Exploring
The Mainland
It's Time to explore
the island Of naxos
No matter how tempting the golden beaches look, the rich mainland of Naxos is what makes it special. By driving your “Fantasy” car, you will definitely be surprised from the treasures that pop out behind each road turn. Starting by the capital of the island named “Chora” and by visiting the beautiful villages you will see ancient temples and quarries, monuments of Byzantine and post-Byzantine period, Franc and Venetian towers, countless chapels, palaces, castles, streams and bridges, olive groves literally hanging from the mountain slopes and old olive presses…. So much is waiting for you to discover. In this guide we will only mention a few of them.
CHORA OF NAXOS
Discover the old market and the Castle of Chora – Naxos and get lost in the labyrinth… literally. And by labyrinth we mean the old Town that is located on the foothills of the Castle. For sure, don’t miss a photo-shooting at Portara, the giant marble door that welcomes you to Naxos port and it’s the trademark of the island.
SAGRI – DEMETER’S TEMPLE
A tiny village full of great monuments. Near the village you can visit the Demeter’s temple. A structure made exclusively of white marble dated back to 530 BC that is said that was the initial draft on which Parthenon’s construction was based.
CHALKI
Was in the past the trading and financial center of the island. Its past glory is revealed through the neoclassical buildings and towers that are all around the picturesque paved streets of the village. A visit to Valindra distillery where Kitron liqueur is produced since 1896 is a must.
PANAGIA DROSIANI
Between Chalki and Moni village, stands the church of “Panagia Drosiani”. This temple of the 7th century is one of the oldest Byzantine temples in the Balkan Peninsula and it’s undoubtedly an attraction itself.
APEIRANTHOS
The “Marble Village”, as the local’s call it because its streets are all covered with marble, is the most famous on the island. It’s a unique sample of medieval architecture very well maintained due to the passion of the villagers who have also kept alive their special dialect, their customs and the tradition of the warm Greek hospitality.
APOLLONAS – THE GIANT STATUE OF KOUROS
The northernmost village of Naxos is a picturesque fishing settlement with a fabulous beach of small white pebbles and sand. At the entrance, there is a path that leads to Kouros of Apollonas, a half-completed giant statue 12m long of the 6th century BC, depiction of God Dionysos.