Naxos,Greece

It’s somewhat strange how far Aussies will go to travel to the other side of the world. For us, it took three flights to reach Zurich, two of them long hauls, before continuing on with a fourth flight to Athens, followed by a one hour bus ride to the port of Piraeus, arriving at 3am. We had a few hours’ sleep in a hotel before a late checkout and a five hour ferry trip to the island of Naxos. After effectively two days of air, bus, taxi and ferry travel, we reached our destination for the next six days. Ah, the virtues of living in the Land Downunder.

Why Naxos? After all, it is only one of over 200 hundred islands of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea off the south-east coast of Greece. As with so many instances of travel planning, it started with a dream of Anne’s to celebrate her 60^th birthday on a Greek Island, following on from her 50^th birthday in a medieval village in the south of France ten years before. We’d heard stories of the tourist crowds that flock to the popular islands of Mykonos and Santorini, also in the Cyclades, so we wanted something less touristy. A chance conversation with our friends Stephanie and Tim had them suggest their favourite place in Greece – the Hotel Grotta on the island of Naxos. Further research suggested it to be a promising location. Actually staying there proved it to be perfect.

The township itself consists of white box-like buildings, with blue window shutters, on a hillside that has a medieval castle dominating the hilltop. We’ve wandered the narrow laneways exploring all types of little shops, cafes and restaurants. We’ve had pre-dinner drinks in a bar while people-watching as locals go about their daily business. We’ve sat on the hotel rooftop watching ferries and fishing boats come and go down in the port. On the horizon we can see the islands of Paros, Delos, Mykonos, Siros, Tinos, Delos, all sitting in the incredible blue waters of the Aegean Sea.

 

Wandering the narrow laneways of Old Naxos town.

There’s nothing quite like the challenge of hiring a car in a foreign country and tackling narrow roads and laneways whilst driving a left-hand-drive car on the right-hand side of the road. We did so for a day to explore the island of Naxos, and we survived unscathed, as did my nerves, with memories of riding a motorbike in Turkey in the deep recesses of my mind. We discovered that Naxos is a mountainous island, with soaring craggy cliffs and sheer rock faces that took our breath away. At every turn in the road, a different view of the sea would come into view as we traversed the island in only a couple of hours. We saw villages precariously perched on steep hillsides, again following the tradition of Greek Islands with white houses adorned with blue window shutters. The twisting mountain passes ensured that the journey took most of the day.

 

Apollonus, in northern Naxos, on the beautiful Aegean Sea.

One of many hillside towns across Naxos.

As we sit around the hotel to eat, drink, and contemplate life, the view is dominated by the Portara, a stone construction sitting on an islet just off the harbour. It was built around 530 BC by an ancient Greek called Lygdamis, intended to be the entryway of a temple dedicated to the god Apollo, but it was never finished after Lygdamis was overthrown. The massive columns and lintel were too big to dismantle, so it still stands today to greet anyone entering the port of Naxos Town. It is an imposing structure, viewable from many a vantage point along the coast, and it just enhances the magic of the island. Sunsets from the hotel were the most spectacular evenings, with the Portara basking in the ever-changing twilight. Perched on top of a hill overlooking the township and harbour, the hotel is simply a jewel of the Aegean.

The Portara, with Naxos town behind.