Half Day Guided Tour: Demeter’s Temple – Panagia Drosiani – Kouros (Melanes) – Eggares
Overview
Naxos Town (Port) - Ancient Temple of Demeter- Panagia Drosiani – Kinidaros – Kouros (Melanes) - Eggares - Naxos Town (Port)
Departures: 08.30 and 13.15
Return: 12.30 and 17.15
Runs on: Monday, Thursday and Saturday
Duration: 4 hours
Guided in English and Greek
Children up to 8 years old may join us for free.
From 8 up to 13 years old: 50% discount.
THE TOUR:
Join this small group tour and get the opportunity to see many of the most emblematic sights of Naxos in only 4 hours! Learn about the island’s history, pose using its iconic monuments as your background and get a small taste of its delicious products.
Meet your guide at Naxos Bus Transfer Office, right outside Naxos Port and drive directly to your first stop, Demeter’s Temple. Admire the impressive restored sanctuary, take amazing pictures and visit the small on-site museum.
Next stop will be Panagia Drosiani, a church of unique architectural style devoted to Virgin Mary. Some of its frescoes date to the 6th century and are considered among the oldest in the Balkans! The church is part of an old monastery and is a Byzantine gem hidden among the olive groves of Tragea valley.
Continue driving past Kinidaros. Here you will make a short stop to photoshoot the contemporary marble quarries before you reach Flerio valley. Walk through the lush gardens and meet the Kouros Statue, one of the most striking examples of Naxian marble art.
Your last stop is a tribute to one of the most treasured Greek products. In Eggares olive press museum you will learn everything about the old procedures of olive oil production and you will also taste delicious olive products.
Know before you go:
You will have to climb steps and walk uphill in order to visit the Temple of Demeter
The tour guide is not licensed and thus not allowed to guide you inside Demeter's Temple and Panagia Drosiani Church. You will get all the information about the monuments before you enter.
This tour will take place rain or shine
The tour begins and ends right outside Naxos Port. Luggage storage is provided for the participants free of charge.
Included/Excluded
- Modern, luxury air-conditioned vehicle
- Professional English/ Greek speaking Escort
- Professional driver
- All taxes
- Luggage storage during the tour
- Entrance fee for the Temple of Demeter (4€/person to be paid on spot in cash)
- Meals and Drinks
- Personal Expenses
- Hotel pickup/ drop off service
Tour Plan
Dimitra Temple
Is located near the village of Sangri. This astonishing temple has been made of the finest quality of Naxos marble and is believed to date back to the 6th century BC. As Dimitra was the ancient goddess of grain, people used to build temples to her close to fertile areas. Some excavations in the area certify that the area was used for a religious purpose since the late Mycenaean Era. The temple was built in around 530 B.C in the classical architectural style. The temple declined after the 3rd century B.C. With the domination of Christianity, the temple of Dimitra was turned into a Christian religious center and a small chapel was built in the center of the temple. This chapel was dedicated to Saint Ioannis and was constructed using the marble of the ancient temple. The church was probably ruined in the 6th century A.D., after an invasion of the Arabs.
Panagia Drossiani
The remarkable Church of Panagia (Virgin Mary) Drossiani –a short distance from Moni Village, is one of the oldest Byzantine churches not only in Naxos but also in Greece and definitely a place to visit, in the middle of a beautiful scenery.
The church, part of an old monastery, has a unique architectural style, with bare stone-walls, a three-part attic with dome and three adjoining chapels on the northern side with square dome bases on their roofs.
Some of the frescoes that have been saved date to the 6th century and are considered among the oldest in the Balkans, while the rest belong to the period between the 11th and 14th centuries.
The church also features a marble iconostasis, marble stands for votive candles and the old icon of Panagia Drossiani – connected with many legends and traditions.
According to one of these, the church was so named because the area was blessed by Virgin Mary with plentiful waters and was therefore ‘cool’ (Drossia=coolness).
Melanes (Kouros Statue)
The Kouros of Melanes at Flerio is 4.7 metre long statue (Kouros) of Naxian marble, located in a village garden in Melanes. The kouros of Flerio lies in the shade of a rural garden. The figure is unfinished and had been roughly worked with chisels by ancient stonemasons. This is clear from the many dents, which cover the entire statue.
Eggares Olive Press Museum
The Olive Press exhibition area features original production materials once used at the site. Here, visitors can enjoy a free tour and brief presentation of how olive oil was originally produced at that time.
Adjoining the exhibition area is the olive shop 'nook' where olive tastings take place and a selection of olive oil product souvenirs are available. After the free tour visitors can enjoy complimentary tastings of a variety of infused olive oils and olive ingredient snacks, such as Mama's famously delicious olive bread, cake, cookies and more!
