It’s ironic that we have booked the fast Sea Jet crossing to Naxos, as by the time we arrive at Mykonos’ cruise-ship and ferry port I am hobbling with pain and moving at the pace of a snail. Coman takes charge of the bags and when we disembark at Naxos Town we ask our tour guide where we can visit a pharmacy, so I can buy a support stocking for my knee.

Opting to get settled first, we transfer to the Galaxy Hotel on Agios Georgios beach, just a few minutes south of the main town, and acquaint ourselves with the locale. The beach is a grand sweep of yellow sand and boasts a string of cute bars and restaurants that we become familiar with over the coming days, all of them fortunately just a short walk – or in my case, limp – from our hotel.

The sun is starting to set as we arrive and we spend the next three evenings in a similar fashion – gazing out to the horizon watching the end of the day change the sky from vibrant orange to dusky pink, deep rich purple and eventually, a host of twinkling stars above us.

This beach life isn’t our usual holiday but we indulge in lazy afternoons, snoozing on loungers at clubs such as Naxaki and Tatra, enjoying gorgeous afternoon sun and chill out vibes, swimming in the azure sea and feeling the sand between our toes. And even more welcome is the price of cocktails and food in the various beachfront bars and family tavernas that we visit, with one hearty and extremely tasty dinner on the beach costing us just €25 for two including wine. That’s not much more than one mojito at Scorpios!

However our pockets take more of a hammering when I need to see a medic the day after we arrive on Naxos. I can barely walk at breakfast, so the Galaxy staff arrange for me to see a private doctor and order a car to take us there. Within minutes I’m being examined and told (erroneously it turns out back in the UK) that I have fluid on the knee from inflammation caused by damage to my miniscus – essentially a torn cartilage in my knee.

The pharmacy next door provides an orthopaedic knee brace and painkillers, and a couple of days later I bow to the inevitable and buy a walking stick, knowing that the steps of Santorini will prove insurmountable without it. Yet, I refuse to let middle-aged injuries affect our sight-seeing and we potter around Naxos Town, weaving our way down its pedestrianised streets and having lunch overlooking the port. I err on the side of caution though when it comes to climbing up to the Temple of Apollo, a large stone arch overlooking the port, leaving Coman to explore the rocky mount.

I’m saving myself for the day trip around the island we take the next morning. Climbing aboard a coach with other holidaymakers we’re ferried up into the mountainous interior, past farm lands and olive trees in an arid landscape, that doesn’t get a drop of rain from the end of April through to early November. It’s been a stable climate for millennia, with the oldest olive tree on the island an incredible 5500 years old, and a huge 29 metres in circumference, but with the ever-increasing evidence of global warming around us it’s unlikely any other trees will last that long. 

Our first stop is at the Dimitras Temple, which far from being a Hellenic treasure seems to be more the remains of a ruined church, and then we head to a little hamlet called Damalas to see traditional pottery and an olive press, before walking around the village of Halki and visiting a citronella distillery, where we sample the local ouzo.

On we go over dusty yellow brown hills, stopping at a 4th century church with ancient wall paintings, arriving at the pretty village of Apirathos where we have a lovely lunch overlooking a deep valley. Finally we head north, stopping at Apollonas, a cute seaside village with turquoise sea lapping at the golden beach. A chilled watermelon drink precedes us visiting a toppled statue of Dionysus lying on its side by the winding road. 

It’s not the greatest day trip we’ve ever done, and by no means an essential part of a Naxos visit, but it gives us a flavour of this more relaxed and rustic island, and as we have cocktails and dinner at Tatra that evening, we can’t help but feel that Naxos has seduced us with its laidback island life.