Archaeological site · Sicily

Naxos Archaeological Site

735 BCE: Greek settlers named this Sicilian coast after Naxos in the Cyclades. Dionysius imagery covers ancient coins here — wine god's presence on amphorae proves 2700 years of viticulture at Sicily's oldest Greek city.

What to do there

AdventureNaxos Archaeological SiteThe first Greek colony in Sicily (734 BC), named for the Aegean island of Naxos. The archaeological site at Giardini Naxos preserves the original settlement. From here, Greek colonists spread wine culture across eastern Sicily. The museum holds artifacts from the earliest western Greek wine culture.

Places to see and wineries nearby

Archaeological site Taormina Ancient Theater Second-largest ancient theatre in Sicily, built 300 BC with views of Mount Etna and the Calabrian coast—now host to opera and concerts under the Sicilian sun, paired with local wine experiences.
Winery · Taormina Taormina Greek Theatre & Etna Watch Mount Etna smoke from a 2000-year-old Greek theatre carved from limestone—pair the Mediterranean views with Sicilian Nero d'Avola and volcanic terroir wines from Etna's slopes.
Winery Passopisciaro Andrea Franchetti's 2000 restoration of a 1000-meter farm on Etna's slopes sparked Mount Etna's Nerello Mascalese renaissance, with six contrada bottlings from distinct lava terroirs.