Naxos has a rich mix of ancient ruins, Venetian architecture, and mountain villages. The Portara — the monumental gateway of an unfinished 6th-century BC temple — is the island's icon, standing dramatically on a peninsula at the edge of Hora. Inside the old town, the Kastro quarter preserves a Venetian castle and several tower houses from the 13th century.
In the island's interior, two colossal kouros statues lie abandoned in ancient marble quarries near the villages of Melanes and Apollonas, left unfinished around 600 BC. The hike up Mount Zas, the highest peak in the Cyclades, takes about three hours round trip and rewards you with views across a dozen islands. The mountain villages of Halki, Filoti, and Apiranthos are worth visiting for their stone architecture, small museums, and the chance to try local kitron liqueur.