 |
General info |
History |
Routes |
Civilization |
Sightseeings |
Informations |
Map |
 |
ROUTES
|
During the tour in Naxos, one can see five main
ways:
Chora - Egares - Ayia
Melanes - Kouros - Moni - Kinidaros - Potamia
Ayios Georgios - Ayios Prokopios - Ayios Arsenios - Vigla - Kastraki
- Aliko - Pyrgaki
Messi - Komiaki - Apolonas
Sagri - Ayiassos
|
1st way
At the Egares' valley there are many orchards with fruitful
trees. In this valley we meet four built-up-areas: Galini,
Mitria, Messi, Gitonia and Lagadia. At the valley it is situated
the monastery of Panayia Ypsilotera. Primarily, it had been
built as a tower and it had been dedicated to Panayia Ypsilotera.
It is the strongest fort in the island and protected the inhabitants
in their battles against Franks feudal lords.
After Egares it is situated the monastery of Faneromeni which
was built in the 17th century. It is in the northwest side
of the island and the road goes through steep coasts with
small bays and lovely beaches where one can take a rest, can
eat and stay for a few days. After this way, we reach to the
monastery of Ayias, which is between planes and running waters.
The fifteenth of August, in the feast, in the old days, they
were coming worshippers, especially women covering big distances
barefooted, fulfilling in this way, their vow. The tower of
Ayias shows the strategic importance of the island through
the centuries. After Ayia, the road goes to the north, to
Stavros. For your return, you may choose the road Apolonas
- Chora.
|
|
2nd way
Melanes and Potamia are ideal for a short excursion. At the valley
of Melanes - which took its name from its blakish colour (melanes
= blakish) - they are situated the villages Kourounohori and Ayioi
Apostoloi. The tower of Fragopoulos and an inscription on a marble
table that mentions that there, stayed the king Othonas, they are
samples of the island's importance. Further to, we go to Flerio
or "Ellinas" where there are quarries. The place took
its name from the "Ellinas" (= Greek) Kouros (7th century
B.C.) and length 6.40 m.
We return to the central road and we meet Kinidaros, known for its
waters and its songsters. After Kinidaros we meet the Moni. Moni
is the church of Panayia Drossiani which was in the past a catholic
monastery. According to specialists, Drossiani is one of the most
important churches in Balkans.
We meet also the villages Moni and Sifones. Moni has been built
in a high place and for this reason has got a beautiful view. Sifones
has no inhabitants any longer. We return from the same way and at
the crossroad we follow the road that crosses the orchards of Paratrehos,
we meet the tower of Markopoli's family and we go up to Ano, Messi
and Kato Potamia. Potamia is famous for its fruits and its excellent
jams made from them.
|
|
|
3rd way
In the way Ayios Georgios - Ayios Prokopios - Ayia Anna, you
have the possibility of moving from Chora coastally.
Starting from the seashore of Ayios Georgios we pass the dantelated
beaches of Naxos. The road for Ayios Prokopios goes through an old
port where the waters are always calm. Ayia Anna is the small gulf
after Ayios Prokopios.
In Ayia Anna there is production of potato seed.
|
|
Starting from Chora and following the National road till Apolonas,
before Granado we follow the branch of the road towards Glinado,
Tripodes and Ayios Arsenios. In the meadow we will see the farmers
to collect potato, the primary wealth-production of Naxos and the
factory, which produces the gruyere of Naxos.
The beach of Plaka is the continuity of Ayia Anna and Ayios Prokopios'
beaches. The fascinating beach with the thin sand reaches till Orkos,
Parthenos, Vigla, Kastraki, Alikos and Pyrgaki. Vigla was an observation
post in the era of raids. From here, they sent messages for the
pirates' approach. In connection with it, there is the tower of
Noskelos.
|
|
4th way
This way covers the biggest part of the inhabitable Naxos.
From Chora and Agidia the road crosses Livadi.
From Livadohoria we go to Galanado. We meet the tower Belonia
and Ayios Ioannis. It's a temple, the half catholic and the
other half orthodox. Then we continue crossing the mountains
Za, Fanari and Koronou's mountains.
Below you can see the Ano, Messi and Kato Potamia and the
church of Ayios Mamas (9th century) patron saint of the shepherds.
Then we meet Sagri with the Apaliros' castle and the monastery
of Timios Stavros. Gradually, the landscape changes and we
enter to the basin of Tragea.
Here is the centre of the island and for this, Tragea, was
a commerce centre. Its villages: Damalas, Vourvaria, Damarionas,
Koutsoherado, Tsikalario, Chalki, Akadimoi, Kaloxithos, Metohi
and Monoistia. Its castle is situated higher and from there
you can look far away to Filoti, Moni, Potamia, Sagri and
the sea. The castle was used as observation post in antiquity
and in recent years.
|
|
|
At the foot of Za, there
is Filoti, which has a great development the latest years. Going up
we meet Fanari. Here we must stand still because there is a wonderful
panorama to enjoy. You can see almost the entire island, Paros and
Syros.
The village Apiranthos has taken its name from someone unknown man
of letters and it gives the village an archaic looking. There is also
the possibility of coming from the name Perathos. The village was
called also "marble village" because of the use of marble,
which was used for the constructions of houses. Here there are the
towers Zevgolis and Bardanis and the Archeological museum. There are
finds from the 3rd millennium B.C.
North to Apiranthos we arrive at Koronos stopping a little in Stavros
of Keramoti. At the mountain's side are built Skado, Messi and Komiaki.
After a little, we meet the bay of Apolonas. We return to Chora from
the same road. |
|
|
5th way
Following the central road from Chora we go Galanado and we
reach at Sagri. Here we meet the monastery of Ayios Eleftherios.
The area was characterized as a "small Mystras".
Here, they found out an important building dedicated to the
goddess Dimitra (6th century B.C.). Dimitra's temple in Gyroula
it is a unique - for the ionic architecture - monument, similar
to the temple of Afea in Aegina.
|
|
|
If we past the road, we
enter to the plain of Sagri and we meet the Apalyros' castle and
then we reach to the sea at Ayiassos' bay.
|
|
