Naxos Chora (main town)

General information

Chora, the main town of Naxos, is the capital town of Naxos island.
It is considered one of the most beautiful villages among the Cyclades islands for its fine architecture that combines Venetian and Cycladic elements.
Naxos Town has kept an authentic and traditional character which plays a major role in bewitching the visitors.

Chora is the island's largest region and is located on the west coast of Naxos. It is the best-developed part of the island in terms of tourism infrastructure and one of the busiest Cycladic towns, especially during summer.
Naxos Town has a rich past; in fact, the settlement has been built upon the ruins of an ancient town.
The oldest local findings date back to 4000 BC.

Hotels in Town

We have made a selection of the best hotels in Town.
Recommended by Greeka

Anassa

$$
Rooms Suites Junior Suites Honeymoon Family Rooms2 keys

Situated next to the old castle ruins in Town, Anassa Suites offer comfortable, spacious and minimally decorated rooms. All of the suites open to balconies or verandas, while a roof terrace is also available. It is a great option for families and couples who are looking for a convenient location.

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Halcyon

$$-$$$
Villas4 keys

The recently constructed complex of Halcyon Suites and Villas is located in a tranquil area near the Town. Built on a hillside, it offers a stunning view of the Naxian landscape and many modern facilities, including an outdoor pool and a pool bar. The rooms available are minimally decorated.

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Princess

$$-$$$
Hotel Apartments Studios3 stars

Found close to the incredible Agios Georgios beach, the Princess of Naxos enjoys a great location next to all amenities, tourist facilities, and night entertainment. It provides well-appointed rooms, recently constructed, that have every comfort included.

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Things to See & Do in Town

Check out the things to see & do in Town during your stay and explore what the area has to offer.

Top Activities & Tours in Town

Experience once-in-a-lifetime moments by participating in well-organized tours related to Town.
  • Best Seller

    Full day historical bus tour

    Category: Island, Day Trips, Shore Excursions

    This full-day bus tour takes participants around historical points of interest of Naxos, both ancient and more modern ones. It is the perfect opportunity to learn about the island’s culture and history in a comprehensive and fun way.

    8 hours Map
    from € 30.00
    Book now
  • Best Seller

    Castle walking tour and sunset at the Portara

    Category: City, Walking

    The Island of Naxos is not only about beaches, it is also about the history and local experiences waiting to be discovered. The capital town (Chora) has two emblematic sights that definitely worth your attention – Naxos Castle and Portara. Put on some comfortable shoes and clothes and enjoy the ...

    2.5 hours Map
    from € 30.00
    Book now
  • Best Seller

    Full day sailing cruise with snacks and drinks

    Category: Boat Tours, Island, Day Trips, Sailing

    Embark on this 10-hour cruise to discover some of the most beautiful spots near Naxos and spend a fun day at the sea, full of watersports and exciting activities. Enjoy a relaxing day and learn about the island’s history and culture in a unique environment.

    10 hours
    from € 170.00
    Book now

Town Map

Explore our interactive map of Town.

More about Naxos Town (Chora)

Old Town

The impressive Venetian Town, one of the island's main attractions, stands on a hill above the town. This is where the Old Town, also known as the Bourgos area, is located. The district was named after the Italian word borgo, which means hamlet.
The marvelous construction of the castle was made under the orders of Marco Sanudo, who conquered the Cyclades in 1207.
He declared Naxos as the seat for the Duchy of the Aegean, which he had created.

The Castle (called Kastro in Greek) enclosed Sanudo's residence, various institutions, and the administrations of the duchy.
Shaped as a pentagon, the castle was built according to the Venetian architecture style.
Within its walls lay beautiful buildings, mansions, monuments, and churches.

Nowadays, its stone-paved alleys are full of gift shops, boutiques, and restaurants, turning the area into the island's commercial center. Nonetheless, it remains a charming place that has preserved its medieval atmosphere.

Landmarks

Naxos' trademark is certainly the Portara (translating into the great doorway). It stands like a sleepless guard adjacent to the port on the islet of Palatia. The imposing monument was built as a part of a Temple dedicated to the Olympian god Apollo, but its construction was never completed. Nowadays, guests can easily admire the monument closely since a long paved road leads to it.

In the Castle area, among other places worth visiting, you will discover the Archaeological Museum of Naxos housed in an old Jesuit Commercial school. The Metropolis Museum is also located in the Town, exhibiting findings from a Mycenaean settlement.
Within the walls, you will also find the historic Ursulines School and Merchant Academy that dates back to the 17th century.

