The famous Portara in Naxos

When you visit Naxos, the first thing you will encounter is Portara of Naxos, a great marble gate that was intended to be the gateway to the Temple of Apollo. The temple was never finished, but the great door is still on the islet of Palatia, an islet that in antiquity was a hill that was connected to the main island with a strip of land. The construction of the temple began in 530 BC. And it stopped in 506 BC. Leaving only the gate. Today, it is a must to walk up the hill of Porta and enjoy one of the most amazing sunsets in the Cyclades. You will notice that Portara has many names, such as Palatia, the name of the island, Temple of Apollo, from the temple that was once intended to be and Ariadne Baths. The last name is most interesting because it is a name that hides the great mythology of Greece and shows the importance of Naxos in antiquity. In mythology, Ariadne was a Minoan princess, the daughter of King Minos, who fell in love with Theseus and helped him to kill the Minotaur on Crete. After the monster was killed, Theseus escaped from Crete with Ariadne, but left her in Naxos, just at the place where Portara is located. The reason why he left her is that when they stopped at Naxos to complete their trip to Athens the following day, God Dionysios told Theseus in a dream that he must leave her back to marry the God and become immortal. From Portara, when the weather is clear, you can see Syros, Delos and Mykonos. The gate is oriented towards Delos, the island where Apollo was born in mythology