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Accommodation facilities on Naxos | Day tours on Naxos


About Naxos, the rich in history island of many faces

 

 

Naxos, the largest and most fertile of the Cycladic islands, lies almost at the centre of the Aegean.

Meadows running down to vast beaches, cliffs sinking suddenly into the sea, rocky mountains side-by side with fertile valleys, abundant springs and streams, these are just some of the features of a natural environment marked for its variety.

 

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The coastline of Naxos is abrupt on the south side and more sheltered to the west, with numerous inlets and sandy beaches. The island is first heard of in the myths and then mentioned throughout every period of history, though it was at the peak of its glory during the period of the Cycladic civilisation.

 

Naxos city ("Hora" in Greek) stands on a naturally amphitheatrically site on a hillside on the north-west side of the island and is one of the most attractive towns in the Cyclades. As the visitor walks from the harbour high up to the Venetian castle, he will be struck by the beauty of the narrow winding lanes and the old stone houses lining them.

 

Interesting monuments from various periods are to be found all over the town, such as Byzantine churches, the castle itself (with its tower and battlements) and traces of Mycenaean buildings in the area known as Grota. The Archaeological Museum of Naxos has many notable exhibits. Given that traces of Greek antiquity are to be seen everywhere, each part of the island has something of interest. Near the pretty coastal village of Apollonas, for instance - on the north side of the island - is a half-finished outsize Kouros (statue of a youth), the most popular and notable of this period, dating from the 6th century BC, still lying in the marble quarry where it was abandoned. Another such statue can be seen at Melanes.

 

The superb beaches of Naxos, its attractive villages and its wealth of monuments draw thousands of visitors to the island each year. The good tourist amenities all over the island make it easy to tour the charms of Naxos.

 

Scheduled ferries and local excursion boats make it easy to visit Mykonos/Delos, Paros, Ios and even Santorini without having to stay there overnight.

Activities

Daily

WALKING TOURS

& other activities

 

for all travellers

on NAXOS island

 

Will you join us?

 

Find the schedule here!

There is plenty to do on Naxos.

There are hills to climb, monasteries to reach and a little archaeology; above all, there’s wonderful walking.

Of course travel and do offers so much more to do, like:

  • Yoga

  • Qi Gong

  • Horseback riding

  • Diving

  • Watersports

  • Cooking

  • Greek dancing

 

Videos of Naxos on YouTube

 

Video 1           Video 2           Video 3

 

History and Mythology

 

Naxos was a centre of the cult of Dionysus, the god of wine, entertainment and theatre. Mythology tells us that it was here that Theseus abandoned Ariadne.

There is much archaeological evidence to show that the island was first settled by Carians and Cretans and developed a flourishing Cycladic culture in the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE. It is the ancient sculptors of Naxos, who are notable for such works as the colossal statue of Apollo on Delos.

 

After being held by Athens and later by Macedonia it passed under Egyptian rule, was briefly assigned to Rhodes by Mark Anthony and thereafter became part of the Byzantine Empire.

 

In 1207 Naxos was occupied by a Venetian nobleman named Marco Sanudo, who made it the centre of the Duchy of the Twelve Islands in the Aegean (Duchy of Naxos), which continued in existence until 1566 and achieved a considerable degree of prosperity. It was taken by the Turks in 1579, and was under Russian rule from 1770 to 1774, but, like the other Cyclades, retained a measure of independence. In 1830 it joined the newly established kingdom of Greece.

 

Useful links for more information about Naxos:

Naxos map

 

 

How to reach Naxos island

 

Weather Information

Naxos sits in the middle of the Aegean and enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate; year-round sunny weather with little rain. The Cyclades islands, although windy, can be baking hot during the day. For the evenings though you will need a light jacket. The temperature May to September averages 25C to 32C, with virtually no rainfall. Risk of sunburn during these months is high.

 

All given values are mean values

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Temperature

in Celsius

(the temperature at midday can be significantly higher)

16 19 23 25 24 23 19 16

Sunlight

hours /day

8 10 13 13 12 10 8 5

Water temperature

in Celsius

16 18 21 24 25 25 22 18

 

Our vacation plans on Naxos

 

Our recreational retreats and alternative vacation plans on Naxos island, starting from 8 days long, include Qi Gong, Yoga, Thai Massage, Tango Argentino or Belly Dance workshops, cultural trekking around the remarkable ancient and byzantine monuments of Naxos and Paros islands, Greek Mythology and language introductory lectures, Greek circular dancing, but also plenty of free time for beach relaxation, watersports and activities like cycling, off-road driving, diving or horseback riding!

We offer 4 different vacation packages on Naxos as per our Agenda and Prices

 


Accommodation facilities on Naxos • Day tours on Naxos

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