Evaluation: This is a fairly short hike, one of the few in the immediate surroundings of Chóra. It is an interesting hike, because you have a great view on the island of Náxos all the way through. It might be a good idea to make this hike in the afternoon, as to enjoy the sun set over the harbour and the Portára (the remnants of the temple of Apollo) on your way back from the monastery. This hike gets an evaluation of **. 

Estimated time: In a little under thirty minutes you will already reach the monastery of Agios Chrysóstomos. It is possible to continue for another thirty minutes, which means that the overall hiking time can take about two hours in reality – when taking some breaks once in a while this hike can keep you busy for half a day.

Route description: You can leave from the far end of the harbour promenade, between the statue of P. Protopapadákis and the bus station. You take the street leading away from the sea, the Odós Iroöon Politechníou, between the Zas Travel Agency and the pharmacy. You follow this meandering street for about five minutes, until you get to the Studios La Fontana. You can also avoid this fairly busy street with its narrow pavements by going straight ahead/towards the right after some 150 metres, past the shop with traditional products and fruit. You thus proceed towards the recently constructed space around the new Mitrópolis Site Museum. On the Mitrópolis-square you walk on the left-hand side of the museum, which is partly constructed underground, and also on the left-hand side of the Nikólaos-church and the cathedral Zoödóchou Pigís – all together there are four churches on this square.

[If you have time now, it is definitely worthwhile to pay a visit to this rather small museum; it is nicely set up and it contains some interesting remnants of habitation from the Mycenean era (1400 - 1050 BC) – there are remainders of walls and even of a rare "pottery workshop", and there are findings of burial rituals dating from this Mycenean era and also from a later time. Because of the original construction of the museum you can walk over and between the remnants and ... the visit is for free (the opening hours are from 8am – 2.30pm, except on Mondays).]

By walking straight ahead, you get from the square to an asphalt road; just past Hotel Anna you take a very narrow alley off the left and you thus reach the asphalt road coming from the harbour again, on the right-hand side of the Studios La Fontana. On the opposite side you can see a – for the moment still vacant – sandy slope; you go up in the direction of the sign of Hotel Grotta. You thus get above the rocky coast and after 7-8 minutes all together you arrive on the left-hand side of Hotel Grotta and in front of the Iliada Studios – two excellent places to stay.

You go up straight ahead on the concrete street Odós Iakóvou Kambanélli and you walk on the right-hand side of the Magic View Studios; right away you take a left again, going up on the steep slope. Past the Georgia Studios you go right for a little while and then left again. When looking behind, you gradually get a beautiful view on the kástro. In this way, you leave this new neighbourhood. For a short while you can notice the rocky coast on the left, deep beneath the trail. You turn to the right and you then see the church of Agia Paraskeví on your right-hand side. The church is open and it contains a great ikonostási. Straight ahead, keeping the church on the right, you find a staircase going down. You are walking on a fairly high altitude already and by taking about 80 steps you get to the road to Eggáres. You take a left, and after about 100 metres you continue straight ahead at a junction. You now proceed in the direction of Eggáres and after another 100 metres, outside of the buildings, you take a small asphalt road to the right (there is a signpost to the "Iera Moní Agiou Chrysostómou").

You follow this road for a couple of hundred metres, but in the first bend you take the gravel road leading towards a house. On the left of this house you find the beginning of a vague path going straight ahead up the slope, straight in the direction of he monastery. You thus cut a corner of the asphalt road, and in this bend you continue straight ahead on the trail, all the time straight in the direction of the impressive building – you do not deviate to the road on your left-hand side. Finally, you get to the road again, near the monastery. You go through the gate and then you go up 50 steps till the monastery of Agios Chrysóstomos. This imposing monastery resembles a fortress and it was constructed in 1606: there are still a couple of nuns living there, but the monastery cannot be visited. In front, there is a small cemetery, where the poet Epifánios Kalafátis from Hydra is buried – the panoramic view on Chóra (Náxos) is absolutely magnificent…

Panoramic view on Chóra from Agios Chrysóstomos.

You can continue on a path, running between sloppy and partially collapsed iron railings. After a couple of hundred metres you get to another small gate made of a bed frame – it is easier to climb over the wall and the wire on the right-hand side of this gate. Past the gate you find the trail which goes further down. The vague goat path becomes slightly more difficult to follow. In any case though, you continue your descent in northeastern direction. You keep to the right of two ruins and you thus reach yet another obvious trail, on the right-hand side of a third ruin.

[Based on the first hike in the book "Naxos and the small Cyclades" we have tried to find a continuation to the hike at this point, but to no avail...]

On this obvious trail you go back to the left, until you arrive straight under the last but one ruin. Further down everything becomes very green, with fig trees and a well. You keep to the right of a large, pointed rock and you get a view over the sea. Over here you go to the left sharply, underneath the rock. You go through a gate made of a bed frame (again!). You cross a field, while keeping to the left on a vague goat path. You then walk in the direction of the two highest ruins and you thus reach a double barred fence – you are now close to the small ruin again, where you have climbed over the wall just a moment ago. You might have to look for a while to get through the fence; one component of the fence is loose though and in this way you are able to get to the trail, which you follow to the right. You thus arrive at the crest of the hill fairly quickly, with a marvellous view on the village of Chóra and the monastery in front.

The way back is very obvious, but before leaving you should have a good look around. You do not have to go straight down; instead, you should describe a wide bend to the left, on a trail between walls. In this way you gradually turn until you get above the small garden with bamboo. The trail then continues zigzaging until it reaches the stable – you could already see this stable from higher up, on the right-hand side of the monastery. 
You thus walk as follows: three minutes to the gate made of a bed frame; another three minutes to the next gate; you then walk on the left of the small garden surrounded with bamboo. You go further down until you arrive on the left-hand side of the stable. You go through the gate, you follow the rocky trail for about three minutes, and after the fastened gate you go straight ahead for some two minutes – you thus get to the right-hand side of the monastery.