THE NAXOS GUIDE TO TOURS OF THE ISLAND
Boat Car Coach Cycling Walking
WALKING AND CYCLING AROUND THE ISLAND
Naxos is - so we are told - a magnificent island for walking. We had intended to put in, here, maps showing some walks but we found that the Naxos Tourist Office, by the taxi rank, sells, for a few lepta, a large variety of walking maps. We suggest you try these.
Ian, of East-West restaurant, has, for many years led walking and cycling tours, the favourite being to the top of Zas. If you have a meal at his restaurant and then chat to him afterwards, he would be able to tell you if he is still doing them or he might have helpful suggestions to make. Please see A Walk, Past and Present, Through Naxos Town for a - whimsical, I'm afraid - tour of the town giving you the landmarks and a feel for the place together with its ghosts. NB Ian tells me that he never did walking tours - that the climb up Zas is for geriatrics - so either his or my memory is at fault!
Although we don't do walks and, certainly not, hikes, below are a few strolls - reasonable walks that, however, include beer and retsina stops and make sure you end up somewhere in plenty of time for lunch. Times are very difficult to give, we walk reasonably fast for our age but do stop to look at flowers, herbs, lizards, frogs, etc. and cannot guess how many beers or kilos of wine you stop for.
Stroll 1 - Town to Aghia Anna. About 1 hr (see above) and 45 mins back.
Take the main beach out of town. Just passed the big, posh Porto Naxos the road bends to the right and another goes almost straight ahead, signposted to Iria. Take this, the Fikas Hotel will be on your right. A short way down a turning to the right takes you to the archaeological site of Iria where, the day we went, a charming young man told us all about it. Not really much to see. Go back to the road and a few minutes later, if it has been rainy, a river crosses the road but, on the left, is a slope leading up to a bridge. Even if dry, use the bridge - there are not many on Naxos. The road soon forks - take the right hand one and follow it down to Aghia Anna and make your choice of establishments at which to lunch. Stroll back through Procopios, follow the road then, at the salt lakes (salt plains if it's been exceptionally dry), drop down to the beach and follow the bays round to take much needed refreshment at Paradise. Home in time for a short snooze before getting ready to go out for dinner.
Stroll 2 - Town to Glinado - Aghia Anna about 2hrs 45mins.
Take the main (top) road out of town passed all the industrial bits. Beware of lorries! The new, massive church is on your left. About 2 kilometres down the road it forks - take the right hand signposted to Glinado, Galanado, Vivlos, etc. The bouzouki place, Platanos, is on your left. At the next fork take, again, the right to Glinado. Up the hill and soon time to stop for a little something. There's a little shop/café on the bend of the road in the middle of Glinado - the same old chap seems to run as has for about 20 years. If open, get a drink here. A nice looking taverna can be found going up the road passed his shop set in a leafy square. Return back down the hill to a turning just at the beginning of Glinado to your left. After a few kilometres you'll realise you're on the Iria road again so, when you come to the Aghia Anna turning go down it again eagerly seeking for lunch.
Stroll 3 - Town to almost Glinado - Aghios Arsenios - Procopios about 3hrs 15mins.
Right, we set off down the Iria road again - this is mainly because we only discovered it this year, finding it an excellent start to any walks. Go passed Iria, reversing the stroll down from Glinado until just below the village. Look for a windy country lane to the right. This leads to a very steep path, almost vertical, which debouches after many weary steps onto the main road. At the fork in the road take the left to rise above village then the path down into the village of Arsenios. Walk through it to the church which you pass to find a small bar where the nice lady will serve you ice-cold Mythos beer. Go back and have a look at the church then have a look at the other one passing as you do so another kafeneon where you might like to have an ouzo. Follow the road out of town passed this kafeneon and very soon you'll be on our old friend the road to Aghia Anna. After about 2 kms you'll reach a crossroads, turn right to Procopios. After another km along you'll see a fairly wide track to the left, take this (straight on leads to town). If you've got the right one after a few minutes you'll come to a T junction, turn right. After a short while you'll come to the salt likes on your right with the airport and town visible on the other side of them (they could be waterless depending on the preceding months' weather). Soon you'll arrive at the main Procopios road and, as luck will have it, right by a bus stop. You could fall straight into Perama a few yards to the left for lunch - which can never be a bad thing (unless you're allergic to cats). Or continue on down and have some wine in Golden Beach or whatever is your fancy. BE WARNED! On the latter part of this trip through the fields of Procopios, if you take a wrong turning you could be wandering for days in a maze bounded by bamboo.
Stroll 4 - Town to Aghios Arsenios - Tripodes (Vivlos) - Plaka about 4hrs
Believe it or not - we set off down the Iria road for the last time. Right on the Aghia Anna road then the fork to Arsenios. Walk through the village, probably too early for a stop at the cafeneon neither seem to open before midday. Possible to take a wrong turning in the village - you're heading for the main road. Where, probably, you hesitate as to which path, take the one that goes more or less straight on, slightly to the right. Up on the road, turn right. Soon you'll see Vivlos on the hills ahead of you and, about 11/2 hrs after setting out, you'll be on the outskirts of Vivlos and noting a road to the left signposted to Plaka which you'll be taking later. First, however, carry on up the hill and stop at Milos café for refreshments. If the young waitress has a able of young, male officials in you might be the subject of many giggle-provoking jokes. Nonetheless, a pleasant stop. If you're feeling fit, climb up higher to visit the impressive church otherwise, turn right into the heart of the village to find the square with its surround of interesting looking tavernas and cafés. Alas, despite many visits over the years, we have never found any of these establishments open. Let us know if you do and what they're like.
