Filoti Village in Naxos

At a glance: Central Naxos, around 18 kilometres from Naxos Town, set on the slopes below Mount Zas, the highest peak in the Cyclades. The largest inland village on the island, built around a lively square shaded by a huge plane tree. Best suited to travellers who want a genuine mountain village and a starting point for hiking to the cave where Zeus is said to have grown up.

Is Filoti worth visiting

Filoti is the biggest village on Naxos away from the coast, and it still feels like the working, everyday heart of the island’s interior rather than somewhere built for visitors. Whitewashed houses climb the slopes of two hills beneath Mount Zas, with narrow lanes opening onto a broad main square where locals and travellers share tables in the shade of an enormous plane tree. It suits travellers who want a real mountain village to explore on foot, and it makes the natural starting point for the hike up to the cave associated with the birth of Zeus.

Highlights

• The main square, shaded by a huge plane tree, the social centre of the village and the start of the trail up Mount Zas
• Panagia Filotitissa, the district’s most important church, rebuilt in the 18th century with a finely carved three bell tower
• The Chimaros Tower, a 4th century BC watchtower that once stood around 17 metres high
• The Cave of Zas, reached on foot from the village, associated in mythology with the childhood of Zeus
• Mount Zas itself, the highest peak in the Cyclades, with a demanding but rewarding hiking trail to the summit

A village beneath the mountain of Zeus

Filoti sits directly below Mount Zas, the highest point in the Cyclades and, according to local mythology, the mountain where Zeus was raised in hiding as a child. The trail to the Cave of Zas begins at the steps opposite Taverna Baboulas on the village’s main square, climbing around 5 kilometres round trip with roughly 500 metres of elevation gain, a strenuous but manageable half day hike in cooler weather. The village itself is made up of three older settlements, Rachidi, Klefaro and Liiri, and each August it hosts the island’s biggest traditional feast, a three day celebration of music and dancing beginning on 15 August around the Feast of the Assumption.

Where Filoti is

Getting to Filoti

From Naxos Town: Filoti is about 18 kilometres away, around 30 minutes by car.

By bus: Regular bus services run from Naxos Town to Filoti in season. 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

Filoti’s main square has a good choice of tavernas set beneath the shade of its landmark plane tree, a popular stop for a hearty brunch or lunch either before or after the walk up towards the Cave of Zas. Taverna Baboulas, right at the start of the trailhead, is a natural first or last stop for hikers.

Where to stay

Filoti suits travellers who want an authentic mountain base in the centre of the island, with a smaller choice of accommodation than the coastal resorts. For a private villa with a pool elsewhere on Naxos, see Naxos villas with a private pool.

Beaches near Filoti

Filoti is an inland mountain village with no beach of its own. See the Naxos beaches guide or the island’s individual beach pages for options along the coast.

Best time to visit

Spring and autumn are the best seasons for hiking up towards the Cave of Zas, since the trail has almost no shade and can be demanding in summer heat. If timing allows, visiting around 15 August brings the added draw of the village’s three day traditional feast, one of the biggest celebrations on Naxos.