Mount Zas is the highest point in the Cyclades, rising to 1,001 metres above sea level from the middle of Naxos. The summit gives views across the full breadth of the central Aegean — on a clear day you can count a dozen islands from Mykonos in the north to Santorini in the south. The hike is the most rewarding walk on the island and well within the range of any reasonably fit person.
The standard route begins at the village of Filoti, on the main road through the island's interior. A signed path leads out of the village and climbs steadily through terraces and scrub, reaching the Zas Cave (a natural cavern in the limestone with an ancient inscription above the entrance) at about the midpoint of the ascent. The cave is worth pausing at — cool air, the inscription still clearly legible, the sense of having arrived somewhere people have been coming to for two and a half thousand years.
From the cave the path continues up to the summit ridge. The upper section is rocky and exposed, with no shade, which means an early start matters: begin by 8 or 9 in the morning in summer to be off the open ridge before the worst of the midday heat. The full round trip from Filoti takes three to four hours depending on pace and how long you spend on the summit. Bring more water than you think you need.
The views from the top are the point. The central Aegean laid out below — the distinct shapes of Paros to the west, the smaller islands stepping south, the sea going from turquoise to dark blue as the depth increases — gives Naxos's scale and centrality among the Cyclades a physical reality that maps alone don't convey. The descent back to Filoti takes longer than expected on tired legs; allow the full time.