Naxos is a Greek island,429,79 sq. km in area and 103 nm from Piraeus. It is the biggest island in the Cyclades, in the Aegean Sea. According to tradition its first inhabitants were the Thracians with the Pelasgi and later the Kares with their chief Naxos, to whom its name is attributed. It was the centre of the archaic Cycladic culture. The island is famous as a source of emery, a rock rich in corundum, which until modern time was one of the best abrasives available.

The largest town and capital of the island is Chora or Naxos with 7.070 inhabitants (2011 census). The main villages are Filoti, Apiranthos, Vivlos (Tripodes), Agios Arsenios and Glinado.

Surroundings and environment

Geophysical Map of Naxos

Naxos is the biggest and most fertile island in the Cyclades group. It lies in the middle of the group, south of Myconos and east of Paros. Its area is 430 sq km and its coastline is 148 km in length.

The relief of the island is formed by Mt Zas or Drio, a low mountain range which crosses the island from north to south. Its highest peak is Naxios Dias or Zas (1.002 m). According to Greek mythology this name was given because tradition supports that god Zeus (Dias) was born and raised in Naxos.

On this mountain range, from north to south, we find the following peaks:

Katsoprino (422m),  Anathematistra (778m),  Coronos (997m), Mavrovouni(869m),  Zas, Kavallaris(521m) and Viglatouri (418m). The eastern mountainsides are steep while the western ones “descend” smoothly to a densely populated area with arable land

Once, Naxos was very rich in flora and fauna. Until the 17^th century, deer used to live on the island and their hunting was very popular among the local noblemen and casual officials. At that time, the French traveler Zan de Teveno mentions that in the Aplikios area there were lots of swamps and huge numbers of eels were fished. Today two of the island areas, the central-mountainous-south coastal zone and the wetland in Naxos salt pit have been marked as places of special ecological and social value. They have been included in the European network Natura 2000.Moreover, the nature reserves of Zas and Coronos have been recorded in the Corine list as areas of exceptional ecological importance.

The island is rich in springs and creeks and that is why it has such lush vegetation. It is the richest of the Cycladic islands (hence Herodotus said: “it offered bliss to the islands”). Its coasts are slightly split up, however, there are rich sandy beaches, ideal for swimming and relaxation..

Zas covered in snow.

Geotechnically, Naxos belongs to the Attico-Cycladic zone, with dominant slate rocks. The mineral wealth is extremely important, with two widely known products: the marble and emery (or Naxia Gi). Geologically, Naxos comprises a rich geological park, made of crystalslate rocks – not yet ready for exploitation.

These rocks are mainly crystalised slates, gneisses and marbles in alternating layers with granite masses. They can be found quite near the city of Naxos in the northwest part of the island. Rocks from the Pleistocene period,mainly sandstones, can be found on the Stylida peninsula in the north/northeast near the coastal areas of the island. Rocks formed from explosion can be found near Eggares and elsewhere. Apart from the marbles in the centre of the island and northeast near Coronos, there are also the famous emery reserves. Naxos is the only place on earth where emery of excellent quality is found in exploitable quantity.

The climate of the island is Mediterranean, mild and dry with cool summers and mild winters.

The main capes of Naxos are Stavros, Moutsouna, Panormos, Katomeria, Kouroupos, Parthenos, Prokopis, Mougri, Gaitani and Emilianos

Museums of Naxos

‘Great sweetness had this island, lots of peace, kind the faces of the people … and the sea calm’

Nikos Kazantzakis, Reference to Greco

Museums you can visit in Naxos

• The Archeological Museum in Ano Poli
• The Historical archives of Naxos, which today is housed in the former French School situated in the Castle of Naxos and was retrofitted especially for this purpose. Nikos Kazantzakis was schooled here.
• The Venetian Museum of Naxos or Domus Della Rocca-Barozzi is housed in an old mansion in the Castle. It is the exact representation of how the urban people of Naxos lived in the 19^th
• The Archeological Museum in Apiranthos
• The Natural History Museum in Apiranthos
• The Geological Museum in Apiranthos , probably the biggest of its kind in Greece exhibiting lots of rocks of the area and other parts of the world (44)
• The Folklore Museum in Apiranthos, which is housed in a traditional village residence, exhibits 19^th century objects used for domestic, agricultural, and stock-farming purposes.
• The Visual Arts Museum in Apiranthos is a modern art gallery with more than 70 works of art
• The Nikos Nikolaou Glezos Library in Apiranthos with over 20.000 volumes of books.

Archeological sites and Monuments

• The islet of Panaghia Mirtidiotissa in Naxos Port
• Kouros in the site of Flerio

The most important worth visiting archeological sites are:

• Portara, the ruins of the ancient temple of Apollo where only the huge entrance called ‘Portara’ on the Palatia islet and the marble bases (the frame of the temple) have been saved. Since 1919 the islet has been connected to the island north of port.
• Ancient Naxos, the ruins of a Mycenaean settlement in Grota in the north of Naxos City in front of the Metropolis Square
• The Venetian Castle of Naxos, also on the hill in the city of Naxos along with the old Venetian Church and the Ursulines School .
• Sanoudos Tower, in the same area the remains of Marcos Sanoudos Tower are saved opposite the Catholic Metropolis.
• Crispi Tower, the tower which belonged to the Crispi family is saved along with the blazon – coat of arms of the family.
• The Venetian Towers, many other Venetian Towers can be found in Halki and Filoti where the Tower of Himaros – a fortress dated from the Hellenistic period.
• In Palia Ammos there is the imperfect statue of Apollo or Kouros or Dionysus which is 10.5m in length. A second Kouros with a broken leg, also imperfect, which is 2.5 m in length can be found lying in the Flerio site, while a third one 1.8 m in length can be found in a remote place (hiking is required) in Apollonas. An imperfect female statue (Kori) lies in a short distance from Kouros in the Flerio site.
• The Demetra Temple, the most important sight after Portara.It can be found in Giroula Sagriou.
• The Dionysus Sanctuary in Iria.
• In the Flerio site you can see the ruins of an ancient temple along with the ancient aqueduct which supplied the City of Naxos with water in ancient times begins from the nearby springs. The water supply was conducted through clay pipes and natural flow. At a short distance there is the opening of an underground tunnel like the Efpalinion trench in Samos. In Apano Castro, Apallilos Castro and Panormos Castro you can see the medieval fortifications of the island.
• The Jesuit Palace is situated in a short distance from the last houses of Melanes village in Kalamitsia.
• The Hypapantis Church of Naxos-Catholic Metropolis. It is a three-aisled church with a dome, built in the early 13^th In 1536 two more aisles were added and so it got five aisles and three domes. The aphi-faced icon of Panaghia Eleoussa is kept here. It is dated from the 11^th century and comes from Nicomedia in Asia Minor.