Beautiful Greek Villages

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Apeiranthos

Apeiranthos is a traditional and picturesque mountain village where the villagers use small utility mopeds and donkeys in the narrow and meandering alleys to transport their goods. Amphitheatrically built at the slopes of Mount Fanari, it boasts magnificent views of the Naxian mountain ranges. As the locals say, while at Apiranthos, there is no way of telling that you are, in fact, on an island. The feeling one gets is more that of a northern mainland Greek village than that of a Cycladic island. This is partly due to its architecture and stone built houses but mainly due to its altitude. The centre of the village is located at approximately 600m from sea level.

Apeiranthos is sometimes referred to as “the marble village” because many of its buildings, lanes and public squares have been constructed from marble and stone.

The local dialect and traditions are similar to the mountainous Crete villages and it is said that Apiranthos was built by Cretans in the 10th century, while historical evidence in 1413 by the traveler Cristoforo Buondelmonti confirms its existence.

When entering the village, you first notice the narrow  marbled streets with arches, the old traditional houses from Venetian times made of stone, the beautiful squares and the aged and worn steps leading up to the upper part of the village. At the entrance there is also the big Tower of Zevgolis, now privately owned and in excellent condition.

The village has unique customs and a rich folkloric tradition. It is worth seeing the 18th Century church of Virgin Mary the Apeiranthitissa , the 17th century restored tower of Zevgoli - old Venetian family property and the tower of Bardani. In Apeiranthos there is the largest library of the Cyclades, the Nikos N. Glezos Library, whο was born and lived in the village. A sample of the cultural flourishing of the village are its four museums (Archaeological, Folklore, Natural History and Geological).

The women of Apiranthos show and sell their wonderful embroideries to anyone who can appreciate the work effort and pride that is apparent in every stitch. These are managed and sold via the Woven Products Cooperative they created some time ago.

Walk into the paved alleys, go under the marble arches to get to the "platsa", the central square with the shops and cafes to taste the best wine of the island.

From Naxos Town, the shortest route to get to Apiranthos is via the villages Galanado, Damalas, Damarionas and Filoti and it is 25km long. However, the most commonly used route is from Galanado to Halki and Filoti.