Chora is the capital city of Naxos. It is the administrative, commercial and tourist center of Naxos. It is also the central port of the island. It is built in the location of the ancient city, in the middle of the western coast of the island. Modern Chora is full of vitality during all seasons of the year. It has numerous shops, restaurants, bars and cafés. In the summer months, it is full of visitors to the island. In the market you, can find local products and folk arts and crafts, such as woven products, baskets, ceramics and jewellery. Chora in Naxos is a favourite destination for visitors in the Cyclades.
White Aegean homes, old stone-built mansions, narrow roads and arches are the characteristics of the settlement, which spreads in and around the medieval Kastro of Chora.
The city’s history can be traced back throughout the centuries. It is entangled between mythical creatures, legends, heroes, as well as historical events and it covers the Mycenaean period, the Roman times, the Byzantine times, the Latin and Turkish Rules.
Today’s structure of the old Chora can be attributed to the Venetian domination. The Venetian Marco Sanudos occupied Naxos, approximately 800 years ago, and built the capitol of his Duchy in the Kastro of Naxos. A portion of the wall of Kastro was the external wall of residences on the periphery. Outside of Kastro, two settlements were later developed, Bourgos on the north and northwest, with the most affluent inhabitants, and Nio Chorio to the south. Nowadays, the modern city extends to the south.