Naxos

Naxos (Νάξος) is the largest and one of the most fertile islands of the Cyclades. Mount Zas, at 1,004 metres the highest peak of the archipelago, rises in its centre. At the harbour entrance stands the Portara, the colossal marble doorway of an unfinished temple of Apollo from the 6th century BC. Above the port, Naxos Town climbs to the Venetian Kastro, seat of the medieval Duchy of the Archipelago.

The west coast has long sandy beaches such as Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna, Plaka and Mikri Vigla. Inland, the Tragea valley is covered with olive groves and dotted with Byzantine churches such as Panagia Drosiani. Halki, Filoti and the marble village of Apiranthos keep their traditional character. An unfinished giant kouros lies in the ancient quarries at Apollonas, and the Temple of Demeter near Sangri recalls the island's ancient past. Show more

Farming still shapes island life. Naxos is known for its graviera cheese and potatoes, and in Halki the Vallindras Distillery makes kitron, a liqueur from citron leaves. Hiking trails link the villages. The island has a small airport, and ferries connect it with Piraeus, Rafina and the other Cyclades, including nearby Paros.