Keramoti village, a village untouched in time, located in Naxos’ highlands, at a junction of the bigger main road network that connects Apeiranthos, Koronos, Moni and Kinidaros villages. This specific junction here, called Stavros Keramotis, is one of the best spots in the mountains of Naxos, where every visitor stops to take stunning pictures of the views that offers. In this spot here, there is a small whitewashed church dedicated to the Rise of Cross (Stavros) which took its name because of the cross-road’s existance here. Enjoy clear uniterrupted views of the eastern side of Naxos: Moutsouna, the Small Cycladic islands, even Amorgos island, and of the western side views of Naxos town all the way to Paros island across.
Keramoti village is a tiny little village, nestled in the rich lush vegetation in the bottom of a dell, in between 3 beautiful mountains: the Koronos, Atraliki and Vouno. Whitewashed houses, stone houses, lovely narrow cobblestone alleys, a picturesque square that is the meeting point of the locals, and a well preserved old olive press, maintain the traditional character of the Keramoti village that tries to resist tha passage of the time and abanndonment. Just outside the village, next to the small church Timios Stavros, there is a fantastic viewpoint, worth visiting!
Keramoti’s name derived from its shape that resembles as a tile (keramos in Greek). North and south of Keramoti village are the springs of 2 rivers of Naxos that meet here. One river comes from Fanari mountain and the other one from Koronos mountain. These 2 rivers are united at the western side of the village at diplopotama spot (the locals call it), this is the doubleriver meeting point, and from here on they continue their flow as a single river to the west. On their way to the west they shape a 6 meter waterfall, and then flow to Eggarres village irrigating the whole area and they debouch to the sea.
The abunadance of the water here has blessed the village with a green alley and a breathtaking natural beauty, afar different from the rest of the Cycladic landscape that is known to be barren. The area offers great hiking experience for anyone! The presence of enormous platan trees in the old bridge of the river, the natural spring with its refreshing water that is here, the 2 huge devastated watermills on the way along with the old traditional wash house that women used to wash their clothes, is worth the walk! You don’t want to miss it!
Nowdays, Keramoti village has become popular to hikers who love the trail to the Routsouna Falls, a great moderate hiking trail from the village to the waterfalls, takes about an hour to get there.
On 2001, Keramoti village had 76 inhabitants, but it has been depopulated since then, and nowdays it has just 20 permanent residents. It is constituted by almost 80 houses, from which most of them remain uninhabited in the winter. Their occupation is livestock farming, and agriculture. Keramoti’s residents are known for their simplicity and their hospitable personalities. There is even an island song dedicated about them, for its people along with the Danakos’residents, that states you wouldn’t find a bad person on either of these 2 villages. The village is renowned for its higly rated wine and honey. Below the main square there’s the only cafe of the village, and a meeting point of the locals. You can pay a visit to this place here if you want a refreshing drink and socilaize with its hospitable residents a bit. Keramoti used to have an elementary school, but nowdays is closed because of the children’s non existance. Most of its people live in Athens and they just visit the summertime.
The parish church of the village is dedicated to Saint Ioannis Theologos, and in its ground yard exists a folklore museum. A festival is held here every year, where many people from all over the island are gathering here, and they dance with folkloric music, eat local food and drink wine all night.
Keramoti village is a very romantic village! It embraces visitors with an open heart! Its nature, its surroundings, its silence! An emotional experience that takes you back to another time! The visitor here comes in contact with the simplicity of life, with the raw way of living, with the calmness and serenity of nature, with the divine beauty of the surrounding mountains, the culture of Naxos, the authentic side of a Greek island – a way of living that has disappeared from people’s lives today. Here you hear no sounds, but just the sounds of nature, your own breath, the whisper of the trees’ leaves and the sound of centuries. Here you recognize what is of genuine value and ignoring what is trivial. You forget what you have to do. Time is put away and you feel as close to your being as you ever can get.
Keramoti village is located 25 Km away from Naxos town, a 40 minute drive, and 8 Km from ELaiolithos, a 10 minute drive, Apeiranthos and Koronos are 10 minute drive from here.
