Naxos: Pottery, Kitron Distillery & Village Private Half-Day Tour

4.90

(134 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We were already winding through the backroads of Naxos when our guide, Yannis, pulled over in Damalas. The air smelled faintly earthy—like old stone and something sweet I couldn’t name. Inside the pottery workshop, an old man with flour-dusted hands spun a lump of clay into a bowl so fast it made my head spin. He grinned at my clumsy attempt to say “kalimera.” I tried shaping a tiny cup (it collapsed), but nobody seemed to mind. There was laughter echoing off the walls, and the sun outside felt sharp after the cool shade inside.

Chalki came next—tiny streets lined with pink bougainvillea and sleepy cats. We ducked into a family-run distillery that’s been making Kitron liqueur for generations. The place had this lemony smell that stuck to my skin. Our host poured us little glasses—Kitron is bright and sweet but with this herbal kick at the end. I tried saying “efharisto” properly; Li laughed when I butchered it (again). After that we wandered past old doorways and chatted about how nothing here seems rushed.

The olive oil press was cooler than I expected—literally cold inside, even though it was hot out. We watched as they explained how olives used to be crushed by hand (I can’t imagine the work). Tasted some oil on bread—peppery and green, almost grassy? It’s funny how something so simple can taste so alive. Then Filoti: a village sort of spilling down the hillside, all whitewashed houses under this massive plane tree that seemed older than anything else around. Yannis pointed out Panagia Filotitissa—the church’s three bells rang just as we walked up, which felt like perfect timing or maybe just luck.

I still think about that quiet moment under the tree, watching old men play cards while kids darted between tables. The museum next door showed how people used to live here—tiny rooms packed with relics and faded photos. There was no rush to leave; nobody pushing us along. Sometimes I wonder if places like this change you just by letting you slow down for a few hours.