Irakleia (Iraklia) guide: places to stay, restaurants and beaches

Express Skopelitis, run by Small Cyclades Lines, is the local ferry between Naxos, Irakleia, Schoinousa, Koufonisia, Donousa and Amorgos (Katapola and Aigiali). Its long-time captain, Giannis Skopelitis, died in June 2026; the ship has kept running.

Its 2026 timetable runs the full loop via Donousa and Aigiali on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 11 September to 31 October. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays it runs Katapola–Koufonisia–Schoinousa–Irakleia–Naxos, without Donousa. From 3 July to 10 September the full loop ran on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. In 2026 the ship was out of service for its annual layup from 9 to 29 March.

Blue Star Ferries' Blue Star Naxos also calls at Irakleia, Schoinousa, Koufonisia and Katapola on its Piraeus–Naxos route, and at Donousa and Aigiali on its Naxos–Astypalea route.

Express Skopelitis is a small ship, carrying up to 340 passengers. On 30 July 2026 it waited in Katapola through a day of strong wind and sailed the next day once the Amorgos port authority cleared it. Check the current timetable before you book connections.

Irakleia has few places to stay. The Naxos and Small Cyclades tourism site says rooms are in a small number of complexes, averaging about six double rooms each, mostly in Agios Georgios and Livadi.

Our advice: in July and August, book your room before you book the ferry.

In summer the north wind, the meltemi, can cancel or delay ferries. The National Observatory of Athens counted 18 strong-meltemi days in June 2026, 15 in July and 23 in August, using gusts of 50 km/h or more at its station on Tinos.

There is no single wind strength that stops every boat. Port authorities apply limits by ship size and type, so a large ferry may sail while a smaller ship or a fast boat stays in port.

Example: on 30 July 2026 Express Skopelitis, the Small Cyclades ferry, spent a day in Katapola because of strong wind and sailed the next day after the Amorgos port authority cleared it.

Our advice: leave a spare day before a flight home, and keep your booking agency's contact details to hand.

Greece keeps a list of protected “untouched” beaches. On them, sunbeds, umbrellas, canteens, amplified music, vehicles and events of more than 10 people are not allowed.

On the 2026 list: Alimia and Karvounolakos.

Our advice: there is no shade or service, so bring shade and water and take your rubbish with you.

The official list gives coastline coordinates, not names. The names here are our match to the nearest mapped beach.