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Naxos Island

Naxos: the place where Zeus, the father of the 12 ancient Greek gods, was raised. Naxos, the island where Dionysus, the god of wine, was born and raised. Naxos is the biggest island of Cyclades, in the heart of the Aegean Sea, with imposing mountain massifs and fertile valleys, inhabited by cheerful people with a tradition in music and dance. The main town of Naxos (Naxos or Chora) is bigger than most towns on other islands and very attractive, with a Venetian castle (that is still habitable) at the top,  dominating the city. At the north side of the city there is an island (palatia) which is connected by a path to Naxos Town, and on it there is an ancient gate (Portara) of the Apollo's old temple. In the city there are many shops, restaurants, coffee shops and bars and there is a long seaside boulevard looking out over the neighboring island of Paros.

The Portara gate dominates the harbour of Naxos town.

Naxos is a Greek island with a surface of 448 km², making it the largest island in the Cycladic group. It is well known since ancient times for its marble and its wine. The poet Archilochus had compared it to the divine drink "nectar" and there was also a strongly developed worship for the god Dionysus. Also the local liqueur, "Kitron", is a well known product of the island. The island of Naxos has about 20.000 inhabitants. It is quite mountainous and, especially compared to the surrounding islands, green and fertile. The great mountain range, the Ζas (or Zeus), is located 1001 meters above sea level and can be viewed by anyone from almost anywhere on the island. On the fertile lowlands there are grown citrus trees, olives, vegetables, potatoes and grapes. Both on the lowlands and the highlands, there is a large herd of goats, sheep and cows and so the island has a large production of milk and cheese (famous for the Graviera cheese). Marble and Emery are also produced. The island of Naxos has long sandy beaches and dunes along the coastline, making tourism one of the main pillars of income.

The seaside (Paralia) with a lot of shops, cafes & restaurants.

The official name of the capitol is Naxos (town), but is often referred to (as on other islands) as Chora. Naxos is one of the most popular Greek islands with a large number of people visit it and the average length of stay is also greater than that for other popular Greek island destinations. This is due to the combination of an attractive island port, many beautiful, large and easy accessible sandy beaches with sand dunes and a fertile and green interior with old villages and old architecture buildings. Naxos also has good ferry connections and is often the starting point for people that want to travel to Amorgos or to one or more of the islands of the small Cyclades (Koufonissia, Schinoussa, Iraklia and Donoussa).

The Venetian castle (Kastro). The visitor travels mentally in the Middle Ages of the Renaissance.