Mini market

Moutsouna sits on Naxos's remote east coast, roughly 35 km from Naxos Town, at the end of a winding mountain road that passes through the emery-mining heartland of the island. Services here are sparse by design — which makes the Mini Market on the main village road a genuinely useful stop for anyone staying in the area or passing through on a coastal drive.

The store is small, as the name suggests, but it covers the basics: packaged food, drinks, dairy, snacks, water, and household essentials. With a rating of 4.6 from over 50 reviews, it clearly does the job well for the travelers and locals who rely on it.

What to Expect

This is a convenience-scale shop, not a full supermarket. Expect a single room stocked with non-perishables, cold drinks, bottled water, bread, cheese, and the kind of pantry staples you'd need for a self-catering stay or a beach day. Do not expect a deli counter, fresh fish, or a wide produce section — for that, you would need to drive back toward Filoti or Apiranthos, or plan a shopping run in Naxos Town before heading east.

The opening hours are generous for a village this size: 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM every day of the week, including Sundays. That reliability matters when you're based somewhere as isolated as Moutsouna and realize at 9 PM that you've run out of cooking gas or bottled water.

How to Get There

Moutsouna is accessible by car from Naxos Town via the inland route through Filoti and Apiranthos — allow around 45 minutes to an hour depending on your pace on the mountain roads. The Mini Market sits within the small village center, close to the harbor area. There is no public bus service that runs all the way to Moutsouna, so a rental car or scooter is effectively required if you're staying on this stretch of coast. Parking in the village is informal and generally easy to find directly outside or nearby.

Best Time to Visit

The store is open year-round, but Moutsouna itself sees the most visitors in July and August, when the quieter east coast beaches attract travelers seeking an alternative to the busier western shores. If you're arriving in peak summer, shop earlier in the day for the best selection — stock can run low by evening, particularly for fresh bread and cold drinks. In the shoulder months of May, June, September, and October, you'll find the village quieter and the road from Apiranthos more relaxed to drive.

Tips for Visiting

• Stock up on water and snacks in Naxos Town if you're planning a full day exploring the east coast — the Mini Market is a backup, not a substitute for a proper supply run.
• Bring cash. Card payment availability in small village shops on Naxos's east coast is not guaranteed.
• The store's 10 PM closing time is late enough to cover most dinner-prep emergencies, which is one of the reasons it rates so well among visitors staying in self-catered accommodation nearby.
• If you're heading to the beaches south of Moutsouna — Psili Ammos or Panormos — stop here before you go, as there are no facilities at those beaches.
• Combine your visit with a look at the old emery-loading pier in Moutsouna harbor, one of the more unusual industrial heritage sights on the island.

What's Nearby

Moutsouna's harbor still has the rusting infrastructure of the emery (corundum) trade that defined this coast for much of the 20th century. The beaches immediately north and south of the village are sandy, calm, and far less crowded than anything on the western coast. Psili Ammos, south of Moutsouna, is one of the more secluded sandy beaches on the island and requires either a short drive on a dirt road or a longer walk. The village itself has a small taverna or two open in summer, making it a full — if minimal — base for a few quiet days on eastern Naxos.