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Greek island in the Aegean Sea
Photo: Rol1000, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Portara
The most recognizable landmark and the symbol of Naxos, an iconic 6th century BC marble gate on the islet of Palatia in Naxos harbor. It is the only remnant of a temple dedicated to Apollo. The rest of the temple's stones were carried away millennia ago. Only the entrance remains because it is made of stones too big to carry away!
Provides some of the quietest and most photogenic alleyways in town. It was built by the Venetians in the early 13th century and remains one of the few surviving medieval towns in Greece. The area was fortified against attack by locals and pirates.
Well worth a visit, with a good collection of Bronze Age Cycladean artifacts and displays from Neolithic to early Christian times—a good place to get out of the sun.
Roman Catholic Cathedral (13th century), with a display of family crests and ornately painted capitals
Which boasts a wealth of marble ornamentation.
Private museum with lots of old photos and artefacts.
Archaeological Site of Grotta
A small museum, built on top of the excavated sites, where an ancient Mycenaean town of the 11th century B.C. was found.
Θεατρικό Μουσείο Ιάκωβος Καμπανέλλης
Museum dedicated to the poet, playwright, lyricist and novelist Iakovos Kambanelis, born in 1922 in Naxos.
Smallish museum with only three rooms, which are intended to look like the interior of a 18-19th century village house.
Exhibits a collection of over 2000 stones, minerals, and fossils found on the island through various excavations.
Shows findings from various island excavations.
Temple of Demeter at Sangri
It's one of the earliest Ionic temples, built around 530 BC. It was built completely from Naxian marble and was probably dedicated to Demeter or Kore. In the 6th century AD, the temple was largely demolished and a three-naved Christian basilica was built from the same stone on the same site.
6.4 m tall kouros, which dates from the 7th century BC. There is a second kouros statue (the kouros of Faranghi) close by.
The wonderfully renovated tower, built circa 1600. Which now serves as a space for cultural activities. In 2018 it housed a modern art exhibition by Greek, Indonesian and American artists.
The island's most important Byzantine monument.
A small distillery, established in 1896, used to produce a very famous Citron liqueur. It works as a small museum now, which runs very seldom organised tours, its main focus is selling their liqueurs.
Tells the history of the olive tree, olive press techniques, as well as other uses of olive oil. They also have a gift shop that sells olive oils and olive oil products.
The site of the sanctuary was a place for a fertility cult as early as 1400 BC. Several temples was constructed on the site prior to the final temple.
Mount Zas, the island’s highest point at 1,003 metres, is named after Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. The mountain carries strong mythological associations, with local tradition identifying nearby caves and springs as part of his legendary upbringing.
The most popular approach begins at Aria Spring (Mikri Vrisi) near Filoti. From here, the trail climbs steadily through terraced farmland, rocky slopes, and juniper-dotted terrain, passing the entrance to the Cave of Zeus (Zas Cave) along the way. This route is well-marked and moderately demanding, taking around 1.5–2.5 hours one way depending on pace, with a total return hike of roughly 5–6 km.
Johnny’s Taverna-Restaurant
Located in Sagri, a traditional village with hospitable residents. It uses local, fresh ingredients.
A family-run business founded by brothers Nikos and Michalis (their mother Katerina runs the kitchen), serving good food made with fresh ingredients in generous portions at reasonable prices. Salads, pastas, traditional Greek starters and dishes, grilled meats, fresh fish, and more,.
George's Restaurant
In Melanes village just 7 km outside Hora is a family restaurant with a magnificent view of a green valley. Open all-year round, it makes for an excellent stop-over after visiting the Kouros and has very reasonable prices and huge portions. Try the rooster in tomato sauce, stuffed pork, lamb in a clay pot with fried potatoes and cheese, rabbit in onion sauce, aubergine with pork and cheese, and one of the many different traditional sweets that the owner's wife makes all year round, served with yoghurt or ice cream.
Beautiful Naxian cuisine made with fresh produce, all homemade by Voula. Great views to enjoy a romantic evening.
Pizza etc
€7 camping with own tent, extra €2 for tent hire.
A friendly family-run hotel 2 minutes walk from Naxos town center.
Family managed hotel, quiet location of Agios Prokopios, view of white sandy beaches.
A pansion with family environment.
Island and Venetian architectural domination with hints of blue sky and sea give the Naxos Resort.
12 rooms in proximity to Naxos town (Chora) centre.
A four-star hotel with 28 rooms and 2 suites, offering indulgences such as private hamam steamrooms.
Double rooms, suites, Superior suites & Honeymoon suite.
Saint George beach in the Chora, 20 metres from the sea.
Cyc-chic boutique hotel. Villas for up to six people, stylish suites for two. Friendly atmosphere.
The hotel is comprised of 25 comfortable and fully furnished rooms and suites.
Naxos Town hotels consist of the Apollon Hotel, Chateau Zevgoli & Castro Residence all located in Naxos Town.
An eco-friendly hotel near Halki village, honeymoon suites traditionally inspired with hand loom woven textiles, sustainable and green hotel, serves organic farm to fork food with produce from their own farms, area has plenty of hiking trails.
In Halki village. Husband and wife Alexander Reichardt and Katarina Boelsch run this gallery in Halki. Katarina produces ceramics with distinctive moulded olive and frog designs (beware of fakes sold in cheap tourist shops), while Alex paints delicate patterns of fish and animals onto tiles and other ceramics, and designs jewelry. Follow a trip by a piece of chocolate brownie in the cafe opposite.
Tereza of Naxos
Local craft items plus some from other parts of Greece — gifts, chic clothing, and artful jewellery.
Sailing
A welcoming port together with a lack of cruise ships make Naxos a popular stopping point on an Aegean sailing cruise.
By plane
If you're starting from Athens airport, it's much quicker than the ferry, due to the transfer to Piraeus.
By cycle
Naxos has started to develop a cycling culture, with more cycling-minded people visiting. Cycle hire is possible.
By bus
There are 10 local bus lines serving Naxos, information: https://naxosbuses.com/bus-lines/
By car, scooter and quad bike
The roads are very well maintained, with extensive repairs and upgrades carried out within the last 10 years.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
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