Apart from a beautiful, lush green island, Naxos is also a place with a rich tradition. If you like sightseeing, then you will adore Naxos, which has a lot of sights to offer to its visitors. There are sights dating from the ancient to the Venetian times that will give a sense of culture to your holidays.

The Castle of Naxos: The Castle of Naxos dates to the Medieval Era and was built by Marco Sanudos, the first Duke of Naxos. It is located on the highest point of Naxos Town and it is actually a picturesque neighbourhood with many medieval structures and cobbled paths. For the construction of the Castle, the Venetians used remains of the ancient town. It originally had tree gates but now only two of them survive, Trani and Paraporti gates. Inside the Castle, there are twelve elegant towers, with Glezos Tower the most well-preserved. The mansion of the Della Rocca family hosts a beautiful Venetian collection and some cultural events in summer. Inside the Castle area, you will also find the Catholic Cathedral of Naxos, the residence of the Catholic bishop and the old building of the Ursuline School.

The Portara: The Portara, which means “great door” in Greek, is a huge doorway standing on the islet of Palatia, just off the port of Naxos Town. This marble gate, which has become the trademark of the island, is 6 m tall and 3,5 m wide. It is the only remain from the effort of Lygmadis, rule of Naxos in the 6th century B.C, to build the highest Greek temple on Naxos. The rest of the remains were used by the Venetians to construct the Castle of Naxos, but Portara was too heavy to transfer it. From this site, you have the greatest sunset on Naxos.

The Temple of Demeter: The temple of goddess Demeter is found close to Sangri village, about 10km from Naxos Town. It belongs to the 6th century BC and is one of the very few examples of temples with a square floor plan. The temple was partly destroyed in the 3rd century AD, with the dominance of the Christianity, and a church was built on its ruins. This temple was recently discovered in 1949 by a German archaeologist and its restoration started in the 1990s. Close to the ancient temple of Demeter, there is a small chapel dedicated to Saint John.

The Statues of Kouros: On Naxos, there are two large statues of Kouros, who were young men in the ancient times. There is a statue of Kouros near Apollonas vllage and another near Melanes village. These statues date from the 6th century B.C. and have been found on the site they were constructed. They are large in size, about 6m tall, and are made of marble. It is believed that these statues used to hold the roofs of ancient temples. They may represent either Apollo or Dionysus, who was the protector of Naxos in the antiquity. Today these statues rest in serenity on the hillsides of the island.

The Towers of Naxos: There are several Venetian towers spread throughout the island of Naxos, mostly in its countryside. These towers were built as the residence of rich families or as lookout posts for enemies and pirates. Some of the most significant towers on Naxos are the 17th century Ayia Tower, Bellonia Tower in Galanado village, Della Rocca Tower in the Castle in Chora and Bazeos Tower. They are magnificent in sight and unique, combing Cycladic and Western architecture. They had enclosed courtyards, residential quarters, storehouses, stables and wine presses in their premises.