Andros Greece | tourist holiday travel guide to Greek island Andros


	Andros Greece \| tourist holiday travel guide

Andros is one of the more northerly islands in the central Cyclades group. It is one of the larger islands and, being close to the mainland on an a main ferry route, a popular choice for weekending mainlanders. Andros has a character all of its own - a pity that it is so one-dimensional. Variety is not the island's long suit with a single tourist resort at Batsi, a fairly humdrum capital at Hora and hills around the more popular resorts plastered in empty holiday homes for weekending Athenians.
That is not to say the island doesn't have its good points. Natural springs give rise to lush green valleys between majestic mountain peaks, the beaches can be spectacular - though you may have to travel a long way to find them - and there is an extensive network of paths criss-crossing the wild interior, making it an ideal destination for hikers. It is also one of the easiest islands for independent travellers to get to. Ferries heading for Myconos and Naxos leave Rafina every day and Andros is the first port of call. But don't expect traditional Greek friendliness here; the natives are a dour, monosyllabic lot and villages can be about as chummy as a Welsh village on a wet Wednesday

Overview

Andros is the most northerly of the Cyclades chain and just a short ferry ride from the mainland so it's popular with Greeks, many of who have holiday homes here.
It's a big island and beaches are few, given the size, and mediocre, given the nearby rivals in the rest of the Cyclades. Neither are the locals as friendly nor is the food as good as you can find in the rest of the Cyclades.
The main resort of Batsi is fast becoming overcrowded with new holiday apartments now spilling down the hillsides, though it is still a very pleasant and unhurried resort.
A network of well maintained donkey trails make this a walkers' paradise. There are cross-country routes across the mountains and walks along the shoreline.

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		Central Andros

Blue Flag beach

Batsi

Satelllite view: Batsi

READERS RECOMMEND

Best eating

Athena, San Remos,Venezian, Viva Dionyssos

The island's main, some would say only, resort at BATSI is built on two hills overlooking a fine natural harbour with a splendid beach of soft, golden sand. The sands are backed by shady tamarisks and a new wooden path has been built behind, lining the road. Along the road are a clutch of hotels and one of two tavernas.
At the southern end, the beach meets the harbour wall and a string of tavernas have grown up around the taxi rank in the small main square. On upper floors are more tavernas offering customers fine views from balconies overlooking the bay.
As a quiet family resort it is almost perfect though it does get crowded at weekends when visiting Athenians swell the numbers. There are shops, bakeries, fruiterers, banks, a splendid outdoor cinema plus free information and booklets on the island from the Sun Travel office up steps next to the Delefinia restaurant or from Andros Travel behind the main beach.
As Batsi is so popular with weekending Greeks the main sandy beach gets busy in the high season and prices are jacked up accordingly with a couple of sun beds setting you back 8€-a-day. The water is shallow and safe for children and there is plenty of shade at the northern end.
Hospitality is much in evidence in the local tavernas and I was regularly offered a free 1/2 litre of wine with my meal. All the tavernas served good food though visiting Greeks headed for those behind the beach rather than in the resort proper.
The hillside alleyways provide a maze of steep walks in pleasant shade with spring water streams pouring down gullies on either side of some paths. The resort is dominated by the church sporting a huge neon-lit cross and an automaton for a bellringer.
To escape the crowds you can head around the bay to the small inland facing beach at FANORMOS - within easy walking distance - or follow tracks over the headland

Batsi

Fanormos


		Aghia Marina
		South of Batsi and within easy walking distance is a trio of small beaches at AGHIA MARINA. The nearest is a narrow nondescript strip of gravel and stone beneath vertical cliffs. Over the headland, and surrounded by a large hotel complex, is the best of the beaches, a small narrow strip of sand and stone with a summer cantina parked beneath the cliff at one end. Access is down very steep steps from the hotel but the beach barely has room for half a dozen umbrellas and is quickly filled in the summer. The sea is strewn with rock slabs with deep water beyond so it's not ideal for children. The furthest beach of the three is an exposed and narrow strip of gravel and stone with no facilities.	Agia Marina


		Paleopoli
		The first village south of Batsi is APROVATI which offers astonishing views of the terraced hills and the sea beyond. An archaeological site nearby at IPSILLI unfortunately appears to be permanently fenced off with warnings against trespass. There are beaches here too at PRASINI AMMOS and KOUTSI but they are only accessible by boat or by foot if you fancy a steep scramble through the wild undergrowth. Further south is the beautiful village of PALEOPOLI built on a steep hill and with vegetation so lush you can hardly make out the houses. As the name implies this was a major settlement in ancient times and the remains of the former town can be seen submerged beneath the sea. Many artifacts unearthed here can be seen in the museum at Hora but there is a small archaeological museum in the village that opens on Wednesdays only. There are steps leading down from the main road to the long exposed beach but get fit before you tackle them - there are 1,039.