For those interested in visiting the local ecclesiastical monuments, the Catholic Cathedral, the Orthodox Cathedral, and the seafront Panagia Myrtidiotissa church are musts.
The Monastery of Agios Ioannis is another notable place to visit, at around 3 km away from Naxos Town.

The seafront

In the area around the port, you will find overriding establishments and services like the island's bus station, banks, luggage storage facilities, and car rental offices. The bay of the marina and the port expands all the way to Agios Georgios Beach. Various fish restaurants, taverns, cafes, and bars are located along the coastline, which is one of the island's busiest places in terms of tourist activity.

Beaches

The beach of Agios Georgios (Saint George) is located close to Naxos Town. It is a long seashore, covered with golden sand, full of restaurants and cafes. At the same time, it is a well-known spot for windsurfing. This busy beach is the northernmost out of several superb beaches on the west coast. 
At the same time, a tiny swimming area that some people call Portara Beach is found on the side of the island's landmark. In fact, it is a swimming spot with calm and clean waters, despite its proximity to the port.

Restaurants

To explore the local gastronomy, the restaurants are worthy of a visit for those who enjoy Greek and Mediterranean cuisines.
They are located either near the coast or closer to the old part of the town. The local dishes are among the best in the Cyclades since Naxos is fertile land and the majority of raw materials are locally produced!

Reviews

4.5/5.0
14 Reviews
  • ablutsauger 14 Dec 2015
    Marvelous
    Naxos has the best restaurants in Greece, I'm pretty sure. When you start checking all of them in the port, at the end you won't know which one was the best, because the food is absolutely marvelous in most of them. They are all elegant, with organic food, majestic, with greatly looking dishes and plates.

    As far as I remember, my best meal was exactly in this restaurant, Il Girasole. I was beyond content with my pasta, and my boyfriend was super-content with his meat and other things he ordered. Everything had perfect taste, looked perfect, we had big portions, and the service was on top- the girl that served was warm, happy, polite, optimistic and very nice. Warm recommendation.
  • ablutsauger 14 Dec 2015
    Naxos landmark
    Portara gives Naxos a mysterious, dreamy and ancient touch. You look at it from the town, standing alone on the hill, and walk there through a stone path on which the waves crash from all sides. View from the top of the hill is magnificent, and not only Naxos town, but also the sunset and, on first place for me, waves crashing and spending itself all around.
    Small warning: be careful if you decide to walk to Portara during night, because there is no light on the road, and you may get splashed by big waves, because you cannot see them.
  • ablutsauger 10 Dec 2015
    Magnificent
    I was completely stunned by Naxos, and I can say the same for its fortification part. The complete old town is beautiful, ancient, funny, strange, magnificent and original. I could walk here for ages.
    Nice tower, nice surroundings, nice museums, streets, houses... Everything is stunning!
  • ablutsauger 09 Dec 2015
    Nice collection
    I was surprised to see there are almost no photos of this museum, so I included few, although they are of very bad quality.
    Not much to say here - very nice place, rich collection, informative and a must during your visit to old town.
    Karavias family keeps it intact and preserved and it's an informative showing of way of living back then.
  • ablutsauger 08 Dec 2015
    Rich collection
    I was surprised to see such rich collection. Compared to Milos, where you need five minutes for whole museum, Naxos archaeological museum is rich in exhibits, history and explanations.
    My warm recommendation, for both educational purposes and admiration.
    This area has great quantity of archaeological excavations which will show you its rich history and way of life.
  • ablutsauger 07 Dec 2015
    Very very nice
    From the restaurants listed on Greeka, I visited two of them, plus one "snack bar".
    Susanna was the first thing my boyfriend and me visited, because it was recommended to us as the best place in the world, with the best pizza in the world.

    I ate pasta here (pesto), with some additional appetizers and sweets, and my boyfriend took pizza.
    I was beyond content, with both service and food. The waiters know excellent English, they are educated, polite, of broad culture, and stop by each table for a chat. I was very happy with their manners, communication and complete service.
    My food was awesome, perfectly done and I liked it a lot.

    My boyfriend took one of their pizzas (and this is where the recommendation is), and he had a mixed feelings about it, but I'm sure it was him and not the restaurant. He just took very heavy pizza, with a lot of heavy meat (sausage, this and that, 4 types of meat) + heavy cheese... He took the heaviest possible pizza there and it's normal to feel sick after you eat it all. :)
  • ablutsauger 07 Dec 2015
    Very good
    There are soooo many good restaurants and snack bars in Naxos, but I don't see any of them on Greeka. Waffle house was the only place I visited from the things you listed.

