Naxos Villages V

Koronos Village

From the church of Stavros, the road to Koronos is to be driven slowly, both for the sake of safety and for the startling views of both rugged boulder-strewn rises and islands shining in the sea (visible on a clear day) far below to the east. After the road tops off, one descends past a restored stone windmill to the amphitheatrical village of Koronos, which had a population of 3000 before the second World War (it now has several hundred permanent inhabitants).

The setting of this large town is stunning, the houses spilling down the two steep facing slopes on many little stepped streets, the sea visible in the distance. The square at the center of Koronos is a marvel. One descends into it down old uneven stone steps, passing a balcony kafenio with vined trellises on the way down, and at the bottom there are two excellent traditional tavernas with tables both inside and out, a fragrant and beautiful place to sit on a warm summer evening. This is a place where one hears no cars, except up top near the old school and lovely church with its stone-paved courtyard and large-canopied shade tree. Surrounding the village are cultivated terraces with fruit and olive trees, vineyards, and vegetable gardens. There are a few rooms for rent in the village, found by asking around, but aside from a tiny grocery tucked away amid the houses, and the tavernas and kafenia in the platia, there is no commercial development in Koronos.

Skadho and Komiaki Villages
The first of these villages is just beyond Koronos on the road going towards Apollonas. It sits up on the hill above the road, and, aside from a lovely, red-tiled church, is a fairly inconspicuous place. If one turns up to the left and continues for a few miles, one reaches the highest village of Naxos, Komiaki, home village of kitron. A quiet place, Komiaki.

Apollonas Village
There are plenty of rooms here in this end-of-the-road at the island’s north tip, and two beaches. Many people come here to see the kouros—a large unfinished marble statue from the 6th century BC.

Kinidharos Village
If one heads back to Hora from Koronos instead of continuing north to Apollonas, one can opt for the road that goes through the village of Kinidharos, passing a marble workshop on the way, where marble taken from the nearby mountain, called Marmarou (Of Marble), is worked. This village is rather congested, and with more modern concrete construction than some, though there are a couple of older tavernas on a little square that are a nice place to stop for lunch. Some fine traditional folk musicians and at least one exceptional singer hail from this village; far below which a dirt track descends to the lush valley of Halandri, through which a stream runs, a lovely place to hike to; with deep pools in the stream where one can swim. The water is very clear and the stream is surrounded by oleanders on the sandy banks. The church of Aghios Artemios is near the stream, if one knows where to look (there are good maps), and appears much older than it is (18th century).