SKADO, NAXOS: A SMALL EMERY VILLAGE ON MOUNT KORONOS

Skado is a small hillside village in the north-east of Naxos, on the road between Koronos and Apollonas. It has few services and no major monuments, but it is a clear example of how emery mining organised life in this part of the island: its inhabitants worked in the mines and held shares in them, and farming was never a significant occupation. Today it has a few permanent residents, a number of abandoned houses, and a busy summer festival.

Location and Setting

Skado is built amphitheatrically on the slopes of Mount Koronos, in a green setting, and belongs to the Drymalia municipal unit. Distance from Naxos Town is given as 38 kilometres by some sources and 29 kilometres by another, so it should be treated as a range of roughly 30 to 40 kilometres. It lies right after Koronos on the eastern road axis from Stavros Keramoti towards Apollonas. Its houses are mostly two-storey stone buildings along narrow paved paths. The village is reported to have around 120 residents, although some sources describe quite a few abandoned houses and a settlement that fills up mainly in summer.

The name is usually hypothesised to come from the many fig trees (sykies) around the village, although this is an unverified explanation. The variant Skada also appears, and the group of emery villages around Koronos is traditionally called the Smiridohoria.

Emery, Shares and Hardship

Skado is one of the emery-producing villages of Naxos, along with Koronos, Apeiranthos, Keramoti and others. Emery is a very hard abrasive mineral, and the mines in the mountains of the north-east were traditionally worked by local cooperatives in which inhabitants held shares. See the Koronos guide for the fuller story of the industry, the aerial cableway to Moutsouna and the decline of mining.

A feature specific to Skado, as described in local sources, is that the village never developed a significant farming economy. When the mines were closed during the German occupation of the Second World War, there was little local produce to fall back on, and many villagers are reported to have starved. The village includes a monument to the Greek Resistance of 1941 to 1944, which is regarded as a place of memory for this period. The sources do not give a death toll for Skado itself.

What There Is to See

The sights are modest and local in scale. In the centre of the settlement stands an old olive mill. The folklore collection of Marigo Pittara, housed in the village, displays objects of everyday life from the past. The village church of the Panagia stands at the end of the settlement; according to tradition it was built during the Ottoman period, and it is one of two churches in the village said to date from that time. One source adds that two Byzantine churches with frescoes are found around Skado; no names or precise dates are given in the sources reviewed, so these should be confirmed locally before a visit.

The August Festival

The main event of the year is the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin on 15 August, celebrated at the church of the Panagia, with festivities on the evenings of 14 and 15 August. The village is described as becoming very crowded for these days, with food and local wine offered to all visitors and local musicians playing. Outside this period, the village is quiet. Visitors planning to attend should expect crowds.

Visiting Skado

Skado is reached by car or taxi along the road from Naxos Town through Keramoti and Koronos, and is usually visited as part of a drive through the north-east towards Apollonas. Public bus services to the north-east are seasonal, and routes and timetables should be checked at the terminal in Naxos Town. The village has very limited services, and cafes and tavernas are found in Koronos (see the Koronos guide) and on the coast. It combines naturally with Koronos, Keramoti and Moni (Moni guide), and with the road down to the east coast. The village is residential, so visitors should keep to the lanes and treat the church as a place of worship. Late spring and early autumn are generally comfortable for walking at this altitude.

Quick Answers

Where is Skado? On the slopes of Mount Koronos in north-east Naxos, immediately after Koronos on the road towards Apollonas.

What is Skado known for? It is known for its emery-mining history, its small size and its festival on 14 and 15 August.

How many people live in Skado? Sources give around 120 residents, with many houses empty outside summer.

Where does the name come from? It is hypothesised to derive from the local fig trees, but this is not documented.

Skado is small enough to be passed in minutes, yet it records an economic model that is now almost gone: a village whose income came from shares in mines rather than land. The stone houses, the olive mill, the folklore collection and the festival keep that history visible. For planning a stay on the island, see the fabnaxosvillas villa portfolio and the guide to getting to Naxos.