Captain's Cocktail

Captain's Cocktail sits directly on the Paralia — the main seafront promenade of Naxos Town (Chora) — putting it squarely in the middle of the island's most-walked stretch of coast. The bar runs a nautical theme throughout and keeps long hours, opening in the morning and staying operational well past midnight most nights of the week.

The location is hard to beat for casual drinking: the Naxos Town port is right there, the old Venetian kastro rises behind you, and the Portara islet is visible to the north. Whether you want a mid-afternoon drink in the sun or something to close out an evening, the hours accommodate both.

What to Expect

The bar's identity is built around mixed drinks in a nautical-styled space. Expect the typical signifiers — rope, weathered wood, maritime references in the decor — alongside a cocktail list oriented toward crowd-pleasing classics and straightforward long drinks. The setting on the Paralia means seating is oriented toward the water and the foot traffic of the promenade, which gives the place an open, people-watching quality rather than an intimate one.

It's worth noting that the bar carries a Google rating of 2.8 from 294 reviews, which is on the lower end for a Naxos Town venue. Visitors with mixed experiences tend to flag service inconsistency and value. Going in with calibrated expectations — a convenient stop on the waterfront rather than a destination cocktail bar — is the sensible approach.

On Fridays the opening time shifts to 7:30 PM rather than the morning start applied the rest of the week, so if you're planning a Friday visit, factor that in.

How to Get There

The bar is on the Paralia, the pedestrian seafront road running along the port of Naxos Town. If you arrive by ferry, you'll be within walking distance — the Paralia begins immediately at the port gate and the bar is along that same strip.

From anywhere in Naxos Chora, the seafront is walkable in under ten minutes. There is no parking directly on the Paralia itself, as it's largely pedestrianised, but the roads immediately behind the port area have on-street parking that fills up in peak season. The main KTEL bus station in Naxos Town is also a short walk from the waterfront, making this accessible from most points on the island via public bus.

Best Time to Visit

The Paralia is lively from late spring through early autumn, with July and August bringing the highest foot traffic and a younger, ferry-hopping crowd. Evenings from around 9 PM onward are the most animated period on the waterfront strip. If you prefer a quieter drink with an unobstructed sea view, mid-afternoon on a weekday — particularly in June or September — works well before the evening crowds arrive.

The late-night hours (until 3:00–3:30 AM) make this one of the options for those looking to continue after dinner, though Naxos Town has a cluster of livelier bars further along the old market lanes if the atmosphere here doesn't suit.

Tips for Visiting

• Check the Friday hours: the bar opens at 7:30 PM on Fridays, not in the morning as on other days.
• The Paralia fills up fast on summer evenings — arrive before 9 PM to secure a table with a direct sea view.
• Phone ahead (+30 2285 022820) if you want to confirm availability for a larger group.
• The bar's Google rating is below average for the area; treat it as a convenient waterfront option rather than the island's standout cocktail venue.
• Combine the stop with a short walk north to the Portara causeway, especially around sunset.

What's Nearby

Captain's Cocktail's position on the Paralia puts it near several of Naxos Town's reference points. The Portara — the marble gateway of the unfinished Temple of Apollo on the islet of Palatia — is a ten-minute walk north along the waterfront. The old Venetian Kastro neighbourhood, with its medieval tower houses and the Archaeological Museum of Naxos, is uphill from the port and reachable in about fifteen minutes on foot. The main commercial street, Papavasileiou, runs parallel to the seafront and is lined with cafes, tavernas, and shops. The KTEL bus station, from which buses depart to Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna, Apollonas, and other island points, is also within easy walking distance of the Paralia.