After an energizing Pilates session overlooking the Aegean followed by breakfast in your hotel, you'll journey to the center of the island for your first full day dedicated to Naxian life. You’ll be introduced to the agriculture and seasonal festivals that defined Greek communities as you visit the ancient temple of Demeter, and you’ll begin to see how the story of Greece illustrates the development of humanity’s fellowship with nature, the divine, and one another. 

Your next stop, the neoclassical village of Chalki (known for its citrus groves and jewelry galleries), will usher you through winding cobblestone streets and give time for encounters with a traditional weaver, a dedicated honey farmer, and a visit to the local church with breath-taking frescoes. You'll feel the love of the craft shared by each of these artisans, and see the important role Greek religion and nature played in maintaining the bonds between generations.

After lunch in Chalki and an opportunity to try the Naxian classic dessert, galaktoboureko, you'll take a stroll through some of the oldest olive trees in the world before returning to your hotel for a free evening or a swim in the sea.

After breakfast and Pilates this morning, you'll return to where the rhythms of Island life are still deeply connected to the land and sky. Strikingly similar to the days when Homer's Odyssey was the talk of the towns and goats roamed the hillsides freely, this world of Mountain views and sustainable nourishment will be spent soaking up the culture of hospitality while your host, a local goat farmer, introduces his farm and explains the making of cheese.

After your introduction to the farm, the rest of your morning will be dedicated to learning a few Mediterranean recipes with ingredients grown from the surrounding gardens followed by enjoying the lunch that you have prepared together.

This evening you’ll have time for another Pilates session or a free night to explore or relax.

This morning after poolside Pilates and breakfast together, we'll embark on a walking tour through the labyrinthine streets Chora, or Naxos Town. These winding white washed passageways offer surprises at every corner, and stories from times gone by. Continuously inhabited for more than five thousand years, Naxos was the capital of the Aegean in Bronze Age times. Today, whether strolling through the medieval town or old market, walking the beaches marked by shells and pottery, or ascending to the temple of Apollo, you’ll share in an immersive journey through the architecture, stories, and spirit that makes Naxos unique among the Greek Isles.

After a free afternoon for shopping, lunch, and beach hopping, we will regroup in the evening.

This morning after Pilates and breakfast, you'll hop on a private boat and glide at the speed of the wind along Greece’s most beautiful cliffs and beaches. Sailing the waters where the earliest Greek sailors developed the art of navigation, come ready for a day of sun, swimming, exploring coves reachable only by boat, and chatting with your local Greek captain—perhaps even taking a turn at the helm yourself and experiencing the sea as a horizon of curiosity connecting one world to another. 

In the early evening, you'll return to the island for a free evening to explore the nightlife and warmly lit city streets alive with music and the aromas of Naxian cuisine. 

After a free morning, we’ll arrive in Santorini. Famous for its beauty even in ancient times, the Phoenicians who settled here in the thirteenth century B.C. called the island Kallisti, ‘the most beautiful’. Created by the volcanic craters that gave way to its existence, the Caldera of Santorini is unique in the Aegean. 

Time-permitting,  we’ll explore the archeological site or the museum of Akrotiri. Like a Greek Pompeii, this city was destroyed when the volcano erupted in the sixteenth century B.C. and is a window in time to observe the daily lives of bronze-age Greeks.

For lunch this afternoon we’ll enjoy a tasting of its world-famous wines paired with a light Greek lunch that create a sommelier’s journey through the ages.

And after checking into our hotel in the late afternoon, we’ll be free for the evening to stroll through Oia and conclude with a spectacular view of the sunset over the Caldera.

After breakfast in our hotel, we'll be free this morning to hike the path towards Fira or to relax and explore the cobbled streets and classic views of Oia.

We will regroup in the early afternoon and head to the port to embark on a spectacular sailboat cruise around the island. During our last evening together we'll sail through the caldera and have dinner on board while observing the sunset and sea of the Greek mariners.

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Walking: moderate

Breakfast is included this day but there are no planned activities. Catch a boat to Crete, Folegandros and other easily reachable Greek islands or head to the airport to connect to your next destination or to fly home. Your Alithea guide will be available to help with travel plans throughout breakfast.