Things to do in

Agios Arsenios

Enjoy a tour perfect for adventurous people and Kayak along the coast of Naxos Island. Admire beautiful landscapes and coastlines and try to spot local wildlife before stopping at caves and enjoying a local meal (optional meal). Start the tour at the beautiful, sandy beach of Kalandos, located on the southern edge of Naxos Island, protected from the northerly summer winds. Explore the area, the island’s southernmost wetland, and the first resting and feeding stop for migratory birds on their long journey from Africa. Finish the equipment check and safety briefing by your certified guide before paddling a distance of about 8 km along the south coast of Naxos, heading east. Take in the breathtaking view from the neighboring Cycladic Islands and make stops at tiny sea coves where we’ll stop to swim with forbidding, craggy cliffs towering over us. Paddle in the tranquil, blue-green waters and awesome geological formations along the coastline will meet your eyes until you reach the most impressive of them all: Rhina Cave with its ceiling of miniature stalactites and its inviting beach nearby. Make a stop at Rhina Cave's beach for about 30-40 min. Enjoy delicious snacks prepared for you by the guide and sample the local products and delicacies of Naxos. Enjoy snorkeling in the waters around the beach and spotting local wildlife. Head back to the kayak to return to the starting point at Kalandos Beach. End the tour with a scrumptious traditional (optional)meal at the local taverna where you can relax and enjoy the view.

Stroll down the cobblestone alleys of Chora, Naxos main town. In the company of your guide, you’ll make the rounds of the local produce market the way the Naxos people do. Once there, you’ll pick and choose your own local, fresh, seasonal produce, bursting with fragrances, colors, and flavor. You’ll be putting your vegetables to good use during the cooking course that will follow. Your route will also take you to tiny traditional shops, hidden in the alleys of Chora, where you’ll find out all about the traditional products that Naxos is famous for throughout Greece: olives, olive oil, honey, potatoes, fruit, cheeses, and meat from Naxos are sought for and in great demand. At some of the shops you’ll have the chance to sample the actual products. Sampling the amazing local cheeses will simply delight you. You’ll be equally delighted when you sample versions of the signature Naxos liqueur made from citron, a citrus fruit. Our tour will take you down the maze-like alleys of the Chora castle built in the 13th century when Venetian rule started on Naxos and the island was known as the Duchy of Naxos. You will get a glimpse of local life in those times of yore and come to appreciate not only the beauty of Cycladic architecture but its functionality as well. Your walk will end at a small traditional taverna where you’ll meet the talented chef we work with. He’ll ask you to help him with the preparation and, step by step, he’ll show you how to make mouthwatering, traditional appetizers and the renowned Greek salad, all the while paying tribute to the Mediterranean’s flavors and aromas. Next, comes the greatest part of the tour. We’ll all be sitting down to share the dishes you made yourself, along with another Greek traditional dish prepared by our chef. We’ll raise our glasses, toast each other, and enjoy a day spent in enjoying and experiencing. After your meal, we’ll end our tour the Greek way: with a cup of traditional Greek coffee to round off your culinary experience.

