Naxos is the ferry hub of the central Cyclades, but only some islands work as a same-day return. Paros is the easiest at 25-45 minutes with up to a dozen sailings a day; a morning Seajets (~09:00) or Blue Star (~09:20) out and a return as late as 22:10 leaves 11-12 hours ashore for Parikia and Naoussa. Koufonisia is a good day trip (8-9 hours) on the fast morning catamaran (35-40 min); walk or cycle to Pori beach past the Devil’s Eye natural pool and take the hourly €5-10 kaiki to uninhabited Kato Koufonisi. Iraklia (from €5.50 Blue Star) and Schinoussa (€6) are doable but long, leaving Naxos around midday (typically Mon/Wed/Fri) and returning late, sometimes near midnight. Donousa only works when the Blue Star round trip lines up (March-October) and is the most wind-exposed crossing. Amorgos cannot be done in a day - ferries arrive in the afternoon and turn straight back, leaving under 1.5 hours ashore, so plan an overnight. Delos and Mykonos are reachable only on an organised catamaran (Cycladic Cruises’ Alexander or the Naxos Star), about 10 hours total - roughly 3 hours at the UNESCO site of Delos plus 3-4 hours in Mykonos Town - for €75-90 per person plus the €20 Delos entry fee (€10 reduced), paid on arrival; Delos is open daily 08:00-20:00 from 1 April to 31 October. Crucially, your rental car must stay parked on Naxos: taking a hire car on a ferry without written permission voids your CDW insurance and roadside assistance, and the legal Ferry Boat Insurance add-on (about €20 per day, capped near €60) plus the car’s own ferry ticket (€60-80 each way) makes it pointless for a day trip. Park in a free Chora municipal lot - by Agios Georgios beach, behind the Metropolis Cathedral, at Grotta Bay, or Municipal Parking 1 - a 10-15 minute walk to the jetty; illegal parking under Greece’s new Highway Code (Law 5209/2025) brings fines from around €300 and licence-plate removal for 30-60 days. The Express Skopelitis is based overnight at Katapola on Amorgos and only leaves Naxos in the afternoon (14:00-14:30), so use Seajets or Blue Star for a morning start. In a strong meltemi the north wind peaks at 7-8 Beaufort in the afternoon; the heavy Blue Star ferries run up to 8-9 Beaufort while light catamarans and the Skopelitis cancel around 7-8, so favour Blue Star or pivot to the sheltered Naxos-Paros channel.