ULTIMATE NAXOS: EXPLORE MOUNTAIN VILLAGES, ANCIENT RUINS, AUTHENTIC FLAVOURS & MORE

 

 

Our next stop, Halki, a scenic settlement situated in a fertile plateau, graced with beautiful neoclassical mansions and home to the second site visit of our journey: the distillery that pioneered the island’s iconic “Kitron” liqueur. At Vallindas Distillery, we will learn everything worth knowing about the production of this fiery aperitif - and of course, you will get to taste for yourself one of the three PDO liqueurs in Greece.

 

Continuing our drive, we’ll venture next to the picturesque mountain village of Apeiranthos. As we stroll around this authentic jewel, learning local tales and myths from your destination angel, you’re sure to fall in love with its marble-paved alleys, majestic views, and charming cultural traditions.

 

Do you know that rosto pork is a special dish of Apeiranthos? You’ll have the chance to taste it for yourself in one of Apeiranthos’ atmospheric tavernas. Get your camera ready. En-route to Apollonas village, we will make a photo stop at a lookout with knock-out views of the Aegean and other Cycladic islands (Donousa, Koufonisi, Sxinousa, Amorgos). If the weather is clear, you might see as far as Ikaria island! Crossing the mountains of the north-east, Apollonas awaits: the northernmost village of the island.

 

Nowadays, a humble fishing village, Apollonas was once one of antiquity’s most vital ports, exporting the island’s famed marble far and wide. Another spectacular sight beckons, just a few minutes away. On a hill overlooking Apollonas, in an ancient marble quarry, lies the unfinished statue of Kouros (5th-4th century BC), an imposing 11-meter colossus that conjures glorious images of the Golden Era of Greece.

 

For our final stop, we’ll visit another of the island’s most fertile regions, Eggares. Nikos Kazatzakis, the Nobel prized writer and father of modern Greek literature, described this blessed place as an earthly paradise in his novel “Report to Greco”. We’ll drop in at a traditional 19th century olive press to gain precious insight into olive oil production and a way of life that’s now consigned to the past. As a fitting finale, you’ll sample this miraculous product, cherished the world over.