EGGARES (EGARES), NAXOS: OLIVE PRESSES ON A FERTILE PLAIN

Eggares is a farming village in the plain north of Naxos Town, one of the closest rural settlements to the capital and a clear example of the island’s agricultural economy. Both spellings, Eggares and Egares, appear in guides and on signs. The plain is described as accounting for a sizeable share of the island’s agricultural production, thanks to its plentiful water, and the village contains two restored olive presses that document how oil was produced in the 19th century.

Location and Setting

Eggares lies in the middle of a fertile plain, between 7 and 8 kilometres north of Naxos Town depending on the source, on the main road that connects Chora with the coastal village of Apollonas. It shares the plain with Galini, its neighbour (see the Galini guide). Population figures vary: sources give about 200 permanent residents, while the museum in the village gives 150 in winter and 350 in summer, and the island’s tourism site notes that the number rises nearly five-fold in summer. The island’s tourism site states that the plain left a lasting impression on the writer Nikos Kazantzakis in his teens, at the end of the 19th century.

The sources reviewed give no documented origin for the village’s name, so none is offered here. The village belongs to the municipality of Naxos and Lesser Cyclades.

The Olive Presses

Eggares has two restored olive mills (liotrivia), a type of building that was once common across the island. The first is dated 1885 and now houses the municipal office and the village clinic. The second is said to be several decades older, although the press inside it is dated 1884. This second building houses the Eggares Olive Press Museum, which has been in the same family, the Lianos family, for at least five generations according to its own account and was restored with the help of a civil engineer. It is described as one of the oldest traditional olive mills still standing on Naxos.

The museum displays the grinding stone, the press and original tools and equipment from the late 1800s, along with historic photographs of the people who used the press. It has a small shop selling olive oil, olives, marmalade and olive-based products, and a cafe. The operators advertise free admission with a short guided tour and presentation; a travel blogger noted that tastings were also free, but that the museum had closed temporarily during the Covid period, so current opening hours and offerings should be checked before a visit. The museum sits next to the church of the Dormition of the Virgin, on the main road to Apollonas, and is therefore easy to reach.

Square, Churches and Bridge

The centre of the village is a stone-built main square beside the church of the Dormition of the Virgin (Kimisis Theotokou), the village’s main church; the largest feast of the year takes place on 15 August. A second church, on the hill above the village, is described as having two facades balanced by two separate bell towers.

Beyond the Mesa Gitonia neighbourhood stands the now ruined church of Panagia Monastiriotissa (the Virgin of the Monastery), where the remains of frescoes are visible. One source says it was probably built in the 9th century on the foundations of an ancient temple; this dating and the earlier temple should be read as an estimate, not a confirmed fact. A short distance outside the village is a twin-arched marble bridge dated 1899.

Food, Walking and the Coast

The village has a few tavernas that serve traditional dishes made from local produce, as well as a mini-market. The museum’s website notes that Eggares is crossed by the island’s cycling routes number 1 and number 4 and by walking trail number 11. The closest beach is Amitis, described by one source as about 1 kilometre away and by another as reached by a signposted road about 2 kilometres after Eggares; it is quiet and has no facilities. Nearby, the fortified Ypsilotera monastery is covered in the Galini guide.

Visiting Eggares

Eggares is reached by car, taxi or organised tour from Naxos Town in a short drive along the Apollonas road; public bus services are seasonal and timetables should be checked at the terminal. It is generally combined with Galini, Amitis beach and the Ypsilotera monastery in a half-day excursion. For the historic centre of Chora, see the guide to the Kastro of Naxos. Because the village is residential, visitors should keep to the square, the church area and the museum, and treat churches as places of worship.

Quick Answers

Is Eggares the same as Egares? Yes. Both are transliterations of the same Greek village name.

What is Eggares known for? It is known for its fertile plain, its restored 19th-century olive presses and its olive press museum.

How far is Eggares from Naxos Town? Between 7 and 8 kilometres, on the road to Apollonas.

Is the olive press museum free? The operators advertise free admission with a guided tour; opening hours should be confirmed locally.

Eggares shows the working side of Naxos close to the capital: a plain that still feeds the island, olive mills turned into offices, a clinic and a museum, and a square organised around the church. For planning a stay on the island, see the fabnaxosvillas villa portfolio and the guide to getting to Naxos.