FAMILY-favourite Naxos, the largest and most fertile of the Cycladic tribe, has a quiet confidence that comes from earning its own keep.

Blessed with an unusually good water supply, modest Naxos is a working island; self-sufficient and replete with sheep, goat and cattle herds alongside thriving market gardens (Naxos potatoes are a national treasure, commanding a ripe premium). Similarly, Naxos’ most loyal clientele are largely a self-catering bunch. They embrace the island’s sometimes rough and ready nature, untroubled by the near-absence of thumping bars and other nocturnal delights.

The real treats are in the Naxian backcountry with its mountain villages, giddy vistas and hidden churches; and in the hilly old citadel of Kastro with its steep lanes and regal Venetian towers. Families and beach-aficionados favour the island’s southwest-facing coast from Agios Prokopios down to Agiassos - one great long sandy stretch, punctuated by verdant headlands.