Moutsouna in Naxos

The road to Moutsouna turn right just before you arrive at Apiranthos. From the crossing it is about 11 kilometres down to Moutsouna. The road is at the beginning quite nice, some green trees and nice views, later on it becomes boring even if the windings makes the road quite pleasant to drive.

View over Moutsouna.

Halfway there, you can make a small detour to the old emery mine. The emery was, among other things, used for the manufacture of sandpaper, in my youth was many sandpapers marked with Naxos. Emery was transported from the mine via a cable car down to Moutsouna. The cable car still exists as a kind of monument of the industrialization on Naxos.

One of the emery mines on Naxos.

The cable car is clearly visible when approaching the sea. From a distance it looks almost like a cable car for people, but on closer sight you can see that the baskets are too small to accommodate people. The cable car stops at the port of Moutsouna where there is tons of emery waiting to be processed.

The cable car that transported emery from the mines down to the port of Moutsouna.

The port of Moutsouna from where the emery was shipped out into the world.

Moutsouna is dominated by the port where the emery previously was shipped out. The large cranes take you back to the heyday of Moutsouna. Today, Moutsouna is a sleepy fishing village where nets hanging to dry and fishermen sit and mend their nets. Some tavernas are fighting for customers with signs in several languages. In the middle of the village is a small beach that is good enough for a swim before lunch. A long sandy beach lies just behind the bend of the village.

The beach to the right of Moutsouna.

Both beaches in Moutsouna.

There is rooms to rent for those looking for peace and quiet. I myself have never stayed here, but it would be wonderful to sit down at one of the tavernas in temperate and quiet evenings and philosophize about life and emery. As a view one will have my favourite island of Amorgos. Could it be better?

From the taverns in Moutsouna offers views of Amorgos.

A narrow dirt road turns left towards Azalas beach just before reaching Moutsouna. According to a Greek guidebook shall the pebbles be exceptionally colourful here. Certainly there are many fine pebble on the beach, but they are not unique. As a beach, Azalas is nothing to write home about, unless you want to be alone. Here are just a few houses, no taverna but a pension. If you like beautiful pebbles I can recommend the beach at Lionas where there are lots of beautiful pebbles, and emery mines.

Azalas beach near Moutsouna.

From Moutsouna one can continue the road along the entire eastern coast where there are several beaches, including Psili Ammos and Panormos.

Read about the beaches east of Moutsuna here »

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