Tag: Portara

Enchanting views of Naxos

Naxos: The island that will enchant you is a mesmerizing 4-minute area film by Naxos Times

Here’s an intriguing video of Naxos that’s unlike any I’ve seen before. Released just this week by Naxos Times, the 4-minute film features breathtaking aerial views of Naxos Town as well as Cape Agios Prokopios in the Stelida district of the island’s northwest coast.

What’s unusual is that the film captures Naxos in the golden light of daybreak and sunset, when the seas are smooth as glass and barely a soul is in sight anywhere in the town. There’s an eerie and almost haunting, mysterious atmosphere to the video, but that’s what makes it even more captivating and fascinating.

May 28, 2016
Naxos: The quietly traditional heart of the Cyclades islands

Shops line a narrow lane in the historic Old Market district of Naxos Town. Photo by Mike Andrew.

Sitting at the heart of the Aegean, can the unassuming and traditionally minded Naxos hold its own against its cosmopolitan neighbours?

Guest post by James Andrew

The shutters bang and clatter against the window. The howling, whistling noises coming from outside are more than a little disconcerting. The meltemi, the strong warming wind that blows constantly through the Aegean at this time of year, is definitely strong today.

Looking out of our villa window at the large, agriculturally rich fields, curious, twisted rock formations and, in the distance, the somewhat foreboding Mount Zas silhouetted against the dusk skyline, this all feels slightly alien. Certainly it’s a world away from the cosmopolitan and touristy island of Santorini from which we caught the ferry earlier in the day. No, this is very different. This is the much less visited and certainly less known island of Naxos.

Positioned at the heart of the Cycladic (or White) Islands, Naxos sits somewhat oddly next to its much-lauded neighbours Santorini, Mykonos and Paros. Whilst the island has gradually been building a fan base amongst Greece afficionados in the know, it still remains defiantly off the main cruise routes. Its main port in Naxos Town sees the arrival of daily ferries but no towering cruise ship behemoths like the ones that anchor in Santorini’s caldera.

The highest peak in the Cyclades, Mount Zas dominates the island. Breaking from the image of barren, volcanic lunar landscapes one most associates with this area of Greece, Naxos is blessed by nature. Green and verdant throughout, it defies convention. So, how would this island that lacks Santorini’s chic, polished veneer and Mykonos’ cool, hipster vibe reveal itself? Can it compete with its upmarket neighbours? We cracked the rattling shutters open and stepped into the wind to find out.

A view of Mount Zas, Filoti village and Halki village (bottom). Photo by the Fish & Olive Creations art gallery and shop in Halki.

Please click on the link below to continue reading and view more photos.

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March 16, 2016
2014 Greek holiday report Part 6: Off to Syros

This was one of our final views of Naxos Town on May 24 2014, as we departed Naxos on the Aqua Jewel ferry …

… bound for Ermoupoli, the port and capital city of Syros island …

… with a brief stop en route at Parikia. the main port and town on Paros

[Editor’s note: This is the sixth instalment in an ongoing series of photo reports about our 2014 spring vacation in the Cyclades and Athens. The previous posts reviewed our 5 days on Naxos. To see any or all of the earlier reports, click on the following underlined links: Part 1 ; Part 2 ; Part 3 ; Part 4 and Part 5 .]

Saturday May 24

Moving on: It was another sunny morning, but we wouldn’t get to enjoy the beautiful weather. After breakfast, we had to pack, take a taxi to the port, and ride a ferry to Syros for the next leg of our 2014 Greek holiday.

We didn’t want to leave Naxos. After three consecutive visits here in the past 12 months (and three others in previous years), it almost feels like a second home, and the island has become our favourite holiday destination. And why wouldn’t it be? Naxos has everything we want for a vacation — Wonderful scenery, unpretentious attitude and laid-back ambience, friendly and hospitable local residents, delicious food, reasonable prices, and plenty of things to see and do.

But it was time to move on and, much as we love Naxos, we were equally eager to visit Syros. We have heard countless good things about it during the past 10 years — including lavish praise from people who live on Naxos, as well as from other regular Naxos visitors. In fact, I can’t recall ever hearing anything bad about Syros. By all accounts, Syros could well be another island we would fall in love with and want to revisit again and again. And if, for some reason, Syros didn’t strike our fancy, Naxos would still be there for us.

Please click on the link below to continue reading the report on our journey from Naxos to Syros.

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October 16, 2014
Our Top 15 reasons to visit Naxos

The enormous marble entrance for the never-completed Temple of Apollo greets visitors arriving by sea at Naxos island in the Cyclades. Also known as the Portara, the monument is an internationally-recognized symbol of Naxos island.

