Hora (Naxos)

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Overview

Hora, or Naxos Town, feels different from other Cycladic island capitals. It's bigger and busier, for starters, with the remnants of the fortified Venetian kastro looming above the waterfront buildings. This was the seat of power for Marco Sanudo, the 13th-century Venetian who founded the town and made Naxos the heart of the Duchy of the Aegean. The old town is a tangle of steep footpaths and is divided into two historic Venetian neighbourhoods: Bourgos, where the Greeks lived, and the hilltop Kastro, where the Roman Catholics lived.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Kastro
Hora (Naxos)
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…
Temple of Apollo
Hora (Naxos)
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…
Della Rocca-Barozzi Venetian Museum
Hora (Naxos)
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…
Grotta Beach
Hora (Naxos)
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…
Agios Georgios Beach
Hora (Naxos)
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…
Petalouda Art Gallery
Hora (Naxos)
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…
Mitropolis Museum
Hora (Naxos)
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 …
Archaeological Museum
Hora (Naxos)
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…