		Stavopedra
		As the road continues south the vegetation become more sparse and you eventually reach STAVOPEDRA, an ugly crossroads in the middle of nowhere notable only for the amount of rubbish that seems to collect there. Here the road forks, with Hora to the east, Korthi to the south and a small road leading down to the sea at the isolated and bare beach of stone and pebble at CHALKOLIMNIONA.	Chalkolimniona


		Remata
		Inland from Batsi is the monastery of ZOODOCHOS PIGI, a gaunt, geometric edifice that does little to enhance the surrounding countryside. Once the most important monastery on the island no-one is sure when it was first built but there is evidence of its existence in 1325. Inside are good wall paintings from the 14th and 16th centuries. It was repaired in 1928 since when it has been used as a convent. Don't turn up without an appointment as you are unlikely to gain entry. Also inland from Batsi but heading east are the villages of KATAKILOS and PANO KATAKILOS on either side of a long ravine. The area was settled long before Batsi due to the springs found here which also give rise to plenty of pretty waterfalls, especially at REMATA where it's accompanied by lush greenery in the steep valley. The road twists and turns like a corkscrew until it reaches the top of the hills where a newly constructed highway has been built that takes you all the way to Hora. Stay on the mountain road instead of dropping down into KALATAKILOS and you end up, after a long and tortuous drive along a seemingly endless stone and gravel road, at the small white sand bay of ATENI with a tiny white chapel perkily perched above two beaches. The smaller beach is the shallower and better for swimming.	Remata waterfall Ateni beach


		Hora or Andros Town	Satelllite view: Hora
		The island capital of ANDROS TOWN, known locally as HORA, completely covers a long, narrow headland of around 400m in length, ending at a small rocky islet. The islet houses the ruins of a Venetian fortress and is connected to Hora by a picturesque, if precipitous, bridge that was rebuilt in 1956 after the original was destroyed in a storm. Further out to sea is the TOURLITIS lighthouse, impressively built on a large rock. The headland itself is bisected by the a long traffic-free street of GEORGIOU EMPIRIKOU which is dotted with shops and cafes and small artists' studios. Three quarters of the way along is the main square with a fountain and cafes, chairs and table set out beneath the dappled shade of a huge plane tree. Hora boasts many large neoclassical buildings, a quirky result of the wealth of its citizens. The Archaeological Museum was founded in 1981 and included some impressive exhibits including the statue of Hermes of Andros - a first century copy of the original discovered on the coast at Paleopoli. Most bizarre is the funding of the Gouldandris family for a Museum of Modern Art with works by Greek artists as well as more eminent painters such as Picasso, Braque and Matisse. It hosts a regular summer exhibition of international art, in 2003 it was Braque. Near the museum is the much photographed chapel of Agia ThakassiniI built on a rock and frequently lashed by waves. Wealthy donations have blessed the town with the Kairoa Library with some 3,000 rare titles. At the end of the headland is the Maritime Museum which appears to enjoy opening hours that suit everyone but visitors - I tried to visit three times and it was closed each time - and a large slabbed square dominated by a bronze statue to the Unknown Sailor donated by Russia - and it looks it.	Hora Bridge Lighthouse



		North Andros


		Gavrio	Satelllite view: Gavrio
		The main island port of GAVRIO is a scruffy, ramshackle sort of place that holds little of interest other than getting out of it. Swathes of concrete have been laid for ferry docking and car parks and at peak time ferries pull in and out in droves, just like the buses that wait for them at the main gate. A dozen or so utilitarian cafes and tavernas line the long main road behind the quay serving mainly as waiting rooms for ferry passengers. Menus are basic and you're obviously not expected to linger. Roads are busy with ferry traffic and there is little in the way of charm, though the surrounding hills are very pleasant.	Gavrio


