Things to do in Naxos
Most people come for the beaches and never leave the coast. The interior is the reason Naxos is different from every other island in the Cyclades.
Last reviewed July 2026
The short version
- The Portara
- The marble gate of an unfinished temple to Apollo. Free, five minutes from town, best at sunset.
- Ancient sites
- The kouroi lying in their quarries. The Temple of Demeter near Sagri. The Venetian Kastro in Chora.
- Mount Zas
- The highest peak in the Cyclades, 1,004m. Where Zeus was raised, if you believe the story.
- The villages
- Chalki, Filoti, Apeiranthos. The reason to hire a car for two days.
- Sunset
- The Portara for the crowd, the west-coast beaches for the quiet, the mountain villages for the view.
- On the water
- Day trips to the Small Cyclades. Windsurfing and kitesurfing off the south coast.
Naxos is the greenest of the Cyclades and the only one with a real interior. It has mountains, springs, a fertile plateau and more than thirty marked hiking trails. Where Mykonos and Santorini are all coast, Naxos has somewhere to go inland, and almost nobody does.
That is the whole opportunity. Spend the mornings on the sand and the late afternoons in the hills, and you will see an island most visitors miss entirely. Nearly all of it needs a car, which is the one thing to sort out first. How to get around Naxos.
The Portara
The first thing you see from the ferry and the last thing you see leaving. The Portara is a marble doorway, two jambs and a lintel, all that was ever finished of a temple to Apollo begun in the 6th century BC. It stands alone on the islet of Palatia, joined to Chora by a short causeway.
It is free, it is a five minute walk from the port, and it takes ten minutes to see. Go at sunset, when the sun drops through the frame and the whole of Chora comes down to watch. It is crowded then, and worth it anyway. Go a second time at dawn and you may have it to yourself.
The causeway is exposed and the wind funnels across it. On a meltemi day it is genuinely strong. Hold onto hats, phones and small children.
Ancient sites
Naxos was a marble island before it was anything else, and the ancient world came here for the stone. What it left behind is scattered across the interior, most of it free, most of it unfenced, and almost none of it crowded.
The Kouroi of Flerio
Two marble youths, each around 5 metres, carved in the 6th century BC and abandoned in the quarry where they were cut, cracked in the making. They have lain in the same garden for 2,600 years. A short, easy walk. Free.
DirectionsThe Kouros of Apollonas
The giant. 10.7 metres, perhaps 80 tonnes, lying unfinished on the hillside above the fishing village of Apollonas. Too heavy ever to move, which is why it is still here. Combine it with lunch by the harbour.
DirectionsThe Temple of Demeter
Built around 530 BC of white Naxian marble, nearly a century before the Parthenon, and dedicated to the goddess of the harvest. Restored, with a small site museum. Quiet, and set in open country.
DirectionsThe Kastro
The Venetian castle at the top of the Old Town, built in 1207 and the seat of Cycladic power for three centuries. The Archaeological Museum is up here too, free, though its main building is closed for restoration and the Cycladic collection has moved to the Saint Ursula Cultural Centre inside the Castle. The walk up through the alleys is half the point.
DirectionsMount Zas and the trails
Mount Zas is the highest point in the Cyclades at 1,004 metres. The name comes from Zeus, who was raised in a cave on its western slope, according to the story the island has told for three thousand years. From the summit you can see half the Aegean.
The usual route starts near the Agia Marina chapel above Filoti and climbs to the summit in around an hour and a half to two hours up. A longer route takes in the Cave of Zeus on the way. It is rocky near the top and there is no shade. Start early, carry more water than you think, and wear real shoes, not sandals.
| Trail | Distance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Agia Marina to Zas summit | About 2 hrs up | Moderate |
| Filoti, Cave of Zeus, summit, loop | 9.2 km, ~4 hrs | Hard |
| Melanes, Mili, Kouros of Flerio | 6.1 km, ~3 hrs | Easy |
| Tsikalario to the Temple of Demeter | 7.2 km, one way | Moderate |
| Routsouna waterfalls from Keramoti | 4.2 km, ~2 hrs | Moderate |
Spring and autumn are the seasons for this. Hiking Zas in the middle of a July afternoon is not a good idea, and every year someone tries it anyway.
