heat-sensitive people. Naxos has comparatively low summer temperatures: Because of its location in the middle of the sea the climate is relatively mild. In addition, the climate in Azalás (and generally on the east coast of Naxos) is very dry, so that the usual summer temperatures of a little over 30° C (about 90° Fahrenheit) are much more tolerable than in regions with high humidity. Nevertheless, summers are hot, the sun is very intense, and it hardly cools down at night. For the particularly hot days, our vacation homes are equipped with air conditioning. However, for people who do not like or can not tolerate heat, Greece is not a fitting destination in summer.
The same applies to people who do not like wind. In summer (July and especially August) it is almost always windy on Naxos (around 5 – 6 Beaufort), and Azalás lies in one of the windier regions of the island. This meltémi ensures that the heat remains bearable, but it can be somewhat exhausting in the long run. The least windy months on Naxos are generally April, May and June; also in September there are usually windless days. In winter, periods of no or little wind, often with beautiful mild and sunny weather, alternate with colder periods with strong north wind which makes the temperature appear far lower than it is, and occasionally it can be very stormy. There is after all a reason that Naxos is the paradise of windsurfers in Europe – those who want to go windsurfing are guaranteed to get their money’s worth. If you don’t like wind, Naxos and Azalas are less suitable, especially in July and August.
Our cottages are also not a good destination for people who like to go shopping, to go to bars and clubs or who prefer to spend their days at organized beaches. It is a long drive to Naxos town and to the tourist areas for shopping or going out in the evening: a drive of one hour on small roads over the mountains. If you are looking for hustle and bustle, entertainment and a wide range of activities, it is better to stick to the more touristic west side of Naxos. In summer Moutsouna is quite a lively village with nice restaurants and cafés for a coffee, a drink or a good meal and with a mini market where you can buy most things you might need. From October till May the restaurants are closed (maybe one may open on the weekends). The mini market remains open in winter (only certain hours each day).
In and around Azalas there is no agriculture that uses chemicals or “inhibits” nature in any way. Accordingly, our garden is populated by many insects. There are always ants nearby, which usually do not disturb very much, but are difficult to keep away completely; accordingly it is advisable not to leave food attractive for ants within their reach. Depending on the weather occasionally we may have a lot of flies (especially in the fall on windless days before rain). Mosquitoes or midges are much less abundant in Azalas than around Naxos-town; they can be a nuisance mainly in early summer on windless days. At the time of the grape harvest (in Azalas in August and September, on the mountains mostly in October) there are sometimes many wasps or hornets. We have installed mosquito nets on the windows of our cottages, so that you can keep away uninvited guests if you keep the door closed; in addition, mosquito nets for the beds are available.
Please be aware that a poisonous snake occurs on the island, the horned viper; however, encounters are rare, and this snake species is not aggressive. I have heard maybe of two persons that have been bitten in the 25 years that I live on the island. Some poisonous animals occur in the sea. In the shallow sandy areas occurs a small fish with poisonous spines on its back, the weever, and every few years it happens that someone steps on a fish and is stung; fortunately, the poison is quite easy to neutralize by holding the foot for some time into very hot water. Jellyfish have hardly ever come into our bay until now. Another bothersome sea animal is the sea urchin. There are no sea urchins in the sand or on the rocks adjacent to our sand beach, but they do occur elsewhere on the rocks in shallow water; if you want for example to go ashore on the small island in our bay, it is advisable to wear plastic shoes and use diving goggles so that you can see where you put your hands and feet.
Finally, a word must be said about our road. The 2,5 km road from Moutsouna is not a paved road, but a small dirt road. During the winter depending on the intensity of the rains the road usually becomes somewhat stony and bumpy. It is fixed and smoothed sometime in early sommer. In winter and spring it is advisable to rent a more “high-legged” car, but except for some rare occasions it is not necessary to have a jeep or a 4wheel drive. Feel free to ask us about the state of the road before you come.
And one last point: There are no TVs in our cottages (you can watch important soccer matches in the café in Moutsouna). You have internet access in your cottage via wifi, which usually works quite reliably. In any case, you can use the internet at our home (just behind the cottages) and there is free wifi in Moutsouna. In case you need anything that is not provided in the cottages (e.g. access to a printer), please do not hesitate to ask us!