Tour 5
Would you like to visit ancient Greek temples?
Would you like to visit attractions that reveal the past and characteristics of Naxos? This tour is perfect for you!
An 8-hour tour to experience 6 remarkable places.
First Stop
at the temple of Demeter, a monument made of white marble. It is estimated to have been made a century before the Parthenon, between 530-520 BC. It overlooks the mountain and the sea and was dedicated to Apollo, Demeter and her daughter Persephone. In 1949, some excavations were carried out in the area of the temple, and in the following years, architects from the Munich Polytechnic carried out studies to restore it. However, apart from the temple of Demeter, you will be lucky enough to visit the archaeological museum of Gyroula, which has been awarded for its architecture.
Next stop
at the Cycladic pottery workshop where you can closely watch the clay processing process from the beginning to the final phase. The creations of Manolis Lybertas, who is a fourth-generation potter, include the sfouni (the jug they would pour wine out of the big jar with), the tyromethira (holed jar for drying cheese) and many copies of museum exhibits.
We continue
our tour with the oldest Citron distillery of Naxos. There you can see the production areas with the still from 1862, hear how the distillation process is done, but above all, try citrus which in this particular area has an even more excellent aroma and taste.
Next,
you will visit the village of Apeiranthos. There you will find the Apiranthos Archaeological Museum, the Geological Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the Visual Arts Museum and, the Folklore Museum. At the entrance to the village one can’t miss the big Tower of Zevgolis. But its most impressive feature is its architecture. Stone built towers, old houses and churches, marble paved alleys, traditional small souvenir and local craftsmanship shops.
Also,
you can visit the Kouros statue of Apollo that is over 10 meters high. Kouroi are large marble statues depicting young men, which dominated Greek art after the Middle Archaic period.
Finally,
you will visit the traditional olive press in Eggares. There you can enjoy a free guided tour and a short presentation of how olive oil was produced at that time. After the free tour, you can enjoy free tastings of a variety of infused olive oils and snacks with olive ingredients, such as Mama's famously delicious olive bread, cakes, cookies and more!
Not Included:
Entrance Fees to Demeter Temple are not included (entrance ticket 4 euros per person in cash only)
Please note:
The archaeological site of the Temple of Demeter is closed every Tuesday.