Naxos Island and Mt. Zas
We did some hiking, some touring, and a little beach time on the largest island in the Cyclades. Though Naxos is the largest island, it is not large. No matter what direction we went, everything we wanted to see was about a 30 minute drive. The driving was also never a straight line because Naxos is basically all mountains which means switchbacks, traverses, and winding around and through the many villages. Naxos is famous for pearly white Naxian marble. There are no tours of the marble quarries but it’s possible to get close enough for a photo. The Portara is the only portion of an unfinished temple of Apollo that remains standing. Naxos town is in the background. A Venetian “castle” occupies the top of the hill in Naxos but you really can’t “see” it because the modern town is built right up to the walls. The castle is not a ruin; it has shops, hotels, and people’s houses. Don’t bump your head w...