Naxos between the lanes of Chora and the Portara

Chora presents Naxos from several perspectives: a distinctive townscape, archaeological points of interest and a small coastal bay each offer a different focus. Whitewashed houses, old stone mansions, narrow lanes and arches shape the town. The Portara and the Grotta archaeological site add cultural points of interest, while Grotta Beach draws attention to the coastal scenery. If you are looking for a holiday apartment on Naxos, this variety can help you make an initial decision: should your stay be shaped more by Chora’s built character, archaeological sites or the coastal landscape?

Lanes, arches and houses in Chora

The townscape features houses in the Aegean style, whitewashed façades and old stone mansions. Narrow lanes and arches complete the picture. Several architectural motifs sit side by side: the bright appearance of the houses, the stone masonry of the mansions, and the forms of the lanes and arches. If you are interested in architecture, you can look at these details individually rather than seeing Chora only as a general backdrop. They also provide a concrete starting point for planning a trip together: which features appeal to you most—the façades, the mansions or the arches? This question helps you decide what to focus on, without everyone travelling needing to share the same interests.

The Portara as an archaeological point of interest

The Portara is the surviving monumental gate of the Temple of Delian Apollo and is connected to Chora’s harbour. This places a clearly defined architectural feature at the centre of attention: the surviving gateway of a temple. This makes the Portara a distinct topic from the more varied townscape of houses, lanes and arches. If you enjoy looking at individual architectural forms, you can include the Portara as an archaeological focus in your plans. Together with the Grotta archaeological site and the museum, it also offers a distinct cultural focus for planning your trip, alongside an interest in Chora’s architecture or the coast.

Grotta Beach and the Grotta archaeological site

The name Grotta appears in two different contexts. Grotta Beach is a small bay on Chora’s northern coast; its seabed consists of pebbles and some sand. The Grotta archaeological site, in turn, is one of the sights visitors can see in Chora. This distinction is useful when you are looking for coastal experiences or archaeological topics: the bay represents the landscape by the sea, while the site represents Chora’s archaeological heritage. When planning your holiday, you can consider which of these two aspects matters more to you, without treating them as the same thing simply because they share a name.

Finds at the On-site Archaeological Museum

The On-site Archaeological Museum is located at Mitropoleos Square in Chora. There, visitors can see archaeological finds right where they were discovered. The special connection between a find and its place of discovery gives this museum visit a different focus from viewing a single building such as the Portara. If you are interested in archaeology, you can weigh up these different ways of exploring the subject. Check the museum’s current accessibility before visiting.

Choose the right focus for your accommodation

When looking for a holiday apartment on Naxos, you can first decide which experiences you want to shape your stay. Chora’s houses, mansions and lanes suggest a focus on architecture and the townscape. The Portara, the Grotta site and the museum each offer their own archaeological points of interest. If you are mainly interested in the coastal landscape, Grotta Beach offers a specific point of reference: a small bay with pebbles and some sand on Chora’s northern coast. Compare the locations of the available holiday apartments with the interests that matter most for your trip. This way, you can base your choice on your own plans and also take different interests into account when planning together.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Aghios Prokopios, Amorgós, Agia Anna, Chora, Katápola, Aperathos, Glinado, Iraklia.

Return to the main travel overview: Naxos.