Apollonas

At a glance: Northeast coast of Naxos, around 36 kilometres from Naxos Town. A small fishing village with a sandy beach, once the island’s main marble export port and now best known for the giant unfinished statue lying in the hills above it. Best suited to travellers making the scenic drive across the island for genuine ancient history and a quiet coastal lunch.

Is Apollonas worth visiting

Apollonas has been inhabited since antiquity, and for centuries it served as the main port from which Naxian marble was shipped out across the ancient world. Today it is a small, easygoing fishing village with a sandy beach, a handful of waterfront tavernas and one genuinely remarkable sight just up the hill, an enormous unfinished statue abandoned in an ancient quarry more than 2,500 years ago. It suits travellers happy to make the long drive across Naxos for a slower pace, real history and a swim away from the busier west coast resorts.

Highlights

• The Kouros of Apollonas, a 10.7 metre unfinished marble statue weighing around 80 tonnes, lying in the ancient quarry above the village
• The ancient Apollon quarry itself, scattered with fragments of other unfinished statues and visible chisel marks from more than 2,500 years ago
• The village’s long sandy beach, with clear, calm water and a noticeably quieter atmosphere than the island’s main resorts
• Waterfront tavernas serving fresh fish and grilled octopus, several with tables right on the quay
• The scenic drive itself, crossing the island’s mountainous interior on the way to the north coast

The unfinished giant above the village

A little above Apollonas lies the Apollon quarry, one of the few ancient stone quarries whose name has survived from antiquity. Carved from the hillside sometime in the 7th or 6th century BC, the enormous kouros lying here was left unfinished, most likely because the marble proved too heavy to move or because fault lines discovered partway through carving forced the sculptors to abandon it. For a long time the statue was believed to be Apollo, which is how the village got its name, but archaeologists studying its beard in the 1930s identified the figure as Dionysus instead. At 10.7 metres long and weighing around 80 tonnes, it remains one of the most striking sights on Naxos, free to visit and easy to reach on foot from the village.

Where Apollonas is

Getting to Apollonas

From Naxos Town: Apollonas is about 36 kilometres away, around 1 hour by car, crossing the island’s mountainous interior.

By bus: Seasonal bus services run from Naxos Town to Apollonas. Check current routes and times on the Naxos bus timetable.

By car or taxi: See getting around Naxos and Naxos taxi for prices and booking details.

Arriving on Naxos: For ferry routes and journey times to the island, start with how to get to Naxos.

Where to eat

Apollonas has a row of waterfront tavernas right behind the beach, most serving fresh fish, grilled octopus and simple, well made meat dishes. Prices run slightly higher than inland villages given the location, but the quality and the view over the water generally make it worthwhile.

Where to stay

Apollonas suits travellers who want a quiet, remote feeling base on the north coast, with a small choice of hotels and rooms rather than large resorts. For a private villa with a pool elsewhere on Naxos, see Naxos villas with a private pool.

The beach at Apollonas

Apollonas has a long sandy beach with clear, calm, turquoise water, generally quieter than the more developed beaches on the west coast. It does not yet have its own detailed beach guide on this site.

Best time to visit

Spring and autumn suit the long drive across the island particularly well, with cooler temperatures for exploring the quarry and walking around the Kouros. In summer, Apollonas stays noticeably calmer than the west coast resorts, making it a good day trip destination when the main beaches are at their busiest.