This hike will take you up to the top of the most popular mountain in the Cycladic island cluster: Mount Zas! Once you reach the peak, there are many things to be proud of! Not only will you be at the highest point in the Cyclades ( 1003 m / 3290 ft), but you’ll have hiked to the summit of the mountain where Zeus, Father and King of the Olympian Gods, was raised. That is the reason why the mountain was named after Zeus (Zas in Naxos’ local dialect). This pleasant hike of moderate difficulty begins at the small country church of Agia Marina at Danakos village. The trail you’ll be following is exactly the same trail people have been following to the top of the mountain since ancient times. As you hike up, you will encounter the fascinating 4th-century BC inscription carved on a rock: “ΟΡΟΣ ΔΙΟΣ ΜΗΛΩΣΙΟΥ.'' What does the inscription say? Come with us and find out how mythology blends with history! You’ll start walking up a dirt trail flanked by the signature vegetation of the Cyclades. Higher up, it gradually becomes a jagged limestone path that’ll take you to the craggy summit of mighty Zeus. The vast blue of the Aegean Sea will accompany you along the way, while the view of the neighboring Cycladic islands is breathtaking. When you’re at the top, the 360 degree view is worthy of the Gods: plains and green slopes, small villages and tiny, whitewashed country churches (how many can you count?) as far as the eye can see . Once you reach the top, you’ll spend some time taking photos and having a delicious traditional treat. After you take in all the beauty, you start on your way back! At the end of your hike you'll enjoy a delicious traditional picnic! The hike to the peak of Mount Zas never disappoints. It’s actually a hike you’re not likely to forget. Do join us for this epic hike and discover unspoiled, pristine Naxos off the beaten track. Distance: 6 km / 3.7 m Altitude: 1003 meters / 3290 ft Ascend: 391 meters / 1282 ft Descend: 391 meters / 1282 ft Terrain: dirt trail, rocky trail

Excursion’s departing point is on the Old port of Corfu Town, under the New Fortress where our boat "Aeolos" pick up the guests. Departing from the port we have a unique view of Vido Island, the Old Town, the Royal Palace and the Old Venetian Fortress. We sail along the coast, passing by our beautiful little villages and houses on the seaside like Barbati, Nissaki, Kaminaki and under the highest mountain of the island named Pantocrator. The first stop of the day is Nissaki cave for swimming in lovely waters (approximately 20-30 minutes). We continue our tour along other sightseeings as Kalami, (where is the Durell’s White House), Kouloura and the wonderful villa of the Anielli (the famous Italian family), Kerassia and the tower of the Rothchild family with its famous summer guests, (like some of the members of the British Royal family, top models, etc). Round noon we arrive to Limnopoula bay with the crystal clear waters and the amazing view of Erimitis forest. We desembark and relax for one hour or longer on the beach while the staff prepares a delicious BBQ lunch. We We return back to the boat and while lunch is served we sail again to kaparelli, a tiny island and one of the oldest lighthouses in Greece. In the afternoon we sail back and before disembark we make our last swim stop of the day in a wonderful bay.

You’ll start your hike at Kinidaros, a scenic village nestled amid marble quarries towering over it. At one time or another, most of the village men have been quarrymen but Kinidaros is famous for a completely different trait: Music! For the Kinidaros locals music comes first. Most of them are skilled musicians, everyone plays an instrument (or two or three), and everyone keeps the Cycladic folk music tradition alive and well. You’ll leave Kinidaros behind to walk on a dirt trail which gives you the opportunity to gaze at the awesome marble quarries from a distance. The dirt trail turns into a cobblestoned path that takes you all the way down to the river. The views of the nearby mountains as they blend with the deep blue of the Aegean, the lush greenery that awaits you below, the path itself which actually traverses a small ravine cannot be beaten. As soon as you reach the riverbanks, the landscape changes completely. The 18th-century, double-arch, stone bridge known as Mill of Hadji stands guard over everything and once you’ve walked past it towards the riverbank, you’ll notice the difference: the air is cooler, shady spots abound, and vegetation is rioting next to abandoned watermills, lagoons, and small waterfalls, while crabs and water turtles make their way at the water’s edge next to oleander bushes and plane trees. A little later, the trail takes you past the serene, small, country church of Aghios Georgios in the fertile Lagada area and a majestic four-arch water mill. You continue making your way surrounded by plane trees and reed beds until you reach the 18th-century tower of the Pradouna Elders. At that point, you enter the traditional farm settlement of Mesa Geitonia. Last, the trail takes you to Eggares, an old, quiet farming village in the embrace of a fertile plain where you’ll have the chance to visit one of Naxos’s oldest remaining olive mills: recently renovated, the Eggares Olive Press dates back to at least the late 1800s when it pressed locally-grown olives for the village community. At Eggares, we’ll share a great, leisurely meal at one of the village’s best traditional tavernas. Then our transport will take you back to your accommodations!