		Liopesi
		Over the headland south of Gavrio are a several small bays easily accesible from the main road that runs behind them. Most are nothing more than small rocky inlets with a few scruffy patches of gritty sand. Nevetheless thay make for attractive spots for those who prefer quiet getaway places. One of the more interesting is the beach at LIOPESI is blessed with a distinctive and much photographed rock formation and nearby coves to explore. The picturesque setting features heavily on all the island tourist brochures.	Liopesi


		Agios Petros	Satelllite view: Agios Petros
		Beyong Liopesi is a long stretch of scruffy sand bisected by a small stream at AGIOS PAETROS. The long flat beach is littered with stones and various bits of rubbish and there is a derelict holiday complex sitting at one end, an ugly sprawl of concrete covered in graffiti. The road runs close behind making it noisy on the beach to sit on but its main advantage is that it is less crowded than the main Batsi beach to the south. Hotels on the headland offer facilities for eating and drinking. The road inland from Gavrio leads up a narrow paved road to the village of the same name with fine views across the valleys on the way. A kilometre or so before the village is the ancient tower. A small layby on a sharp bend offers some parking. Paths to the tower peter out among the scrub and terraced walls and the ruin itself is difficult to reach. The crumbling tower is about 20m high and very ancient, some say dating from the 4th century BC. It has five floors with a spiral staircase inside and was probably some sort of watchtower for the port of Gavrio. There are entrances to old copper mining caves on the hillside and a small chapel built next to the tower. Agios Petros village has a large fountain but little else to impress. A moribund place there is little reward for the steep drive down an unmade track. West of the village is the monastery of Sotiros currently undergoing restoration. It was founded in 1596 by the monk with the impressive name of Maximos Magnentios. Unfortunately the ground was too soft to support its weight and it rapidly suffered serious damage. There was a restoration attempt in the 18th century that was abandoned. It's a picturesque ruin on an impressive hillside spot.	Agios Petros Agios Petros Fountain


		Psili Ammos	Satelllite view: Psili Ammos
		The best of the beaches on this stretch is over the headland from Agios Petros beach and called PSILI AMMOS or CHRISI AMMOS depending which map you use. A long stretch of pure white sand is backed by dunes that provide shelter from the noise of the main road. There is a small, ramshackle beach bar at one end with sun beds and umbrellas. A sign at the beach bar calls for tourists to be careful with litter yet the bar itself was a spectacular pile of rubbish when I visited in May. Better facilities are found at a couple of roadside tavernas - just a short walk to the headland.	Psili Ammos


		Kiprianos
		The coast road south towards Batsi passes a couple of good beaches and some small coves. First is KIPRIANOS, Nearby is AGIOS KYPRIANOS where a small blue and white chapel overlooks a tiny cove of sand and stone. The chapel manages to look pretty despite being nothing more than an ugly cement box, a sort of garage with a bell tower.	Agios Kiprianos Kiprianos


		North of Gavrio	Satelllite view: Felos
		Beyond Gavrio the road around the bay leads to the small but pleasant beach at CHARAKAS. Alternatively you can take the road over the headland to the gorgeous beach at FELOS where tamarisks back onto a beautiful arc of golden sand. The map marks a taverna here but it is found a good 2km back from the beach and down a long and unsignposted dirt track. Best to take your own provisions There are other beaches to be found further south at KOURTALI and SELKI but they are small and also lack facilities and worth it only if you really do want to get far away from the crowds. There are even more remote beaches along the barren western-most coast at PISOLOMIONA, LIMANAKI, KAMINAKI and VLICHADA but they are for the most part down unmade tracks and again are without any facilities.	Felos Pisolomiona


		Zorkos	Satelllite view: Zorkos
		A turn inland from the road that runs north out of Gavrio takes you into the mounatins past the villages of Pano Felos and Frouesi before it peters out into a rough track, suitable only for a 4x4. The track descends gently to the coast along a river valley where there are several ancient Andros waterwheels. At the end of the track is a splendid white stone beach at ZORKOS. There are other small beaches in bays along this part of the coast but they are more rocky and windswept by the prevailing northern winds and many are only accessible by boat.	Zorkos