Something for everyone: If you’re trying to find a Greek holiday destination that ticks practically every box on even the pickiest traveller’s checklist of “must have’s” and “must see’s,” take a closer look at Naxos.

The largest island in the Cyclades, Naxos is equally big on the number of activities and attractions it offers visitors of all ages and lifestyles. From beautiful beaches to mountain villages; a vibrant port town with an historic castle and Old Market district; monuments, ruins and museums; excellent dining and nightlife; accommodations to suit any budget; walking trails, water sports and mountain biking; stunning scenery and sunsets; plus sightseeing excursions and tours both on and off the island, Naxos has it all.

Whether you’re planning to visit for three days or three weeks, you’ll never run out of things to do — if anything, you’ll probably wind up wishing you had more time to spend on the island.

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What’s more, Naxos is surprisingly easy on the pocketbook, with reasonable prices for food, accommodations and entertainment.

All those are precisely the reasons why we named Naxos as our Greek Holiday Destination of the Year for 2013 (see our December 31 2013 post for more about that).

Click on the link below to continue reading and to see dozens of photos that illustrate our Top 15 reasons to visit Naxos, including:

♦ Ease of getting to the island;

♦ Wide range of accommodation options;

♦ Suitability for travellers of all ages and holiday lifestyles;

♦ Its fascinating main town, built below a medieval castle;

♦ Dozens of beautiful mountain villages and seaside settlements;

♦ Historic archaeological sites, monuments and museums;

♦ An extensive array of places to eat delicious local specialties and Greek cuisine;

♦ Hiking, adventure sports and recreation opportunities galore;

♦ Spectacular scenery and sunsets;

♦ Cultural events, entertainment and nightlife;

♦ Fantastic beaches;

♦ Shopping and local products;

♦ Good local transportation services;

♦ Friendly residents

♦ Tours and boat excursions to other nearby islands

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January 6, 2014
Monumental sunsets at the Portara on Naxos

The Portara monument is a superb sunset viewing spot at Naxos Town

Golden globes: On Naxos, it’s easy to combine history and culture with a bit of sightseeing and sunset viewing all in one free self-guided excursion just a few minutes’ walk from Naxos Town.

All you have to do is take an evening stroll along the short causeway leading to the peninsula on the edge of town (an area known as the Palatia district). Climb the hillside, and you’ll find yourself on one of the island’s best sunset viewing spots, right next to one of the most famous monuments on the island — the giant stone door frame known as the Portara. (If you arrive at Naxos by ferry, you will probably see the Portara as your boat approaches the port.)

Dating from the 6th Century B.C., this remnant of an Archaic temple is described in some guidebooks as the Temple of Apollo, while others call it Ariadne’s Arch (apparently, historians and archaeologists can’t conclusively establish the Greek god in whose honour the structure was originally built).

Though its origins might still be a mystery, what’s beyond question is that the hillside around the Portara is an excellent place to watch sunsets and to enjoy superb views of Naxos Town, its harbour, and its nearby coastline.

Below are some of our photos of the Portara and the peninsula, and of course the sunsets and views from both.

I snapped this photo of the Portara and the Palatia peninsula when our ferry arrived at the port at Naxos Town, on one of our trips to Naxos.

A view of the Portara from the marina at the bustling Naxos Town waterfront

This sign near the harbour points the way to the Palatia peninsula

You’ll pass this replica of a sculpture while you walk toward to the causeway; it stands on the right-hand side of the walkway.

Looking toward the Palatia peninsula from the stone-paved path on the causeway. Locals like to swim in the bay just below steps at the bottom of the hill.

The Portara comes into view as I approach the top of the hill

The Portara has numerous names, including the Temple of Apollo, The Doorway to Ariadne’s Palace, and Ariadne’s Arch

The base of the giant doorway

A view of Naxos Town from the base of the monument

Another view of Naxos Town and the harbour area behind the Portara

There isn’t much that remains of the temple besides its famous doorway. Most of the ruins, including the arch, are roped off so tourists can’t walk on them.

Most tourists try to get one of these “I was there” photos of themselves framed by the giant stone doorway …

… but some people just don’t like to have their photos taken

The giant monument dwarfs tourists walking on the hillside behind it

The Portara stands like a sentry above Naxos harbour and St George’s Bay

The peninsula offers a good view of Stelida mountain on the far side of the bay …

… and, in the other direction, the Grotta district of Naxos Town

Some tourists stand or sit at the top of the hill to await the sunset …

… some enjoy a cold beer and check out the scenery while they wait …

… while others find a comfy spot above the sea offering a good direct view to the west, facing nearby Paros island …

… so they can get photos of the sun setting behind the distant island mountains …

… much like this photo I snapped …

… while others prefer to photograph the Portara with the sunset behind it

Two tourists begin the walk back to Naxos Town after viewing the Portara

Overlooking the Naxos waterfront and harbour from the Portara

A view of Naxos Town from the hillside next to the Portara

Hillside view of the causeway and Naxos Town

Looking toward Naxos Town from the causeway. Locals like to swim off the right-hand side of the walkway.