    So, this is a place where you wait 30 mins in queue for the ice-cream. Very popular, with tons of customers. And I will just say that their ice cream is very good, many flavours, nicely done, but it's not that tremendously awesome for people to "kill" each other over it. And that's all. :)
  • ablutsauger 03 Dec 2015
    Cute in the evening
    Naxos has probably the most stunning port in Greece. Now, imagine it during night... You are walking along the port, the lights of the town make the water and ships glow and in the middle of all that, a tiny little island with a church on it, shining like a sun.
    Very cute scenery.
  • oliviatres 06 Apr 2011
    Cool milkshakes
    Don't have much to say, except that it had the best milkshakes in Town. Otherwise, a cool cafe like many others along the port.
  • alexis 28 Jan 2011
    Love this one
    I really love this restaurant. India - Thai - Chinese food on the menu. Great asian restaurant.
    I was really positively surprised when I first discovered this one. Since, I have become a regular customer.
  • arbanlol 29 Dec 2010
    Nice evening walk
    This big marble door is the first thing you see as the ferry approaches the port of Naxos. Particularly at sunset this sight is marvelous as the sun dives into the sea at the background of this door. This sight is known as Portara, which means "big door". This is actually the only remaining from a large ancient temple that was built on a small island off the port of Naxos. Today, this island has been connected to the mainland with a small pathway and it gives a nice evening walk. A couple of statues have been placed on the way to Portara.
  • lenasel 15 Oct 2010
    Cozy taverns but old houses
    A very picturesque quarter, this is actually the heart of Naxos Town! This is the oldest quarter of the town and its name means "castle", as in the past this part of the city was protected by strong walls. It has paved streets and nice arches on the way.

    Houses are old and seemed a bit depressing to me because they are small in size and had narrow windows. Some houses had turned into hostels, but I doubt if people really liked them. They may be cheaper than rooms by the sea, but seemed very old buildings.

    I liked the gift shops in Kastro and bought many souvenirs from there. The small taverns were also very cozy, but didn't seat in any of them. They had great smells, but there is nothing in Greece like a meal by the sea!
  • K_Ampath 30 Dec 2007
    A really satisfied visit
    Hi, i'm Norwegian and I'm 44 years old. In the summer of 2006 I visited Greece and the island of Naxos.
    I was staying in Lagoudera and some friends recommended the Main Town, so I decided to go. I went there by the bus. It took me only 10 minutes to get there, but I had to wait long for it. I very much enjoyed the trip. I stayed in the area, so I didn't have to use a map or anything.
    The village has beautiful architecture and is very clean. Also it is crowded with great atmosphere.
    You can find telephone, bank, mini market, restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs, shops, travel agencies, museums, internet cafes, hotels and other accommodations.
    My favorite thing about the village was the narrow roads, with lots of different local stores. But the bad thing is that is not good enough for pedestrians. Where is the tennis curt, mini golf, one walking points
    A tip for future visitors would be, come to Naxos, you will be satisfied.
  • Jacques 07 Mar 2007
    Very nice and very scenic
    Nationality: French
    Age: 17
    -How did you get to Naxos Town: By car
    -Where is your accommodation located: On the southern coast of Naxos
    -How much time did it take you to reach Naxos Town: 5 minutes
    -What are the conditions of the roads that take you to the village: It would be nice if the Roads were a little larger.
    -If you used public transportations, did you have to wait long for the bus: I didn't use public transportation.
    -Did you enjoy the trip to Naxos Town: Yes it was very nice and very scenic.
    -In order to get to the village were there enough signs in order to find it: It was perfectly indicated I had no problem finding it.
    Why did you choose this particular village: It was included with the program of the organization that I am involved with this summer.
    -How would you describe the Naxos Town: Touristy, crowded. Commercial, holiday ambiance
    -Can everything, one might need, be found in the village: Telephone, bank, mini market, restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs, shops, travel agemcies, museums, internet cafes, hotels and other accommodations
    - Did Naxos Town meet your expectations? Yes Rate: 8/10 Ok in comparison to other villages on Naxos
    - Favorite thing about Naxos Town: The girls (tourists)
    - Is there anything that you don’t like about the village or things that should be done by the authorities to improve it or is something missing: The shop keepers need to work on their people skills (not very friendly)
    - Any recommendations/tips for future visitors: Come here to relax
    - Would you come to this village again: Probably not because there are so many places to see in Greece
    Other recommended villages? No


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