Back down the hill to your turn-off (I'm sure you can reach this road from the square but, judging there was along walk ahead of us, did not feel like exploring and possibly wandering. As you're younger, you might want to try. A very pleasant, mainly downhill, country walk. Although not signposted, this road also seems to take you to Mikri Vigla which would make an excellent alternative destination, particularly if you time your visit to the return to town of a bus. Take the road signposted to Aghia Anna. A short distance along, a path is signposted to the beach. Take this and about half a kilometre later, you are in fact on the beach. You'll probably want to swim or, at least, douse your hot feet. You now have a long, sandy, hot walk to the Aghia Anna end of the beach but, if you go up onto the road, the tavernas soon start. Your choice. We recommend you take the bus home, it comes most of the way up this road. If you decide to walk it'll take you about 11/2 hrs to get back to Paradise.
Always take lots of water with you on these strolls and avoid the hottest parts of the day!
Just as you enter the Castro through the old door, on your right is a museum laid out as it would have been under the Venetians. There is a guided tour (duration 30 mins) through the residence: reception hall, bedroom, dining room, nursery, balcony (with great views of the port and Portara), gallery, study, library, chapel. Then down to the vaults with exhibitions of paintings, sculptures, photography, ceramics and jewelry. Finishes with a visit to the cellars and a atsting of wines and local drinks. €6. Conducted in a variety of Lnguages
Daily except Monday at 11 am - €15. A stroll round the Castro taking in the Venetian Museum, the Archaeological Museum, the Catholic Cathedral and the Byzantium Museum in the Glezos Tower. Various other places including the Tower of Sanoudos and ending on the terrace of the Venetian Museum for refreshments.
Various concerts, dance performances, ballet, wine tastings are held here.
e-mail: venetian@aias.gr
COACH TOURS
Originally there was only one organised tour of the island run by Naxos Tours which went by coach to Apollonas via Chalki and Filoti. It stayed at this North East resort for a couple of hours and then came back with a stop at Aperanthos. The scenery was magnificent - as it still is - and the roads hair-rising - where, thank god, there has been a lot of improvement. I remember the first time I went, I tried to find a boat to take me back, so frightening was the ride. Looking down a steep drop with crumbly sides, we could see, hundreds of feet below, the burnt out carcass of a car. And, outside Filoti, a lorry was parked blocking most of the road. After much horn-blowing had produced no effect, our driver edged his wheels up on to the small retaining wall - all that separated us from tumbling into the valley below - and shuffled along it until the lorry was passed. Never again said I. A few years later, Zas Travel had the sense to hire Christina who began, first, to add more interest to the tour as above and then, later, to add to the places visited. She then introduced new tours such as to the other Kouros at Melanes and to Mikri Vigla. Now, following her lead, there are many tours to all parts of the Island, each tourist office does its own. You will have to browse the offices to find one to suit but, out of season, very few will actually be offered. See under car tours for suggested places to visit if coaches are going.
BOAT TOURS
Daily Cruise to Paros on the Christiana.
SANTORINI
It is very easy, most days, to do your own trip to and from Santorini using the regular ferries, leaving about 9 in the morning and getting back just after midnight. A bus takes you from the port at Santorini (only cruise ships use the berth that entails a donkey ride up the winding steps to town. For a truly revolting sight, catching sight of the fat Americans, their bums scrapping the ground, overburdening the poor animals, cannot be beaten. We advise you avoid this sight if you possibly can and, certainly, don't indulge in this most disgusting of tourist "attractions") to the town of Thira (also the Greek name for the Island).
Otherwise, several of the Tourist Offices have their own small, fast ships and run organised trips.
MYKONOS and DELOS
It is possible to use the public ferries to get to and from Mykonos but not possible to include a visit to Delos unless you stay overnight. So a better bet, is to use the tour operators for a two destination day trip. These, usually, leave Naxos at 10 and are back home again by the evening.
THE SMALL ISLANDS/AMORGOS
It is best to walk the Paralia and find an office offering a trip that suits. Although, in high season, ferries make several stops a week at these islands, juggling times and anticipating storms, can be too much of a task for the retsina-hazed brain of the average visitor (speaking for myself, really). Donousa, Iraklia, Koufounisa,Shinousa.
The island you can see just across the bay and, if you came by ferry from Athens, the stop before Naxos. Again, some of the offices offer daytrips - which might be a good idea as they'll, probably, take you inland to places such as the "valley of butterflies". Otherwise, so many ferries plough their way between the two, it is very easy to arrange your own itinerary. A decent place for a short stay is Marios Fragoulis' rooms and apartments - he meets the boats. www.mariosrooms.com .
CAR
TOURS
See Car Hire for places to rent cars.
Really, just set off out of town in any direction you fancy and you'll end up somewhere beautiful, interesting or both. Places not to miss are:
Aperanthos; Melanes; Apollonas; Danakos; The coast between Mikri Vigla and Pyrgaki; The Aria Springs; Engares.
Click for Table of Distances.