Naxos Town (Chora) / Old Town

Spread around a wide harbour on the northwest coast of the island, Naxos Town, usually called Chora, is the capital and main port, and a lived-in place rather than a resort. Its character comes from layers of history: the Cycladic past, a long Venetian era, when the Venetians left their mark on its stonework, and a strong local life, all visible within a short walk. The Portara, the gateway of an unfinished temple of Apollo, stands on a small islet at the harbour entrance and is the symbol of the island.

The old town climbs behind the waterfront in two distinct parts. Above, the Kastro is a medieval walled quarter founded by the Venetian Marco Sanudo in 1207, with mansions, a Catholic cathedral and a museum housed in an old school. Below, the Bourgos is the Greek quarter, a tight web of white lanes, arches and small squares where the Orthodox community lived beneath the walls. The two parts can be explored in an afternoon, and finding your own way between them is a pleasure.

The lanes of the Old Market, a stone-paved passage running parallel to the seafront, are crowded with small shops selling local products. Naxos is known for its cheese, citron liqueur known as kitron, potatoes and olive oil, and this is a good place to taste or buy them. Cafes and tavernas along the waterfront serve fresh fish, grilled meat and local dishes, and the evening promenade along the harbour is a sociable ritual. Inside the Kastro, art galleries and bars set in old stone houses provide quieter places to sit.

Visitors will find that most things are within walking distance, with the port at the centre. A short walk south leads to Agios Georgios, the town beach, which has shallow water and is well equipped; longer beaches such as Agios Prokopios and Plaka lie farther along the coast and are reached by bus. Naxos is the largest of the Cyclades, so a rental car or scooter helps to explore the mountain villages like Apeiranthos and Filoti and the island's interior, but it is not needed to enjoy the town itself.

The town works best as a base for several days, with ferry connections to Athens, Paros, Mykonos and Santorini. Evenings are the most atmospheric time, when the Portara glows at sunset and the Kastro walls are floodlit.