← greece 2026
Greece 2026

Day 9: Naxos

2026-06-19

Captured Moments

Cycladic art emerging about 5000 years ago
Travel moment
Holy Virgin Mary's Historical Church - beautiful tapestry!
The Church of Panagia Protothrone is situated in the village of Halki
The priest came to speak with our entire group. We later learned that he had funded a senior citizen home in the area for those in need.
A fun Greek coffee break with the tour group
Panagia Drosiana church from the 6th century.
Church on the hilltop. Apparently a multi-hour hike to reach the top.
Savvas our guide
Overlook of the Naxos coastline
Windmill used to grind grain
The city of Aperanthos at 650 meters
Our lunch stop
Rosto - traditional pork in tomato sauce
Persimmon tree tright outside our rooftop window (at lunch)
Travel moment
Promponas. A woman owned/run distillery in Naxos.
Meeting the 4th generation owner Sophia (our host)
Enjoying our first glass (which was chilled ouzo). YAMAS!!
The citron tree used to make these three liquors are unique to the island of Naxos. The fruit is not used, but rather the leaves of the tree are boiled in combination with ethanol. The leaves are harvested by hand and several tons go into each batch, within two stills, running 24 hours a day for about 2.5 weeks.
The summer citron fruit is smaller than the ones harvested in November (less water and more heat). The fruit is used to make *sweets*.

Naxos

Greece • June 19, 2026 • Day 9 of 16

Today we took a bus to the towns of Halki & Aperanthos.

🇬🇷 Fun Fact: The Mystras of the Aegean: Because of the incredibly high concentration of Byzantine-era churches in the surrounding Tragea Valley—many filled with rare, centuries-old frescoes—the area is often referred to by this nickname, comparing it to the famous medieval Byzantine citadel in the Peloponnese.

Halki

We stopped in the Church of Panagia Protothroni. It has been in continuous, uninterrupted service since 1052. We met the priest, who gave us a history of its construction. The church went through a renovation in the 1200s. The priest was a really kind man, and we later learned that he was personally responsible for raising the funds necessary to build the village's first senior home.

We had about 45 minutes explore the town, and we purchased some souvenirs and sat in the village, drinking Greek coffee.

Aperanthos

Along our way to the village, we visited the Panagia Drosiana church. Its 6th–7th century origins make it an incredibly significant and ancient survivor.

The "Double" Christ: Inside the dome, there is a very rare and unusual fresco that depicts Jesus twice—once as a young, beardless man and once as an older, mature man. This was meant to symbolize the two stages of his life: before and after the Passion.

At 650 meters, we reached the high point of our journey on the island. We took a short walk to our lunch stop and enjoyed Rosto (pork with garlic), spicy cheese dip and semi-sweet red wine. After recovering one of our tour guests a short ways down the hill, we made our way back to the hotel for a walk along the beach and a short rest.

Promponas Distillery

We visited the Promponas Distillery, which was truly amazing. Since 1915, this family-run gem has been perfecting the art of Kitron. Sophia took us through six tastings, with delicious appetizers and desserts that accompanied each liqueur. We took a tour into the citron orchards & the distillery, learning how they've been making various spirits for four generations. Inside the distillery, a few of us were able to fill a small bottle as a souvenir and affixed the labels. After a short trip to the gift shop, Sophia sent us on our way with some great memories. The bus sang Proud Mary on the bus ride back to the hotel (the group's first big bonding experience 🤣). We sat out on our balcony with our new friends from Illinois, Mallory and Jenna, drinking a bottle of white wine that we purchased at Barafakas earlier in our trip. 🍷 YAMAS!!

What's Next

Tomorrow we are scheduled to travel by ferry to Heraklion around mid-day.

— David

Comments