		Vitali	Satelllite view: Vitali
		The mountain road inland from Gavrio through Agios Petros takes you across the top of the island between two mountain ranges to the ruggest north coast of Andros. The paved road peters out opposite the village of VITALI which is strung out along the opposite side of a very deep valley. The rough track should not be negotiated except in a 4x4. It's OK getting down to the glorious bay but quite another getting back up. The bay itself is most impressive with stony white sand surrounded by rock cliffs. There are fresh water lagoons, a small taverna in high summer and a chapel set on nearby rocks. There is a similar bay below GIDES, just over the headland, and now accessible from Vitali by a rough track.	Vitali



		South Andros


		Ormos	Satelllite view: Ormos
		ORMOS KORTHI or simply Ormos as it is called, is a dull and lifeless place. The road follows the curve of a huge bay lined with a paved esplanade edged by a concrete sea wall. Over the wall a line of rocks has been dumped in the sea to act as a breakwater. A few desultory cafes and tavernas try to relieve a monotonous row of run-down house fronts but its an uphill struggler. At the far end of the esplanade are a number of concrete wharfs providing shelter for boats. There is a good folk museum which holds exhibitions in the summer as well as performances of traditional music and dancing.	Ormos


		Grias Pidima
		North along the coast are a trio of fine beaches. Signs in Ormos point to the best of the beaches at GRIAS PIDIMA but the route through the back streets of Ormos is tortuous and as a weird one-way system leads along what looks like a river bed and along pedestrian pavements. The road turn into narrow dirt track that hugs the vertiginous cliff making passing and parking a car a real feat of driving and nerve. The first beach is MILOS, a favourite with windsurfers and home of a surfing school then VIDSI which has a small, nondescript shingle beach. Finally comes GRIAS PIDIMA or Old Lady's Leap where a singular stone column stands erect above the sands. Legend has it that a pregnant woman was persuaded by Turks laying siege to the castle at Faneromi to get the defenders to open the gates for her. The Turks swarmed in and slaughtered everyone. The old lady in a fit of grief threw herself from the cliff and the spectacular pillar of stone was the result. It is certainly an impressive feature on a most impressive beach of shingle and sand, though the climb down by foot is exceptionally steep and there is parking above for only a couple of cars. Equally impressive, though not mentioned in the guidebooks is a rock formation on the headland that look every inch a sunbathing crocodile. Another beach at BOURO is no more than a thin strip of unattractive shingle and over the headland is another stony strip at MELISSA only accessible by boat or on foot.	Grias Pidima


		Aidonia
		The main road south of Ormos takes a meandering trip through several villages along a wide, green and picturesque valley. This is a region where the well-heeled have set up home when Ormos was a thriving commercial port serving ships heading for Istanbul and Smyrna. There are many fine houses to admire here as well as many dovecotes and chapels. AIDONIA has a beautiful fountain with a vaulted roof and marble decoration. At MOSKIONAS is a delightful church and at AGIA TRIADA a complex of ancient stone houses built in the traditional island style which, unfortunately now seem to be abandoned.


		Apatia
		The road rises into the hills at APATIA where small villages like MEGALO CHORIO, MORAKES and TZEO sit amongst some breathtaking scenery. This is one of the best places for views of the terraced fields that ripple down hillsides almost everywhere in Andros. Along the valley floor are abandoned windmills and above TZEO one of the best examples of a dovecote on the island. The more adventurous can take the pathway that leads right down the valley to join a dirt track below AGIA MARINA and back to Ormos.


		Zagora
		The main road continues to the east coast and to the ancient site at ZAGORA, the main settlement on Andros between 900 and 700BC. It was built on a naturally fortified promontory overlooking the sea and excavated in the 1960s and 1970s. Models of the site and various artifacts are on display at the museum in Hora but entrance to the actual site is forbidden.	Ancient Zagora


		Fanoremeni
		The road north out of Ormos eventually leads to Andros town but first snakes up to the mountain village of PISKOPIO before turning off for the picturesque village of LARDIA with many fine houses, several dovecotes, a pretty church and some stunning views down the valley. The road winds up to KOCHLOU, surely one of the loveliest villages on the island. Limestone outcrops are topped by the ruins of FANOREMENI castle which can be seen for miles around. A dirt track leads out of the village up to the former fortress now little more than a heap of rubble. Below Faneromi is the long narrow valley of DIPOTAMATA with a nature trail that takes in 22watermills, now mostly ruined hovels, a couple of stone bridges and some delightful scenery. On the opposite slope is a road leading to the village of MESA VOUNI and a track to the monastery at PANACHRANTOU. The end of the trail along Diptamata ends at beautiful beach of SINETI with sharp white sands in a small bay.



