Naxos: port closed to vehicles on 22 and 23/8

Emergency traffic measures at the port of Naxos have been decided by the island’s Port Authority for Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August 2026. On both days, from 12:00 to 16:00, the passage and approach of every type of vehicle within the port and the land zone is prohibited, with no exemption for professionals. Only emergency vehicles are exempt from the ban, along with vehicles transporting patients, elderly people and people in need of assistance. During the same four hours, taxis, tourist coaches, hotel vehicles, self-drive rental cars and chauffeur-driven hire cars are not permitted to drop off or pick up passengers. The measure therefore covers all vehicle traffic in the port zone and not just private cars.

The decision also sets out specific locations for vehicles due to board. The Small Pier, where the “Skopelitis” berths, is designated as the waiting area, with an explicit ban on stopping and parking; Mandilara Square is proposed as an additional area, provided the Municipality agrees. Different routes are also set per vessel: vehicles travelling on the “AIKATERINI P.” and the “SUPERFERRY” will be directed along the coastal road from Papavasileiou Street, while those travelling on SEAJETS vessels arriving after 12:00 and on the “ARTEMIS” on 22 August will move via the Ring Road and Naxos-Engares Avenue. Separating the routes by vessel is intended to prevent all the waiting queues from building up on the same access road to the port.

Other services will also support the implementation of the measures from 11:00 to 16:00. The Naxos Police Department will assist on Papavasileiou Street, at the level of the “3F” store, and at the junction of Engares Avenue with Michail Margariti Street, while the Municipal Police will be stationed on Naxos-Engares Avenue. The Port Authority attributes the measures to the peak of the summer season and the mass departure of visitors, which compresses the departures of many vessels into a few hours. The four-hour window of 12:00-16:00 is exactly the period in which most of the weekend’s sailings coincide. The simultaneous presence of coast guard, police and municipal officers at three different points shows that the measure will be enforced before vehicles reach the land zone.

In practice, those travelling with a vehicle at those hours will have to allow time for waiting in the designated areas rather than near the boarding gate, while those arriving at the port as foot passengers will not be able to be taken by taxi or bus as far as the quay. The measures apply solely to the two specific days and the specific four-hour window, and no extension to other dates has been announced. Passengers are urged to follow the Port Authority’s announcements, since the port authority’s instructions to those at sea may change depending on conditions and vessel movements. For those not travelling, the advice is to avoid moving towards the port area altogether while the ban is in force.