Halki, the kitron distillery and Apiranthos

The plan

These are two inland villages of Naxos on the same road, the one that crosses the island from the Chora eastwards through the Tragaia valley. Halki is half an hour away and Apiranthos an hour by bus. Together they fill half a day: Halki for the kitron liqueur and the sweet, Apiranthos for strolling through a marble village and seeing its museums. If you go by car, you can add Filoti, which lies between the two, or the climb of Mount Zas.

Halki and the Vallindras distillery

Halki is a village of grand houses and lanes in the middle of the valley. In one of those houses is the Vallindras distillery. It was founded by Grigorios Vallindras in the second half of the 19th century, and in 1896 his son Markos came up with the recipe for the citron liqueur that is still made. Today it is run by the fifth generation of the family.

Kitron is made from citron-tree leaves, picked from September and macerated in alcohol in a traditional still. It is one of three Greek aperitifs with protected designation of origin. There are three versions: the white, at 33 degrees; the green, at 30; and the yellow, at 36. On the visit you see the stills, some from 1862, the brand's old posters, and finish by tasting the liqueur. There is a shop.

The Naxos tourism website gives no opening hours and guides don't agree: they speak of mornings and early afternoon, with longer hours in summer. Confirm it in the village or on the distillery's social media, especially out of season.

Next door is the kafeneio To Spitiko Galaktoboureko, known for its home-made semolina and syrup pastry.

Apiranthos, the marble village

Apiranthos is further east and higher up, and it is another world: marble-paved streets, arches, stairs and unwhitewashed stone houses. It is explored on foot. A main street runs through it from end to end, with the square, the Platsa, in the middle.

It has five small museums:

• Michalis Bardanis Archaeological Collection, on the main street: more than 1,200 pieces, mostly from the Cycladic period. According to the Ephorate of Antiquities, it opens from 8:30 to 15:30, closes on Tuesdays and admission costs €5 (€3 reduced). The Naxos tourism website gives a different timetable; if you are going specially, call +30 22850 61725 first.
• Folklore Museum, on the Platsa, with instruments, farm tools, costumes and textiles donated by the villagers. Free admission.
• Geological Museum, with more than 2,000 samples of rocks, minerals and fossils from Naxos. Free.
• Natural History Museum, with two aquariums and skeletons of a dolphin, sea turtle, monk seal and whale. €3, which includes the Visual Arts Museum, opened in 2008 with work by artists from the village.

These last four open in summer in the afternoon: from 10:30 to 19:30 in July and until 21:00 in August. For the rest of the year the tourism website gives no hours: ask in the village.

How to get there

By KTEL bus from the Chora station: to Halki it is about 30 minutes and €2.30; to Apiranthos, an hour and €3.50. The same line stops in both villages, so you can get off at Halki, carry on on the next bus to Apiranthos and come back. Check the timetables at the station, because outside summer there are few departures. By car, the road is good but winding; in Halki and Apiranthos look for parking on the outskirts, because the centre is pedestrian and narrow.

Time and who it suits

Allow about five hours with the journeys: a good hour in Halki and two in Apiranthos, with lunch. It is an outing for all ages. The streets of Apiranthos have steps: with a baby, bring a carrier. In summer, in the morning the interior is cooler than the coast, but at midday it is just as hot.