Where to stay in Naxos Chora

Guide to Naxos Chora

The neighbourhoods of Chora and where to stay

The Kastro was built by Marco Sanudo in 1207, on the site of the ancient acropolis, and has been continuously inhabited ever since. It is pentagonal, with houses that themselves form the walls, and you enter mainly through the Trani Porta, on the north side. This is where to stay if you want quiet at night and old-town atmosphere. Allow for slopes and steps, though: cars cannot enter the lanes, so luggage is carried by hand.

The Bourgos spreads north and north-east of the Kastro. It was the quarter of the townspeople, Latins and Greeks, and had three gates on its edges: the Gialos Gate, the Exomourgo with the Prophet Elias, and the Evraiki Gate, the entrance to the Jewish quarter. Today it is a labyrinth of vaulted passages and dead ends, full of small shops and cafés. It suits those who want everything on foot and don't mind some activity until late.

Grotta, on the rise north of the old town, looks out over open sea and the sunset towards Paros; it is for couples who want a view, but it takes the north wind, so on meltemi days ask for a sheltered room. Agios Georgios, south of the port, is the newer side, with apartments and small hotels on or near the sand, convenient for families. The waterfront beside the port gives easy access to the ferries, with more noise.

What to see in town

The Portara stands on the islet of Palatia, at the northern edge of the harbour, reached by a stone causeway that joined it to the town in 1919. It is the doorframe of the temple of Apollo begun by the tyrant Lygdamis around 530 BC and left unfinished when he was overthrown. The marble blocks weigh up to 20 tonnes each and the entrance faces Delos. Tradition has it that Theseus abandoned Ariadne here. Sunset draws a crowd; early in the morning it is almost empty.

Inside the Kastro, the Catholic cathedral of the 13th century has the coats of arms of Venetian nobles on its marble floor. The Archaeological Museum is housed in a 17th-century Venetian building that was a Jesuit school, with Cycladic figurines, Mycenaean pottery and a mosaic of a Nereid on a bull. In the Della Rocca-Barozzi tower there is a private Venetian Museum with the family's furniture and costumes, while in summer its garden hosts concerts. Look out also for the Crispi or Glezos tower, the only survivor of the roughly twelve towers of the medieval castle.

Below Metropoleos Square, above Grotta, the on-site museum shows the finds where they were discovered: a section of the ancient wall, pottery workshops with kilns and the tomb of prominent Naxians. A little further down, on the Grotta shore, you can make out buildings of the Mycenaean city, from around 1300 BC, now partly under the sea. On hot days in July and August climb up to the Kastro early in the morning or late in the afternoon; many shops close at midday.

Beaches near Chora

Agios Georgios begins about a kilometre from the port: a long sandy beach with shallow, clear water, umbrellas, tavernas and a water-sports centre. It is among the best beaches on the island for small children, and its southern end, known as the lagoon, is where the windsurfers gather. Late in summer seaweed can collect in places. For a quick swim there is also the small beach next to the Portara, with clean water despite its closeness to the port; rocky Grotta is more exposed to the wind.

The big sandy beaches of the west coast begin a few kilometres further south and you reach them on the local bus, which starts from Chora. First comes Agios Prokopios, about 5 km away, followed by Agia Anna with its little harbour and the long Plaka with its dunes. Further down, Mikri Vigla is known to kitesurfers. Staying in Chora gives you the town in the evening and the beach by day, without needing a car for the nearby coast; for the mountain villages and the east side of Naxos a car helps.

Getting here, getting around and when to go

Ferries from Piraeus, Rafina and the other Cyclades islands dock in Chora's port, right below the old town. From the ramp you walk to the waterfront, the Bourgos or the Portara in a few minutes. Next to the port, on the road to the Portara, is the main bus station, which links Chora with most of the island, as well as car-rental offices. Timetables change with the season, so check them on the spot.

The airport is about 3.5 km south-west of Chora, with flights mainly from Athens. In summer there is usually a bus link to Chora and the west-coast beaches. There are few taxis at the exit, so at busy times arrange your transfer in advance. If you hire a car, you will leave it on the edge of the old town, since in the Kastro and the Bourgos you move only on foot.

From mid-July to early September the island is full and the meltemi often blows: check the weather before each ferry and leave some slack in your plans. At that time the waterfront is busy until late at night, while the Kastro stays quiet. June and September are calmer, and in April and May, around Easter, a stroll through the lanes is pleasant. The season lasts into autumn; in winter Chora lives with its residents and a good number of tavernas stay open.