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Naxos

The largest of the Cyclades, Naxos packs a lot of bang for its buck. Its main town of Hora has a gorgeous waterfront and a web of steep cobbled alleys below its hilltop kastro and fortified Venetian mansions – testament to three centuries of Venetian rule. You needn’t travel far, though, to find isolated beaches, atmospheric mountain villages, ancient sites and marble quarries.

Naxos was a cultural centre of Classical Greece and Byzantium, and Venetian and Frankish influences also left their mark. Its high mountains form rain clouds, and consequently Naxos is more fertile and green than most of the other Cyclades islands. It produces olives, grapes, figs, citrus fruit, corn and potatoes. Mt Zeus (also known as Mt Zas; 1004m) is the Cyclades’ highest peak and is the central focus of the island’s mountainous interior, where you will find enchanting villages such as Halki and Apiranthos.

Explore Naxos

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Naxos.

  • Distillery

    Vallindras Distillery

    The Vallindras Distillery on Halki’s main square has been distilling the kitron liqueur in the same way since 1896, passing from one generation to the…

  • Gallery

    Fish & Olive

    This gallery displays the exquisite work of Naxian potter Katharina Bolesch and her partner, artist and jewellery designer Alexander Reichardt. Each piece…

  • Area

    Kastro

    The most alluring part of Hora is the 13th-century residential neighbourhood of Kastro, which Marco Sanudo made the capital of his duchy in 1207. Behind…

  • Archaeological Site

    Temple of Apollo

    From Naxos Town Harbour, a causeway leads to the Palatia islet and the striking, unfinished Temple of Apollo, Naxos’ most famous landmark (also known as…

  • Tower

    Bazeos Tower

    The handsome Bazeos Tower stands prominently in the landscape about 2km east of Sangri. It was built in its original form as a monastery during the 17th…

  • Church

    Panagia Drosiani

    Located 2.5km north of Halki, just below Moni, this is among the oldest and most revered churches in Greece. Inside are several small, cavelike chapels…

  • Museum

    Della Rocca-Barozzi Venetian Museum

    This atmospheric museum is in a handsome old tower house of the 13th century, within the kastro ramparts (by the northwest gate). Wander through the rooms…

  • Beach

    Hawaii Beach

    Particularly pretty sandy beach in the southwest with calm turquoise waters.

  • Temple

    Temple of Demeter

    About 2km south of the village of Sangri is the rather unsympathetically restored 6th-century BC Temple of Demeter. The ruins and reconstructions are not…

  • Monument

    Kouros of Flerio

    In Flerio, near Mili, is an ancient marble-working area. There remain two examples of kouroi, large marble statues created in the 7th and 6th centuries BC…

  • Museum

    Engares Olive Press

    This small olive press makes Engares, 7km north of Hora, a worthy side trip. A guide explains its workings (in operation from 1850 to 1960), and there are…

  • Beach

    Grotta Beach

    This pebbly, stony beach to the north of town is pounded by waves when a northerly is blowing, but is relatively calm in a southerly. This is where the…

  • Beach

    Agios Georgios Beach

    Conveniently located just south of the waterfront is sandy Agios Georgios, Naxos’ town beach. It’s backed by hotels and tavernas at the town end (where it…

  • Gallery

    Petalouda Art Gallery

    Next to the walkway to the heart of the kastro, this French-run art gallery features up-and-coming young artists, as well as established international…

  • Museum

    Mitropolis Museum

    Behind the northern end of the waterfront are several churches and chapels, as well as the Mitropolis Museum. It features fragments of a Mycenaean city …

  • Museum

    Archaeological Museum

    This museum in Kastro is housed in the former Jesuit school where novelist Nikos Kazantzakis was briefly a pupil. It contains fascinating finds from the…

  • Museum

    Natural History Museum of Apiranthos

    This museum specialises in local flora and fauna and has a marvellous collection of shells. It is split into two sections, one focusing on the sea, the…

  • Gallery

    Phos Gallery

    See the island through the lens of talented photographer Dimitris Gavalas. Stunning black-and-white landscapes – mostly of Naxos – grace the walls of this…

  • Museum

    Archaeological Museum of Apiranthos

    This museum is part-way along the main street. It has a marvellous collection of small Cycladian artefacts collected by mathematics professor Michael…

  • Museum

    Geological Museum of Apiranthos

    The Geological Museum is near the village entrance and exhibits over 2500 rare rocks from the villages of Naxos, the Cyclades, the rest of Greece and…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Naxos.

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