Position 37:06.421N 025:22.245E

Naxos - Sunday 29^th July

It was time to hire a scooter again and take to the road to explore Naxos, the largest and most fertile of the Cycladic Islands and also the Island with the highest peak, Mount Zeus standing at 1084 metres above sea level.

We started our tour on foot, walking across to the Palatia Islet and up to the Temple of Apollo, a famous landmark started in 530bc but never finished.

A good view of Naxos town as we walked back down, you can see the mix of white Cycladic and stone Venetian buildings.

Armed with our good old Lonely Planet Guide we took to the bike and set off for the Tragaea Region, a vast plain of olive groves and unspoilt villages couched beneath the central mountains.

First stop Halki for coffee with homemade cheese pies and chocolate cake followed by a tour of the distillery making a unique liquor called Kitron (‘not to my taste’, as Amalia would say politely).

Then a wander around the beautiful gallery, L’Olivier, to admire the handmade ceramics, jewellery and sculptures.

Next stop a walk part way up Mount Zeus to see the cave and to drink from the Aria spring once back at the base.

At the next village of Apirantos we found a shop selling spices, honey, oil, cheese and other foods all produced locally.

We sampled all the cheeses and bought some of the best one.

We followed the road to the other end of the Island and had lunch on the waterfront in Apollonos before taking the coastal road back to Naxos town.

The views were spectacular with many buildings perched on top of high rocks and fertile, green plains nestled between the mountains and the sea.