Naxos cheese earns top world honor, fueling island’s culinary tourism

The Graviera cheese of Naxos was named the world’s leading hard cheese by the Taste Atlas platform, highlighting the island’s gastronomic reputation. The cheese, bearing a Protected Designation of Origin for three decades, marks a milestone for the Naxos Agricultural Cooperative, which celebrates its 100‑year anniversary in 2026.

Cooperative president Dimitris Kapounis and hospitality leaders stress that the award is being leveraged to promote Naxos as a culinary destination, linking local production with tourism. Exports now reach more than 20 countries, and the cooperative aims to open its dairy plant to visitors by year‑end. The island’s hotels and restaurants are increasingly featuring local products—Graviera, honey, and other specialties—in breakfasts and menus, while experience‑focused events such as the 8th Food Experience Graviera Naxos bring chefs, journalists, and food bloggers to the island.

Officials say the strategy is to let visitors taste and observe the production process, turning gastronomy into a core pillar of Naxos’s tourism identity.