t is a feeling of security and stability which one feels when one first sees Naxos from the boat, as a dim line on the horizon. There are towering mountains and if you are lucky enough to arrive on a clear day the summit of Mt Za- taller in the Cyclades at 1004 metres- can be seen.
When the voyage is over, you find yourself in a bustling little town.

axos has a wide choice of beaches, from those which are only sandy to those which have pebbles mixed in with the sand. Any visitor who wants really to get to know Naxos will have to be prepared to move around exploring the island. Naxos has a night life at certain times of the year, and it is aimed chiefly at visitors. It centres naturally enough at Chora, where there are discoteques, bars, piano bars and night clubs with Greek popular music.

part from entertainment of this kind, the summer Sundays see semi- religious festivals in the villages. Here there will be live folk music, and if the visitor is lucky, a taste of the real Naxos "feast", with the most characteristic form of recreation, the complets known as "kotsakia". The majority of the people of Apeiranthos or other villages, both women and men, compose for every occasion, in times of joy or sadness, these songs, which are either sung immediately or noted down to be sent to friends or relatives who have left the island.

n Naxos there are eating- places of all kinds: the typically Greek restaurants ("estiatoria'), serving mostly made-up dishes, tavernas which specialise in grilled meats, souvlaki shops, and seaside restaurants that serve fresh fish daily. One should try the local specialities, such as wild rabbit, patridge, "kaloyeros" (a preparation with aubergines), "kefalopodia" (the Apeiranthos version of tripe), the wide variety of local cheeses, the fresh and tasty vegetables and the sweet wine. Finally dont miss 'patouda', the traditional Easter dish, that will only be found here.

Photos and text taken from "Naxos - Today and yesterday" (Toubis Editions)