History of Naxos

Naxos has undoubtedly a long history with a starting point in the Ancient Times. The Cycladic Island is connected to the Greek mythology because according to legends, Zeus - the father of the Olympian Gods - grew up in Naxos and gave his name to the tallest Naxian Mountain, Za.

Karieis were the first inhabitants of Naxos who worshiped Dionysus, the famous God of wine. Naxos is a fertile land thanks to the union of Dionysus and Ariadne, the fertility Goddess. Because of this union, Naxos has a lot of great vineyards and consistently, locals celebrate each year the "Dionysian".

In the Ancient Years, Naxos was considered an important commercial, cultural and artistic power. Also, at the times of Alexander the Great, Naxos became part of Alexander’s Empire and later, a part of the Roman and Byzantine Empires.

However, locals suffered pirate attacks and the majority of them were forced to move from the coastal areas to the hinterland in order to be better protected.
In addition, it is important to mention that the Naxian Heritage of the marvelous Venetian buildings comes from Marco Sanudo, the Duke of the Archipelago, who was beloved by the locals because of his contribution to the island.

Nowadays, Naxos is considered one of the most popular holiday destination in Greece not only because of its history, but because of its magnificent beaches too.