		ANDROS HIGHLIGHTS

		Environment
		The most northern of the Cyclades and just couple of hours from Athens by ferry, the island has become festooned with holiday homes and weekend cottages. The bedrock of crystallised schist has given rise to unique building methods. This can be seen mostly in the walls built to contain the extensive terracing, a legacy of when the land was tilled by hundreds of small farming families. Some liken the walling to works of art, I think it is just a mess. Large vertical slabs are infilled with smaller, horizontally laid stones, giving the walls a stuttered, concertina look.	Andros stone wall


		Dovecotes
		These are a legacy of the Venetians who kept doves for sport and meat. The dovecote towers on Andros are nowhere near as impressive as those on neighbouring Tinos but are very fine nevertheless and doted all over the island. They are two-storey affairs, the upper housing the doves and the lower used as a storeroom. Entrances for the doves were created by triangular arrangements of the slate-like schist stone. The triangle motif is found everywhere on island buildings as a decorative feature. On the quayside at Gavrio a dovecote has been turned into a tourist office.	Dovecote


		Culture
		Wealthy shipowners have lived on Andros for generations and the loot is reflected in some impressive building to be found in Chora. They have also bequeathed lashings of cultural clout with a Museum of Modern Art that boasts works by some major European artists as well as annual exhibitions that would not look out of place in European cities like Paris or Rome. There is also the Kaireios Library that has a large collection of valuable titles, hand-written historical archives and various works of art.	Hermes



		ANDROS MAP

Andros is a large island, about 25km long and 17km wide with most resorts in the north west and south east. Crossing east west takes you over high mountains with twisting roads. The main cross island route is west out of Hora then north along the coast to Gavrio. Old donkey trails have been preserved and restored and now make for fine walking routes.



		ANDROS WEATHER

North-eastern shores of Andros tend to be very windy but overall the climate is mild and dry. June to September the daily temperatures top of 26°C. May and October are a little cooler with highs of 22°C.

JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC	Temp C
8	9	15	16	19	24	26	26	23	18	9	8	Avg

Andros weather forecast

JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC	Rain ins
6	4	3	2	1	1	0	0	1	2	4	6	Avg



		ANDROS FACTS

Size: 40km(25m) by 17km(10m)
Population: 10,500
Season: May (19C) - Oct(18C)
Getting there: International flight to Athens, bus to port of Raffina and regular ferry and hydrofoils to Gavrio.
Getting around: Bus services between Gavrio, Batsi, Hora. Car and bike hire and water taxis in the main resorts.
Water: Drinkable but high mineral content - bottled preferred.
Special interest: Walking trails, notable dovecotes.
Island hopping: Good - it's on the main ferry route Andros, Tinos, Mykonos, Naxos.

Telephone: +30 0282
Tourist Office: Hora 25162, Gavrio 71770
Police: Hora 22300, Gavrio 71220, Batsi 41204
Medical Centre: 23703, 22222
Bus Station: Hora 22316
Taxis: Hora 22171 Gavrio 71561, Batsi 41081
Port: Gavrio71213
Archaeological Museum: 23664
Modern Art Museum: 22650

Cash machines in Hora (3), Batsi (2)


		The beautiful Greek Islands are renowned for their spectacular scenery, magnificent mountainous backdrops, stunning sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. Holidays to the Greek Islands are often most cherished for this combination of sunshine, warm waters and beaches set against truly wonderful scenery. Whether it is a traditional beach holiday you would like or something with a little more history, you'll find that a break away to the Greek Islands is just the answer!



		ANDROS PHOTO GALLERIES
		Going to Andros this year? If you would like your photo gallery here then email details. It takes 10 photos to make a gallery and they can be of the whole island or of a particular resort. For examples see photo galleries for Skiathos and Corfu



		ANDROS SITES

A personal pick of websites on Andros

Andros Greece Holiday Travel Guides: Foxy's Greek island guide to walks on Andros Greece

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Andros Greece | tourist holiday travel guide

ANDROS HIGHLIGHTS

ANDROS MAP

ANDROS WEATHER

ANDROS FACTS

ANDROS PHOTO GALLERIES

ANDROS SITES

A tourist holiday travel guide to the Greek island of Andros