Experience

Plan an excursion to the Ancient Sanctuary of Apollo and Demeter in Gyroula Sagri (daily, except Mondays, 08: 30-15: 00), the Sanctuary of Dionysus in the Yria (daily except Mondays, 08:30 - 15:00, 22850 42325, 22850 22725), Apollo’s Kouros in the village of Apollonas, a huge impressive semi-finished kouros in the ancient quarry of the area. And of course don’t forget to climb up to the Temple of Apollo, to see the famous Portara, the trademark of the island, at the port.

The island has seven museums of particular interest, such as the Archaeological Museum, which is housed in the building of the Emporiki School in Chora, with exhibits dating back to the Neolithic period until the Early Christian period (daily, except Mondays, 08:30-15:00 22850 22725). The Byzantine Museum, housed in one of the most imposing buildings of Chora Castle, the famous tower of Krispi, which hosts a very remarkable exhibition of Byzantine sculpture from Naxos and the Cyclades from the 7th to the 12th century (daily except Sundays , 10:00-14:00, 210 3218075). The Geological Museum in Aperanthus, with a unique collection of minerals and minerals from Naxos and the South Aegean since 1964 (July, 10:30-19:30 & August 10:30-21:00, 22850 61725). The Venetian Museum in Chora in the Della Rocca-Barozzi Tower, filled with furniture and utilitarian items of the time (daily, 10:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:00, 22850-28377). The On-site Archaeological Museum, a unique of its kind museum, where visitors can admire the ancient remains of the Mycenaean city of Grotta, right at the spot where they were found (daily, except Mondays, 08:30-15:00, 22850 22725) Metropolis of Chora). The Folklore Museum, in the main square of Aperanthus with more than 1,200 exhibits of folk art (July 10:30-19:30 & August 10:30-21:00, 22850 61725).

You can also plan a visit to one of the traditional olive presses of the island. Note the most interesting of them. The Boulamatsades olive press in the neighborhood of Livadaki in the settlement of Koroni (22850 51457, 6944 607672). The oil mill of Ioannis Sakeliadis at the Kokkos tower in Kaloxilos, built around 1664, of Dimari, located in the homonymous position between Melanes and Kourounohori, the first motorized oil mill on the island (all year round), the one in the village of Damalas (22850 31326) and the olive press at Eggares dating back to 1880 (July-August 16:00-18:00, 22850 24180, 6973 054 801).

Vallindra’s visitable distillery. The first who create the famous drink “Kitro” of Naxos, one of the three liqueurs with a designation of origin. Housed in an old mansion in Halki (22850 31220).

The pottery workshop in Damalas is a traditional 4th generation pottery workshop where you can closely follow the clay treatment process as well as buy clay and decorative items (daily until late at night, 22850 32820).

Also of particular interest are the churches and monasteries of Naxos. It is worthing a visit to Agia Kyriaki, located at Kalloni (3 km from Aperanthus) dating back to the period of Iconoclasm, one of the most important monuments in the Balkans. The Agioi Apostoloi, a Byzantine church of rare architecture, as it is one of the few two-floor churches in Greece. Agios Mamas in the area of Potamia, a byzantine chapel with remarkable sculptures and frescoes in the inside. Kastromonastiro or Photodotos Monastery near the village of Danakos, which is considered to be the oldest and perhaps most important cave monastery of Naxos (June & September: 11am - 2pm / July & August 11am - 3pm). The monastery of Kaloritsa, which is a natural cave with dimensions of about 30 m. in length and 10 m. in width, converted into a church in the 4th century. The ruins above the Byzantine monastery of Panagia Kaloritissa are dated between the 11th and 13th centuries (Kambos Ayiasou, hill Prophet Elias 22850 31326). Finally, the monastery of Panagia or Drosiani on the way to Chalki. The temple, was originally a Catholic monastery and has a unique architecture (11:00 - 17:00).

Naxos is full of castles and towers worth visiting, such as the Apano (Upper) Castle, one of the most impressive monuments of the island, take the path that starts from Tsikalarios and admire the Aegean Sea view. The Venetian castle of Chora, inhabited ever since its construction until today. The Jesuit resort between Melanes and Potamia in the area of Kalamitsia which was the summer monastery of the Jesuits of the island, a blend of western and local architecture. The Aparilos Castle between Sagri and Ayiasos, an important center of the Byzantine Empire dating back to the 7th century (22850 31326).

Many of Naxos’s villages deserve your attention too, like the Acadimis in the plain of Tragia where the headquarter of the Hellenic School of Chalki is situated with the schoolmaster Nikos Exarchopoulos, founder of the Experimental School of Athens. The famous beautiful Aperanthus at an altitude of 600 m with marble cobbled streets and Venetian towers. Apollo, which was the port of Komiaki, where the famed marbles of the island were transported, note that just a few meters away is located the famous kouros of Apollo. Atsipapi, a special medieval settlement in the northeast of Naxos. Danakos, a small hamlet built in a canyon at the foot of Mount Zeus or Zas. The Moutsouna, the harbor of Aperanthus with the old aerial railway that until the 1970s carried the emery from the Koronos mines. Sagri, one of the most beautiful villages of Naxos, being preserved due to its exceptional architecture and finally Halki a small and picturesque village in the plain of Tragia.