Naxos Island, Greek island in the Aegean Sea
Naxos is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea and stretches over more than 400 square kilometers, making it the largest of the Cyclades. The island features hilly landscapes with fertile valleys, sandy beaches along the west coast and a mountainous interior.
The island dominated trade in the Cyclades during the 8th and 7th centuries before Christ and developed into an important trading center in the Mediterranean. Later Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman influences shaped the island until Greek independence in the 19th century.
The Portara at the harbor comes from an unfinished Apollo temple and appears especially striking at sunset. Visitors today walk through the freestanding marble gate and can sense the original scale of the building project.
Ferries run regularly between the island and the port of Piraeus in Athens as well as to neighboring Cycladic islands. The best time to visit is between spring and autumn when weather is pleasant and local buses connect the larger towns.
Mount Zas rises to over 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) and houses a cave where Zeus is said to have spent his childhood according to Greek mythology. Climbing to the summit offers views across the entire Cycladic island group.
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