WELCOME TO NAXOS
WHERE TO VISIT
Taxi Service: +30 22850 22444
Naxos is best experienced with flexibility. We strongly recommend renting a car to explore beaches, villages and inland routes at your own pace. Taxis are available but limited, especially during busy weekends.
The capital of Naxos carries all the typical features of a Cyclades island, and quite a few of its monuments date to various historical periods. Its heart beats in Old Chora, the fortified town with the cobble-stone alleys and the Venetian walled houses. The front doors of the grand residences still bear the coat of arms of their Venetian owners; the narrow backstreets and the galleries, the catholic churches and the fortifications have created a unique mixing of Cycladic and mediaeval architecture. Visit the Archaeological Museum, where you’ll see a large variety of finds dating as far back as the Late Neolithic period and up until the Early Christian times. The impressive collection of Cycladic figurines holds a prominent position among the displays.
Chora
The beautiful traditional villages of Naxos are must-visit places during your tour of the island; lovely Apeiranthos is a mountain village in the centre of Naxos. Here, time stands still: stroll by its stone-built houses, the beautiful squares and narrow alleys paved with marble, and visit its five museums, which attest to its age-old spiritual and artistic heritage. Locals hold on to their traditions and their dialect. It is believed that the village was built by Cretan settlers who arrived in the area.
Apeiranthos (aka Aperathos)
Built on a slope of Mt. Zas, this very picturesque mountain village is located south of Apeiranthos, on a 400 m. elevation. The cube-shaped little houses and the narrow stone-paved backstreets are set in a verdant countryside. Visit Panagia Protothroni Church (9th - 10th c.), the largest Byzantine church on Naxos, with amazing murals. If you like birdwatching, head to Agiassos Wetland, an area preferred by migratory birds.
Filoti
This village is made up of three neighbourhoods: Ano Sagri, Kato Sagri and Kanakari. There are two Venetian palaces (the Bazaios Tower and Sommaripa Tower) and traditional windmills. A short distance away from Sagri, you can visit the sanctuaries of goddess Demeter and god Apollo (on Gyroulas Hill), constructed of white marble in the 6th c. B.C. The finds from this ancient monument are showcased in a museum built in the archaeological site.
Sagri
This seaside resort is located on the west side of the island, south of Chora. Its long and sandy seashore is counted among the most popular beaches on Naxos Island.
Agia Anna
The area is a popular holiday destination with a very long sandy beach and crystal-clear waters. It was named after the picturesque small church of Agios Prokopios, which you will see by the beachside.
Agios Prokopios
The village is built in a fertile plain and it is well-known as the location of the impressive fortified Monastery of Ipsilotera (1600). Nearby Engares village (1km E) is surrounded by green countryside and freshwater streams.
Galini
Visit this beautiful hamlet in a leafy area with water springs. Kouros of Melanes (7th c. BC) is a very large statue of a male youth, which you can see in the area. Make sure you also visit the Palace of the Jesuites (17th c.) and the Venetian palaces of the noble families of Marco Sanudo, Mavrogeni and Frangopoulos.
Melanes
This seaside village is on the island’s NE coast. Along the harbour you’ll find fish tavernas with a lovely view. Near Apollonas, at the entrance of an ancient quarry, lies an unfinished Kouros [male youth] statue, which was never detached from the ground. The statue is 10.45m high, it dates back to the 6th c. BC, and it depicts god Dionysus or god Apollo.
The village is located on the west side of the island, south of Chora, and it was built by a picture-perfect cove with a lovely beach. See also the ruins of the ancient tower on Palaiopyrgos location, near Agios Matthaios beach.
Plaka
Naxos is an island that reveals itself slowly. Grounded, generous and quietly beautiful, it blends long sandy beaches, fertile landscapes and mountain villages with a strong sense of local life. This is an island where authenticity comes naturally. Take your time, explore beyond the obvious and allow yourself to settle into its rhythm.
It is the biggest and most fertile island of the Cyclades, located right in the centre of the group. It offers a host of choices to visitors about activities, entertainment and relaxation options. The whitewashed Chora town (the capital of the island) welcomes travellers at its harbour. Portara, Naxos’ most popular landmark, which lies on the neighbouring Palatia Islet; it is the marble gate of an unfinished ancient Greek temple dedicated to God Apollo.
According to the Greek Myth, God Dionysus met Ariadne, the Minoan princess, on Naxos Island, where she was abandoned by Theseus, the Athenian prince, during his return voyage from Crete to Athens
The diverse, uneven landscape and the size of the island have helped shape a variety of ecosystems. Explore them by following the signposted paths (Chora-Melanes-Chalki; Chalki-Danakos-Apeiranthos; Skado-Apollonas, etc). The route from Apeiranthos to Moutsouna beach goes through the old emery mines, and its beauty is breathtaking: you’ll enjoy the views of the changing nature as you head towards the sea.
The mountaineering and mountain biking fans will be happy to explore Mt. Zas (elev. 1004m, the highest mountain on the Cyclades) and Mt Fanari (elev. 908 m). As you climb Mt Zas, don’t miss out on visiting Zas Cave at 628m elevation; you will be impressed by its stalagmites. In ancient times, this location was a place of worship for Zeus, the father of the Olympian gods. On the left side of the cave’s entrance, you will see the tiny country chapel of Zoodochos Pigi (Our Lady).