Naxos

Today we woke up in the well-protected bay of Naoussa in Paros. The seas were calm and the sun was rising stronger and stronger so we knew that the morning would be perfect for swimming and kayaking. Soon after breakfast our small boats started to take people to the nearest beach, which of course could not be reached by land which meant that we were the only people there.

Linda, our naturalist, offered an interesting hike on the slopes of the rocky hill where the sea squill was probably the highlight of the thorny landscape. After the hike, the water felt great and many of the guests took the opportunity to both swim and kayak.

After lunch we sailed to the neighboring island of Naxos where we had a chance to go on an excursion and visit an unspoiled village. We drove through the potato plantations where we could see many cows and from a distance we saw some of the well-known marble quarries of Naxos. We arrived at the quiet village of Damalas and we first visited the old traditional olive press. It is not in use anymore, but they still maintain it in excellent condition.

Further down the road, Manolis, the potter, was waiting for us to demonstrate his craft. He made a nice pot and answered some of our questions and then we had a chance to check the shelves of his workshop and buy some souvenirs.

We drove back to the main town and the walking part of our explorations started. We walked through the maze of the town of Naxos and all the way to the top of the castle. The venetians built this town over the ruins of the ancient one and a lot of ancient stones are actually incorporated into the Venetian buildings. We saw gates, towers and, at the very top, the Catholic Cathedral. As we were walking around we saw many coats of arms decorating the doors of the houses. We also had the opportunity to try Naxos typical citron liqueur and we saw the so-called “eye of the sea,” a shell from the area from which they make jewelry.

Our walk ended back in the port, from where we could reach the big gate of the unfinished ancient temple of Apollo and enjoy a wonderful sunset.

Since we stayed in Naxos until midnight, some of us enjoyed our stay in the town a little bit longer by dining ashore.