Naxos
Naxos is the largest and most fertile island in Cyclades and it is located in the centre of the Aegean sea. Meadows that lead to immense sandy beaches, rocks sunk abruptly in the sea, imposing mountains next to fertile valleys. Wells and running water are some of the characteristics of Naxos of nature that are distinguished for her variety.
The city of Naxos or Chora is built amphitheatrically in sides of hill in the north-western side of island, is from the most beautiful cities of Cyclades. In Chora you can found same of the most well known sights of island, as Portara (gate of temple of Apollo), the Venetian Castle, the ancient Mycenean city in the region of Grota, the Archaeological museum where it contains remarkable exhibits, the Tower of Mpazaiou and the churches of Zoodochou Pigis and Virgin Mary of Myrtiotissas.
Beaches of Naxos
Naxos has some of the most charming beaches of Cyclades. Most popular are found in the western side of the island, in the south side of Chora of Naxos. The beaches of St. Anna and St. Prokopis are the more well known. First beach has beautiful cedars and the advantages of organized beach, while the waters of St. Prokopis resemble with those of swimming-pool. It’s not luck that St. Prokopis on many consecutive years it is rewarded in the three better beaches of Greece. But in the entire island you can also find amazing beaches as Mikri Vigla, Plaka, Kastraki, Agiassos, Alykou, Psili Amos and other.
Monuments
Most of what we know about the early history of Naxos Island Greece is linked to Greek mythology. Zeus, the father of the Ancient Greek gods, was born in Crete but grew up in Naxos and gave his name, Zas, to the highest mountain (1004 meters high) on the island. Naxos played important role in the Cycladic Culture, that appears to begin 5500 B.C. and it acme in 3000 B.C. Between the important changes that resulted that season it was the development of navigation, the manufacture and use of copper, the ceramic and marbles.
A part of the capital of Naxos in Mycenaean Period (1300 B.C.) was discovered under the square, front from the Orthodox cathedral Temple, in Chora, there where it is today the archaeological space Gkrota. Precisely under the square it has been made a museum.
At the next years Naxos was lived by the Ionians, which marked a particularly important period for the island, in which begins and reaches in her climaxing the Classic Period (7th-6th century B.C.), with parallel acme of arts, and specifically the sculpture and the architecture. Portara, the big gate made of marble that stands in the small island Palacia, that today are connected with Chora of Naxos, is what remained from the temple of Apollo , that began it is built that period.
Naxos belonged at the Byzantine Years in Thema (Byzantium) of Aegean. In Naxos are found a lot of Byzantine churches. The valley of Tragias is also named "Mikros Mistras " because a lot of churches that are everywhere. You can found churches that are dated from 7th until the 15th century.
In 1207 the island was occupied by Venetian Mark Sanoudo, who founded the Duchy of Naxos .
Villages
Naxos Island consists of more that 60 villages spread all over. The most important villages are: Galini (5Km from Naxos Town), Halki, Apiranthos, Melanes, Potamia, Koronos, Agios Arsenios village overlooking the southwest part of the island.
Chalki: In Chalki you can found several very beautiful old mansions that testify the acne that it knew in the old days. Chalki and the villages close to it constitute from the ancient years as the more fertile piece of Naxos. This region is called “Mikros Mistras”, because the big number of churches that is found there.
Filoti: it’s one of the bigger villages of Naxos built amphitheatrically in their foot of the mountain Za (taller mountain of Cyclades). It has intense life and commercial activity, because it has market, restaurants, cafes and bars. There is found the tower of Mparotsi and the church of Virgin Mary of Filotissas.
Apeiranthos: It’s found built in the heart of mountainous Naxos, in the foot of mountain Fanari, maintaining intact form from the period of Venetian domination. Local dialect, the strict manners and the customs remind to the mountainous villages of Crete. It has four small museums: archaeological, folklore, geological and a new one for natural history.
Koronos: A large village, one from Smyridochoria, built in valley in their foot of mountain Koronos, with intensely islander colour. It has a folklore museum. Each year a while outside from the village in the church of Virgin Mary of Argokoiliotissas take place the festival with thousands pilgrims.
