Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Treasures of Naxos, Greece

The island of Naxos, Greece, is a six-hour ferry ride from Piraeus, the port of Athens. The “doorway” to the island, the gigantic Portara, was also the portal to the ancient unfinished Temple of Apollo. Stand underneath it and make a wish.

It’s advisable to stay at least two or three days in Naxos if you want to take in the main points of interest. I opted for convenience at the Hotel Coronis, with balcony views of the harbor where I could walk to the restaurants and shops, take a bus or rent a car.

Sponsored
Sponsored

After you’ve refreshed yourself at one of the beachfront cafes or bars, explore the town of Naxos. Head up the hill, past the whitewashed houses to the Venetian Kastro, where you’ll find several residences, a 13th-century cathedral and the French School, where renowned Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis studied. The former school is now the Archeological Museum, which houses a fine collection of white-marble Cyclades sculpture.

The towns, beaches and archeological sites of Naxos can be easily reached by bus or car. One of my favorite spots lies just outside the village of Ano Sagri, overlooking a fertile valley – the sanctuary of Demeter, goddess of fertility and the harvest, dating back to 530 B.C.

Apeirathos is a traditional village settled by the Cretans, where a labyrinth of narrow marble streets leads to a great taverna, the Platanos. Halki is the home of the old Ballindras Citron and Ouzo factory, as well as the Church of the Virgin Mary with its wonderful frescoes. Another popular destination, in an ancient quarry above the village of Apollonas, is the 28-foot-high marble Kouros sculpture.

The best sandy beaches are along the west coast of the island. Agios Georgios is the main tourist area, and the quieter Agios Prokopis and Agia Anna, with their turquoise blue waters, are considered two of the most beautiful beaches in Greece. A photographer’s heaven!

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Why did Harrah's VP commit suicide last summer?

Did the fight the Rincon casino had with San Diego County over Covid play a part?
Next Article

Jazz guitarist Alex Ciavarelli pays tribute to pianist Oscar Peterson

“I had to extract the elements that spoke to me and realize them on my instrument”

The island of Naxos, Greece, is a six-hour ferry ride from Piraeus, the port of Athens. The “doorway” to the island, the gigantic Portara, was also the portal to the ancient unfinished Temple of Apollo. Stand underneath it and make a wish.

It’s advisable to stay at least two or three days in Naxos if you want to take in the main points of interest. I opted for convenience at the Hotel Coronis, with balcony views of the harbor where I could walk to the restaurants and shops, take a bus or rent a car.

Sponsored
Sponsored

After you’ve refreshed yourself at one of the beachfront cafes or bars, explore the town of Naxos. Head up the hill, past the whitewashed houses to the Venetian Kastro, where you’ll find several residences, a 13th-century cathedral and the French School, where renowned Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis studied. The former school is now the Archeological Museum, which houses a fine collection of white-marble Cyclades sculpture.

The towns, beaches and archeological sites of Naxos can be easily reached by bus or car. One of my favorite spots lies just outside the village of Ano Sagri, overlooking a fertile valley – the sanctuary of Demeter, goddess of fertility and the harvest, dating back to 530 B.C.

Apeirathos is a traditional village settled by the Cretans, where a labyrinth of narrow marble streets leads to a great taverna, the Platanos. Halki is the home of the old Ballindras Citron and Ouzo factory, as well as the Church of the Virgin Mary with its wonderful frescoes. Another popular destination, in an ancient quarry above the village of Apollonas, is the 28-foot-high marble Kouros sculpture.

The best sandy beaches are along the west coast of the island. Agios Georgios is the main tourist area, and the quieter Agios Prokopis and Agia Anna, with their turquoise blue waters, are considered two of the most beautiful beaches in Greece. A photographer’s heaven!

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Temperature inversions bring smoggy weather, "ankle biters" still biting

Near-new moon will lead to a dark Halloween
Next Article

Extended family dynamics

Many of our neighbors live in the house they grew up in
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader