Kitron of Naxos, Vallindras Distillery

Kitron is the liqueur that Naxos has produced for centuries, and Vallindras is where you taste it properly. The distillery sits in Chalki — a quietly elegant village in the Tragaea plateau, about 16 km east of Naxos Town — inside a 19th-century neoclassical building that has changed very little since it first opened. The Vallindras family has been distilling here for generations, extracting spirit from the leaves of the citron tree (Citrus medica), a fruit that grows nowhere in Greece quite like it does on the interior of Naxos.

This is not a slick visitor center. It is a working distillery with copper stills, glass demijohns, and wooden shelves lined with bottles of all three grades of Kitron: green (the driest and highest in alcohol), yellow (medium), and clear (the sweetest). Visiting it tells you something specific about how this island thinks about its own produce.

What to Expect

Entry to the distillery is free, and a tasting of all three Kitron varieties is typically offered as part of the visit. The interior is compact — a single main room where the original copper pot stills are displayed alongside the bottling and storage equipment — but the atmosphere is entirely authentic. Staff explain the distillation process and the difference between the three grades, which vary in sugar content, color, and the ratio of citron-leaf oil to neutral spirit. The liqueur has Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, meaning true Kitron can legally only come from Naxos. Bottles are available for purchase on-site, and Vallindras Kitron is one of the more practical souvenirs you can take home — it travels well and is difficult to find outside Greece.

How to Get There

By car or scooter: Chalki is reached via the main road from Naxos Town toward Filoti. The drive takes around 20–25 minutes. Parking is available on the village streets near the central square, where the distillery is located.

By bus: KTEL Naxos operates a route from Naxos Town toward the Tragaea villages, with a stop in Chalki. Check the current timetable at the bus station near the port, as frequency varies by season.

On foot or by bicycle: Chalki is connected to nearby villages — including Filoti and Moni — by marked trails through the Tragaea, but the distance from Naxos Town makes a full walking approach impractical for most visitors. A bike tour combining the Tragaea villages is a reasonable option for the fit and well-equipped.

Tickets: Admission is free.

Best Time to Visit

The distillery is open every day of the week from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Mornings on weekdays are the quietest time — tour groups tend to arrive in the late morning and early afternoon, particularly in July and August. Visiting Chalki in spring (April–May) or early autumn (September–October) means more comfortable temperatures for exploring the village afterward and fewer people sharing the tasting room. The Tragaea plateau is noticeably cooler than the coast in summer, which makes the midday visit more pleasant than it would be at a beach-side stop.

Tips for Visiting

• Taste all three grades. Green, yellow, and clear Kitron are genuinely different products. Don't leave after trying only one.
• Buy at the source. Prices at the distillery are at least as good as anywhere in Naxos Town, and the selection is broader.
• Pair with the village. Chalki has a Byzantine tower (Grazia Pyrgos), several old churches, and a café on its square. Budget 1.5–2 hours total for distillery plus village.
• Bring cash. Card payment availability at small island producers can vary; having euros on hand avoids inconvenience.
• Check seasonal hours. The 10am–5pm schedule is current, but hours can shorten outside peak season. A quick call to +30 2285 031220 before making a special trip is worthwhile in shoulder or winter months.
• Ask about the citron trees. If you're curious about where the leaves come from, the staff can point you toward groves in the surrounding countryside.

The History of Kitron and Vallindras

Citron trees were cultivated on Naxos long before distillation was applied to their leaves. The practice of making Kitron liqueur developed in the 19th century, and Vallindras is one of the oldest continuously operating producers. The liqueur is made by distilling the leaves — not the fruit — with a grape-based spirit, then adjusting the sugar level to produce the three recognized grades. The PDO classification, awarded by the European Union, formally recognizes that Kitron is a product of this specific place. Visiting Vallindras is, in that sense, as close to a primary source as island food tourism gets: the same family, the same building, the same copper stills, producing the same drink that has represented Naxos on tables across Greece for well over a century.