Santana

Santana sits directly on the golden sand of Agia Anna, one of the most accessible and popular stretches of beach on Naxos's west coast. Since 2009, the Kapris family has run it as a full-day destination — a beach club and restaurant where you can arrive for a late morning coffee, stay through a long Mediterranean lunch, and still be there when the sun drops behind the Cycladic horizon.

Over the years Santana has gone through deliberate reinvention: a full architectural renovation in 2015 sharpened the look and the food, and a 2021 repositioning pushed it further toward a lifestyle venue. A new kitchen launched alongside a boutique selling island fashion, and evening music has become a regular feature. With 1,818 Google ratings averaging 4.1 out of 5, it draws a broad mix — beach-day families, couples after sunset cocktails, and diners who want something more considered than a taverna without sacrificing the sand underfoot.

What to Expect

The setup is classic beach-club: sunbeds on the sand in front, a bar and restaurant structure behind, with sightlines straight out to the Aegean. The kitchen leans into Mediterranean cooking with a modern edit — fresh seafood, seasonal produce from the Naxos interior, and dishes built to match the pace of a long beach afternoon rather than rush you through a sitting.

Cocktails are a genuine focus, not an afterthought, and the bar runs from morning cold drinks through to late-night pours. The boutique on-site carries a curated selection of island fashion — an unusual addition that makes Santana useful even if you're not eating. Evening music sessions, typically during peak summer, give the venue a different energy after dark without tipping into club territory.

Opening hours are 8:00 AM to midnight, seven days a week, which means Santana accommodates almost any point in a beach day.

How to Get There

Agia Anna is roughly 8 km south of Naxos Town (Chora). By car or scooter, follow the coastal road south through Agios Prokopios — Santana is signposted on the seafront at Agia Anna. Parking is available along the road behind the beach; it fills quickly in July and August, so aim to arrive before 10:00 AM or after 2:00 PM.

The KTEL bus runs regularly from Naxos Town bus station to Agia Anna throughout summer — journey time is around 20 minutes and the stop is a short walk from the beach. Taxis from Chora take roughly 15 minutes. If you are staying anywhere along the Agios Prokopios–Agia Anna–Plaka corridor, Santana is walkable along the beachfront path.

Best Time to Visit

Santana operates through the Greek summer season, with peak activity from late June through August. Midday in July and August is hot and the beach fills up — sunbeds go early. For a more relaxed lunch, target 1:00–2:30 PM on a weekday. Sunset, roughly 8:00–9:00 PM depending on the month, is the most atmospheric time for cocktails; the west-facing shore gives an unobstructed view over the water.

Shoulder season — May, June, and September — offers calmer conditions, shorter queues, and the same quality of food and drink with a noticeably quieter beach.

Tips for Visiting

• Reserve ahead for dinner: Santana's Google rating and profile mean it fills up on summer evenings. Contact them by phone (+30 2285 042841) or email ([email protected]) for table bookings.
• Arrive early for sunbeds: Beach seating at Agia Anna — both Santana's own and the public beach — goes quickly from late morning in high season.
• Check the boutique: If you're after locally-curated island fashion rather than the usual tourist-strip souvenir shops, the Santana boutique is worth a browse.
• Evening music varies: Programming changes through the season — check their Instagram (@santananaxos) before planning a late-night visit around live or DJ music.
• Agia Anna beach is sandy and shallow: It's suitable for children, which means the daytime crowd reflects that. Evenings shift toward a quieter dining demographic.
• Parking on summer weekends: If arriving by car on a Saturday or Sunday in August, budget extra time to find a space.

The Agia Anna Setting

Agia Anna is one of a chain of west-coast beaches — Agios Prokopios to the north, Plaka continuing south — that make up the most developed part of Naxos's beach strip. The sand is fine and pale, the water clear and gradually deepening, and the small village of Agia Anna itself has a working feel alongside the tourist infrastructure: a fishing harbour, a handful of year-round tavernas, and a supermarket. Santana occupies a prime central section of the beachfront. Walking north along the sand from Santana you reach Agios Prokopios in about 20 minutes; walking south takes you into the quieter and longer expanse of Plaka.