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If there is an island in the Cyclades that, in addition to its amazing beaches, is also famous for the equally beautiful and picturesque villages in its hinterland, it is definitely Naxos.

Although its dreamy coastline has been attracting a large number of visitors in recent years, the traditional villages of the island are the ones that arouse interest and surprise those who do not know about the "wealth" of the island. Among them is Apeiranthos, with a particularity that makes it unique: the Cretan origin of its inhabitants.

Cobblestones of typical Cycladic architecture with vaulted arches, beautiful old two-story houses and squares with traditional cafes, impressive Venetian towers and interesting museums make up the image of the most popular mountain village of Naxos.

At first glance, everything here looks like any other traditional Cycladic village. Except that this is not the case for Apeiranthos, as many elements of the village definitely carry over to Crete.

Many of the manners and customs of the locals, which are applied with respect to tradition, are similar to those of the Cretans - from their feasts there are few times when the Cretan lyre and lute will be absent, while the local, traditional costumes mark several similarities. The inhabitants make their own mantinades - the so-called kotsakias - while their dialect presents an idiom that is more characteristic of Crete than of Naxos.

The port of Aperathos

Moutsuna is linked to the history of emery in the 20th century. Its port was the loading center for emery at times, especially until World War II, when emery was a key export product of Greece.

On the route from Aperathou to Moutsouna, -12 kilometers - we have the opportunity to follow the course of the "Aerial", the aerial railway, which transported the emery from its mining galleries, in the mountains, to the loading ladder in Port of Moutsouna. The aerial railway of the emery mines of Naxos is among the top industrial monuments of Greece.

Today, Moutsouna is mainly a tourist destination, which can also be the center for further exploration of the Eastern and South-Eastern coasts of Naxos, with its beautiful and still relatively unspoilt beaches and the enchanting landscape, which combines the mountains, the sea and opposite, the emerging Small Cyclades