Naxos: Three Must-Visit Museums

For just one island, Naxos has quite a selection of museums.  Several Naxos museums are found in the Old Town and Kastro districts and several others throughout the villages; five alone are housed in the village of Apiranthos.

These are three you shouldn’t miss:

1. The Archaeological Museum of Naxos
   The Archaeological Museum of Naxos, located in an historic building in the Venetian Tower of the Kastro district in the Old Town (that was a former school), is divided into seven sections and houses finds that were excavated that past forty years on Naxos and the neighboring islands: Keros, Donoussa and Koufonissia, dated from the late Neolithic Age (4th millennium BC) to the early Christian era (6th century). Its collection of Cycladic idols is second to that of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
   Interesting fact: The five-story mansion in which the The Archaeological Museum of Naxos is located was the former School of Commerce, that author Nikos Kazantzakis attended for a year when he was in his teens.

   The Archaeological Museum of Naxos
   Kastro, Old Town, Naxos
   tel. +30 22850-22725 or 22850-22725
   Open daily, except Mondays, 8:30-15:30

2. The Temple of Demeter Museum at Gyroulas, Sagri
   Located in the pretty surroundings at the magnificent ancient archaeological sight of the Temple of Demeter at Gyroulas, Sagri, this museum – divided into two sections – features finds from the excavation of the site that dates back to the 6th century B.C.

   The Temple of Demeter Museum at Gyroulas, Sangri
   Sangri, 11 kilometres from Chora
   tel. +30 22850 32591
   Open daily, except Mondays from 8:30 -15:00

3. The Archaeological Museum of Apiranthos 
   More than 1,200 artifacts (marble figurines, jewelry, tools and other materials from the region), the majority of which are from the pre-Cycladic period and a few from as far back as the Neolothic age, document a timeline of island life from pre-historic times.

   The Archaeological Museum of Apiranthos 
   Apiranthos, 32 kilometres from Chora
   tel. +30 22850 61725
   Open daily except Mondays, 8:00 – 15:00