Naxos 2026: Portara, Temple of Demeter, museums, KTEL buses and beaches — tickets and opening hours

Updated: 10 November 2026

Naxos has the Portara and the Archaeological Museum in Chora, and inland the Temple of Demeter at Sangri, the Sanctuary of Dionysus at Yria and the Apeiranthos collection. This guide brings together what we could check on 10 November 2026 on the pages of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades and the Greek Ministry of Culture, with the year of each fact. Anything we did not find in an official source is marked «not confirmed»; anything taken from the press is labelled as such.

Museums and archaeological sites: 2026 hours and tickets

According to the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades (2026 hours pages, last modified 26 and 29 October 2026; summer season 1 April–31 October, winter 1 November–31 March):

Archaeological Museum of Naxos (Agia Ursula, Chora): free entrance. Summer: Monday and Wednesday–Sunday 09:00–14:00, closed Tuesday. Winter: daily 09:00–14:00, Tuesday included, according to the 2026 pages. An older Ephorate page says closed on Tuesdays; call ahead: 22850 23997.
Archaeological site and collection of Sangri (the site usually identified with the Temple of Demeter at Gyroula; the Ephorate lists it as «Sangri»): €5, reduced €3, e-ticket available. Monday and Wednesday–Sunday 08:30–15:30, closed Tuesday, all year. Tel. 22850 75512, 22850 32591.
Archaeological collection of Apeiranthos: €5 (reduced €3), Monday and Wednesday–Sunday 08:30–15:30, closed Tuesday. Tel. 22850 61725, 22850 29221.
Sanctuary of Dionysus at Yria: same hours (08:30–15:30, closed Tuesday). 2026 price: not confirmed; the 2026 pages give none, while the page with the 2025 summer hours says €5 (reduced €3). Tel. 22850 42325.
Kourounochori collection and the on-site museum at the Metropolis: by appointment only; the latter is also listed as temporarily closed. The Glezos Tower in the Kastro is closed for restoration.
Last admission 20 minutes before closing. Always closed: 1 January, 25 March, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 25 and 26 December. Easter Monday, Whit Monday, 15 August and 28 October: normal hours.

The Portara (Sanctuary of Delian Apollo)

The Portara, the great marble doorway of the Temple of Apollo on the islet of Palatia next to Chora harbour:

The Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades has a page for the «Sanctuary of Delian Apollo (Portara)» (last modified 9 July 2026), but it gives no hours, ticket or access conditions, and the Portara is not on the 2026 hours and prices pages. Official hours and ticket: not confirmed.
The «Naxos & Small Cyclades» tourism website (with a naxos.gov.gr contact address) says the islet is linked to Chora by a paved footpath.
According to the press (August–September 2025, quoting Ministry of Culture statements): the islet is freely accessible and is not an organised archaeological site; after incidents in summer 2025 the Ephorate fenced off the monument, and the permanent fence was completed on 26 September 2025. How close visitors can get today: not confirmed.
Do not touch or climb on the ancient blocks. For access questions, ask the Ephorate or the Archaeological Museum of Naxos (22850 23997).

Free admission days 2026–2027

According to the Greek Ministry of Culture, state-owned archaeological sites, monuments and museums are free on the first and third Sunday of each month from 1 November to 31 March, on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September and 28 October. The dates below are our own calculation from that rule (the Ephorate already announces Sunday 15 November 2026):

Winter 2026–2027: 15 November, 6 and 20 December 2026; 3 and 17 January, 7 and 21 February, 6 March (Saturday), 7 and 21 March 2027.
Rest of 2027: 18 April (Sunday), 18 May (Tuesday: Sangri, Yria and Apeiranthos are normally closed on Tuesdays), 25–26 September, 28 October.
Each individual date: not confirmed until announced by the Ephorate or the Ministry. The Archaeological Museum of Naxos is free anyway.
Free entry also applies, among others, to people with disabilities (plus one companion if the disability is 67% or more), refugees and applicants for international protection, journalists, ICOM and ICOMOS members, EU/EEA school visits, and, for Greek residents only, social solidarity income recipients, holders of an unemployment card, parents of large, three-child and single-parent families, and people doing military service. The list can change; check with the Ephorate.

KTEL buses

What we found and what we did not:

According to the «Naxos & Small Cyclades» website (2018–2019 page): the KTEL office is a few metres from Chora port, buses leave from across the street from the ticket office, tickets must be bought before boarding, tel. 22850 22291, and routes change with the season. We could not confirm the phone number for 2026.
2026 routes, timetables and fares (for example Chora–Sangri, Apeiranthos or the beaches): not confirmed. The timetable website that page links to did not open; check the board at the ticket office or ask your accommodation.
Sangri, Yria and Apeiranthos close at 15:30: if you go by bus, plan the return journey too.

Beaches and Natura 2000

What we could not confirm:

Municipal rules on sunbeds, organised beaches, parking or Natura 2000 protected areas: not confirmed. We found no notice from the Municipality of Naxos and the Small Cyclades; the press reports inspections for illegal occupation of the beach in 2025.
Before you go, check the signs on the beach and ask your accommodation.

If you run a property on Naxos

What travellers often ask AI assistants:

Whether the Archaeological Museum is open on Tuesday, what time Sangri and Yria close and which Sunday is free.
Whether they can walk up to the Portara and how to get to the Temple of Demeter or the beaches without a car.
Stating the distance and how to get there on your website, and pointing to the Ephorate and KTEL for hours and prices instead of promising them, helps AI give more accurate answers.

How iQuota helps

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Frequently asked questions

How much is the Archaeological Museum of Naxos in 2026?

According to the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades, entry is free. It opens 09:00–14:00; in summer it is closed on Tuesdays. Tel. 22850 23997.

How much is the ticket for the Temple of Demeter?

The Sangri archaeological site and collection cost €5 (reduced €3) in 2026, with an e-ticket; open Monday and Wednesday–Sunday 08:30–15:30.

Do I need a ticket for the Portara?

The Ephorate lists no ticket or hours for the Portara. According to the press (2025), the islet is freely accessible and the monument is fenced. Official confirmation: not confirmed.

Which days are archaeological sites free?

According to the Ministry of Culture: the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March, 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September and 28 October. The next one, per the Ephorate: Sunday 15 November 2026.

How much is the KTEL bus on Naxos?

Not confirmed: we found no official page with 2026 fares and timetables. The KTEL office is next to Chora port.

Sources

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