Naxos walking tour & city guide

The Portara and the harbour

The Portara is the giant marble gateway of a temple of Apollo that was begun in the 6th century BC and never finished. It stands on the islet of Palatia, joined to the town by a causeway, and at sunset crowds gather around it to watch the sun drop into the sea.

The harbour front below Chora is lined with cafés, tavernas and ferry offices, and is the starting point for walks into the old town.

Chora and the Kastro

Behind the waterfront, the old market quarter is a tangle of covered passages, arches and whitewashed lanes. Climbing higher, you reach the Kastro, built in the 13th century by the Venetian Marco Sanudo as the seat of the Duchy of the Archipelago. Inside its walls are Venetian mansions with coats of arms, a Catholic cathedral and quiet stepped streets that are lovely to walk early in the morning.

A walking route

Start at the Portara at sunset or early morning, walk back along the causeway and the harbour, then turn into the old market lanes and climb up to the Kastro. Come down on the other side towards the beach of Agios Georgios, which begins at the edge of town and is good for an evening swim.

Visiting tips

Naxos has frequent ferries from Piraeus and the other Cyclades, plus a small airport. Inland, the marble village of Apeiranthos and the village of Halki, known for its citron liqueur, are worth a day by car or bus, and ancient unfinished kouros statues still lie in the old quarries. The west coast beaches, such as Agios Prokopios and Plaka, have long stretches of sand.