• Naxos Town, port

    visit naxos

    the largest of the cycladic islands

  • Naxos Town, Portara gate

    explore its history

    dating back to prehistoric times

  • Naxos, Agia Anna beach

    enjoy its beaches

    of turquoise colour

    and let the meditarranean sun caress your skin

  • Chalki village

    discover

    its traditional villages

  • Restaurants on Naxos island

    taste

    its glorious cuisine

    full of rich flavours and aromas

Tour 7 - Southern Naxos

From the nearby village of Gallini a road leads up to the Monastery of the Sublime Virgin, which is known as the Angelakopoulos Tower after the name of its last owner. One of the most notable buildings on the island, it lies not far from the sea in the valley of Engares. Originally, as the marble plaque at the entrance tells us, it was run as a monastery dedicated to the Sublime Virgin by the orthodox priest Iacovos Kokkos (1660). Later, however, the Kokkos family incited the people of Naxos to rise up against the Venetian overlords, but having nowhere else to shelter from the wrath of the foreigners, the instigators of the struggle were forced to barricade themselves inside the monastery. Thus, while it had always had the character of a lookout post to guard against marauding pirates, the monastery now became a fortress in the peasants' uprising.

It consists of an internal courtyard enclosed by stone-rooms and monks' cells on two floors, and the post-Byzantine monastery church on one side of the courtyard. In the southwest corner of the building is a round tower with a loophole for defense. The roof is surrounded by battlements. The ramparts, loop-holes and holes through which boiling oil was poured to defend the building, the circular tower and the small number of openings, all contribute to a feeling of austerity, and looking at the building from the outside it is difficult to imagine that it was a monastery. Returning to the main road back to the Chora, the visitor encounters two other roads leading to the more popular beaches on the west coast of the island.

Quite close to the Chora itself is the beach at Agios Georgios. There are also beaches at Agios Prokopios, which lies on a sheltered bay with a beautiful stretch of sand, Agia Anna, Plaka, Orkos and Mikri Vigla. At Agios Arsenios, or Agersani as the locals call it, there is a monastery built in 1721 and dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Not far away is one of the island's oldest churches, Agios Mamas, which dates from the ninth century and contains some valuable sculptures and wall paintings. Further down the coast lie Kastraki, Alyko, Pyrgaki and finally Agiassos. The Plain of Tragaia, which stretches from Sagri to Agiassos, has been called "Little Mystras" by Byzantine scholars because of the wealth of important Byzantine remains that have been found there. Many churches which not only contain valuable sculptures and wall paintings, but are of interest from an architectural point of view, lie scattered around the area.

On the eastern side of the island, there is a road which follows the coast down from Moutsouna to the south, passing the magnificent beach of Psili Ammos, which is, as its name suggests, boasts fine, golden sand, and ending up at Panormos. Nearby is the site of "Korfari ton Amygdalion", where excavations have revealed the existence of a settlement around 3000 B.C. In a lonely area to the north of Panormos stands the Chimaros Tower, a round marble building dating from the Hellenistic period. The road from Filoti, which passes the tower carries on in a southerly direction to Kalados Bay, a spectacular beach totally sheltered from the winds, and Katomeri, situated at the southernmost tip of the island. Important relics from the Cycladic civilization have been discovered in this area.

Mikri Vigla beach, southern Naxos

The tours of Naxos
Tour 1
the medieval castle and the churches of naxos town
Ruins of a huge ancient temple, traces of a Monian settlement and inumerous archaeological finds. Approaching the island by boat, the visitor will see two small islands to the left and right of the harbor, one with the little church of Myrtidiotissa, and the other called Palatia which is linked to Naxos Town ...
naxos town, the port, portara, grotta
Tour 2
military and religious naxos town
An impressive medieval castle, several old and more recent churches, traditional chapels, monasteries and fountains. The impressive medieval castle of Naxos Town has protected it for decades against pirate invasions. Today, the castle includes lovely shops and taverns and hosts concerts and art events ...
crispi - glezos tower, churches, catholic cathedral
Tour 3
the scenic and lush countryside of naxos
High mountains that form lush valleys of olive groves and vineyards in between. The scenery in the countryside outside Naxos town is very beautiful; there are picturesque little villages scattered high up in the mountains or down in the valleys, with an abundant supply of water and lush vegetation ...
countryside, villages, secluded beaches, towers
Tour 4
the central villages of naxos
At the point where the road forks away to the southern part of the island lies Tripodes or Vivlos, with the windmills that are so characteristic of the Cyclades. The next village is Ano Sagri, situated on a hillside and commanding a splendid view ...
tripodes, sagri, filoti, apeiranthos
Tour 5
from apeiranthos to the emery mines of moutsouna
Amongst the area's sights the Church of the Apeirathitissa Panagia, with its sculpted marble screen, and the Churches of Theoskepasti, Ag. Ioannis Theologos and the oldest of all, Ag. Paraskevi, located a little outside the village, are all worthy of mention ...
apeiranthos, zevgoli's tower, moutsouna, kouros of melanes
Tour 6
exploring the northern side of naxos
The next place along the way is Kinidaros, a village with plentiful supply of water and renowned for its excellent singers, its feasts and festivals. To the south lies Moni, with the monastery from which it takes its name lying just outside the village ...
kinidaros, koronos, koronida, apollonas, kouros of apollonas
Tour 7
the most magnificent beaches of naxos
From the nearby village of Gallini a road leads up to the Monastery of the Sublime Virgin, which is known as the Angelakopoulos Tower after the name of its last owner. One of the most notable buildings on the island, it lies not far from the sea in the valley of Engares. Originally, as the marble plaque at the entrance tells us ...
monasteries, lush valleys, amazing beaches
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How to get to Naxos

Travel to Naxos by ferry or plane
Travel to Naxos
Find out how you can travel to Naxos by ferry or airplane, depending on the season.

The highlights of Naxos

The beaches of Naxos

The secluding beaches of Naxos

More than 30 beaches !!!

Yes, it is true. The island of Naxos offers the greatest variety of beaches you could ever hope to find & endless opportunities for explorations.

The villages of Naxos

The traditional villages of Naxos

Traditional or modern Naxos villages, inhabited or abandoned, one thing is for sure, you won't ever get bored.

The various activities

Naxos activities

A wide variety of activities during your holiday

Taste new experiences during your holiday on Naxos. You may enjoy surfing, walking, snorkelling, sailing, horseback riding, cooking and so many more ...

Family holidays on Naxos

Naxos holidays

Naxos is mostly a family destination. It is ideal for families with small children.

Top Naxos Beaches Photos

The best beaches of Naxos
Naxos.net friends have selected the most wonderful photos of Naxos beaches. Have fun ...

the best of naxos

What's new (or old) on Naxos, from our blog articles.