Day 11: Koufonisia to Iraklia – New Island, Familiar Rhythm

A Quiet Morning and Last Moments in Chora

I woke up around 7:30 after a slightly restless night. I think it rained around 4 a.m., which woke me, and I struggled to fall back asleep for a while. With the early start, I decided to make the most of it: I packed my bag, worked a bit on the Koufonisia YouTube video, and ate the last of yesterday’s bread with coffee and the remaining orange juice.

Originally, I’d planned to check out and film some content before catching the ferry, but with extra time on my hands, I realised I could film Chora properly before checking out — much easier without dragging all my gear. The quiet morning light made for great footage, and I was happy with how it turned out.

Back in the room around 9:15, I checked out and made my way toward the beach, stopping at the mini market for a Sprite, water, biscuits, and a large Mythos for the ferry. Found a shady tree next to the beach and sat for a while sipping the Sprite before heading to the port around 10.

Smooth Sailing to Iraklia

The ferry arrived around 10:40, running roughly on time. The crossing was calm, with a brief stop at Schinousa — an island I’ve yet to visit but decided to skip on this trip to keep my schedule relaxed.

There was no one from my Iraklia accommodation at the port when I arrived, so I started filming an intro clip for my next YouTube video and began walking up the hill towards the hotel. Luckily, a minivan pulled over halfway up. The woman driving asked if I was staying at Agnadema, and when I said yes, she kindly offered me a lift the rest of the way — a blessing, as the hill was steeper than expected and the sun was already warming up the day.

At the hotel, I was offered a choice of rooms. I took the top-floor option with a large front-facing balcony that looked out over Agios Georgios, also called Kato Chorio, the island’s main port village.

A Relaxed Afternoon at Livadi Beach

After unpacking, showering, and resting a bit, I packed a bag and headed out in search of lunch. I stopped at Maistrali, a small taverna and B&B just down the hill. I had a Greek salad, tzatziki, chips, and a large Mamos, and made a mental note that it might be a good breakfast spot the next day.

From there, I walked over to Livadi Beach. The weather was a bit unpredictable — I felt a few drops of rain even though the clouds seemed to be mostly hovering over Naxos. It never developed into anything, and by the time I reached the beach, it was mostly sunny again.

I spent an hour or two swimming and sunbathing before heading back to the hotel just after 4. After working on the Koufonisia video for a bit, I took a short nap around 5:15 and woke at 6. I made myself a coffee in the room, sweetened with the last of my honey, then edited the video until it was time to head out for dinner.

A Delicious (and Decadent) Dinner in Iraklia

I first walked over to Speires Pizza and Pasta, just down the road from my accommodation, but it looked closed or maybe just empty — not ideal either way — so I continued downhill to Akathi instead. It was lively and looked a bit more upscale, but I gave it a go and was glad I did.

I ordered cheese saganaki made with Naxos cheese, which was rich, strong, and very filling, followed by a solid moussaka. The topping was a bit thick, but the overall flavour was great. I had a half-litre of house red wine, which turned out to be excellent, and finished the meal with a complimentary homemade geranium liqueur — sweet, fragrant, and a really nice touch.

At €28, it was one of the pricier meals of the trip, but well worth it for the quality, setting, and experience.