The mountain villages
The interior villages are where Naxos keeps its character. Give them an afternoon, drive the loop, and stop when a square looks worth stopping in.
- Chalki. The old capital of the Tragea. Neoclassical houses, the Vallindras kitron distillery, and Byzantine churches in the valley around it.
- Filoti. The largest of the mountain villages, spread across the slope below Mount Zas. The base for the Zas hike and a good place to eat.
- Apeiranthos. The most beautiful, built entirely in marble, with several small museums. Arrive before ten and you will have the alleys to yourself.
- Halki to Apollonas. The drive north through the mountains is one of the best on the island. Slow, winding, and worth the whole afternoon.
This is also where the island eats best, and where the cheese on your plate in Chora was actually made. Where to eat in the villages.
The villages, one by oneWhere the sun goes
Naxos faces west, so the whole island is set up for it. Three kinds of sunset, depending on what you want.
- The famous one. The Portara, sun through the frame, a crowd. Go once. It earns the cliché.
- The quiet one. Any west-coast beach. Plaka, Mikri Vigla, Alyko. A drink, the sand, far fewer people.
- The high one. From a village terrace up in the hills, the sun going down over the whole coast below you. This is the one most people never think to do.
On the water
Naxos sits at the centre of the Small Cyclades, which makes it the natural base for a day at sea. Boat trips run to Koufonisia, Iraklia, Schinoussa and Donousa, tiny islands with some of the clearest water in Greece. The south coast, meanwhile, is one of the best windsurfing and kitesurfing spots in the Mediterranean, thanks to the same meltemi wind that makes the ferries interesting.
- Small Cyclades day trips. Koufonisia is the usual destination. Book ahead in high season.
- Sailing and catamaran days. Rina Cave, Iraklia, swimming stops, lunch aboard.
- Windsurfing and kitesurfing. Mikri Vigla is the centre of it, with schools for beginners and open water for everyone else.
The best days here happen on the water.
For organised boat tours and excursions around Naxos and the Small Cyclades, we recommend Zas Tours. For the scheduled water taxis to the beaches and neighbouring islands, Kerras Cruises.
- Day trips to Koufonisia, Iraklia and Schinoussa
- Sailing and catamaran days with swimming stops
- Scheduled water taxis, fixed fares per route
- Book ahead for July and August
Asked often
What is Naxos best known for?
The Portara, the marble gate of an unfinished temple to Apollo. Beyond it, Naxos is known for the greenest interior in the Cyclades, Mount Zas (the range's highest peak), the ancient kouroi lying in their quarries, and its mountain villages.
How many days do you need in Naxos?
Four to five to see it properly: two for the beaches, one for the mountain villages and ancient sites, one for a boat trip, and one spare. You can enjoy it in less, but the interior is what you would cut, and the interior is the point.
Do you need a car to see Naxos?
For the beaches near Chora, no. For the villages, Mount Zas, the kouroi and the Temple of Demeter, yes. The bus reaches the main beaches but not much of the interior. See our guide to getting around Naxos.
How hard is the Mount Zas hike?
Moderate. The usual route from near the Agia Marina chapel takes around 1.5 to 2 hours up. It is rocky near the summit with no shade. Hike it in spring or autumn, or early on a summer morning, never in the midday heat.
Is the Portara free to visit?
Yes. It is a short walk across the causeway from Chora, open at all times, and free. Sunset is the popular time and it gets crowded then.
Can you take a day trip from Naxos to other islands?
Yes. Naxos is the hub of the Small Cyclades, with boat trips to Koufonisia, Iraklia, Schinoussa and Donousa, and water taxis across to Paros. Most run from spring to autumn and depend on the wind.