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A sunset view of the Portara from the causeway

A sunset view of the Portara from the seashore below the Grotta district

March 21, 2012
Cool pools: Splash and dive through the ancient Portara monument at the Naxos Beach II Hotel

The bottom of the oval swimming pool at the Naxos Beach II Hotel is decorated with a large illustration of the Portara, the island’s most famous monument

Good swims: Our all-time favourite swimming pool in the Greek Islands is the only one in which we actually got to spend quite a bit of time splashing around without feeling like we were going to freeze. As I’ve mentioned before, we usually find the water in hotel swimming pools too chilly for swimming when we travel to Greece in the spring. We’ve found some pools to be too cold to our liking even in late September, too! But we didn’t have any complaints about water temperature in 2005 when we stayed at the Naxos Beach II Hotel during our first visit to Naxos.

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September 1, 2011
Greece is: Spectacular scenery. Beautiful beaches. Charming villages. Stunning sunsets. Historic ruins. Picturesque churches. Amazing Athens. And more…

The imposing Kastro (castle) towers above whitewashed mountainside houses in Chora, the main village on Astipalea island

Look familiar? This blue-domed Church in Firostefani village on Santorini has been pictured on countless postcards, posters, travel brochures and websites.

Sunbeds at popular Elia Beach on Mykonos overlook the sparkling Aegean Sea

Spectacular cliff scenery on the north side of Folegandros island

The Panagia Church on Folegandros sits high above the island`s main village, Chora

Syrmata (fishermens houses) in the seaside village of Klima on Milos

A Cycladic-style house overlooking Agios Prokopios beach on Naxos

The Venetian fortress next to the old harbour at Iraklion on Crete

No sandy beach? No worries! In the Greek Islands, there’s literally thousands of miles of coastline with secluded coves and inlets…

…and countless more great spots to relax in the sun, fish, play or swim in the sea, like this rocky point near Kalithea Bay on Rhodes

Historic archaeological ruins on the hillside and seaside below Mt Kynthos on sacred Delos island

The “Little Venice” area of Mykonos Town is a perenially popular spot for tourists to enjoy a cocktail while watching a spectacular sunset…

…like this one, viewed from the Little Venice seaside

The Portara (Temple of Apollo) is one of the symbols of Naxos island…

…and a popular spot for tourists to visit for sunset viewing

A tourist sketches at the Knossos Palace ruins on Crete

A view over the volcano island (Nea Kameni) off Santorini at sunset

Not a soul in sight on the soft sands of Mikri Vigla beach on Naxos…

or on the soft sands of Achivadolimni Beach on Milos…

…or at Mikri Vigla beach on Naxos…

…while the people in this boat have the sparkling waters of this entire quiet bay all to themselves on Milos

Fira, the bustling main town on the immensely popular island of Santorini

The white cliffs at Kleftiko on Milos

Part of the long sandy beach at Ammoudara near Iraklion on Crete…

…and looking to the right along the same stretch of Ammoudara beach

Looking toward Mykonos Town from the northwest tip of Mykonos island

Some of the hillside hotels and houses overlooking Mykonos Town

Elia beach on Mykonos island

Beach chairs and umbrellas on Elia Beach at Mykonos

Windmills in the village of Chora on Astipalea island

The medieval castle in Rhodes Town on Rhodes

The mountainside village of Filoti on Naxos island

Going for an early morning sail on calm seas off Milos island

Chora, the mountaintop village on Astipalea island

Mountains in the distance off Vathi Bay on Samos

Naxos Town, the bustling main port town on Naxos Island

A rabbit shaped rock formation in the sea off Milos island

Platis Gialos beach on Mykonos

Temple of Apollo at the Asklepieion on Kos

Looking down on Super Paradise Beach on Mykonos

Waves crash against the rugged coast below the Chapel of Seven Martyrs on Sifnos

Amoudi Bay below the village of Oia on Santorini

Beautiful Agriolivadi Bay on Patmos

Pelicans, like these two seen waiting for a fish dinner at ever-popular Niko’s Taverna in Mykonos Town, are famous mascots of Mykonos island…

…while the incomparable Paraportiani Church is another Mykonos landmark

Seagulls trail a fishing boat as it returns to port at Egali on Amorgos

The village of Kastro on Sifnos

On Amorgos, the spectacular 900-year-old Chozoviotissa Monastery is carved into the face of a cliff, 300 meters above the sea

May 6, 2011