A Dodecanese Dream: Summer Island Hopping in Greece
Feb 15, 2021, 12:21 pm
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,572
Chapter 11: Astypalea Town, continued.
For the full Astypalea Town article and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Kastro
From almost everywhere in town, as well as in the wider surroundings, you can see the hilltop castle (kastro) of Astypalea Town. Originally, the main settlement on the island was down at the water level, but due to the danger of marauding pirates the local inhabitants gradually moved their houses higher up the hill.When Astypalea was occupied by the Venetians in the 14th Century, a rich Venetian noble family decided to build the hilltop castle to protect the town.
It would end up standing fierce and proud above town until its eventual decline after the Venetians were first replaced by the Ottoman Turks and when Astypalea finally became part of the modern Greek state.
In the middle of the 20th Century, the last inhabitants moved out of the Kastro after a devastating earthquake crippled the last stone houses. You can still see the impressive ruins of these structures inside the Kastro.
You enter the castle through a narrow entrance, which opens up towards the main courtyard. If you look back, you can see that the tunnel-like entrance actually runs right underneath the blue-domed Church of the Virgin of the Castle.
There is another church within the premises of the castle walls. This is the smaller Church of Agios Georgios, from where you have commanding views over the deep blue waters of the Aegean Sea.
Although there isn’t much else to see within the Kastro, the sweeping vistas from the other side of the castle over Astypalea Town and the little harbour of Pera Gialos are excellent.
A narrow entrance leads into the Kastro.
The narrow tunnel opens up to the castle courtyard.
The entrance to the Kastro basically runs right through the Church of the Virgin of the Castle
The Church of Agios Georgios is the second church within the castle walls.
A frigate of the Hellenic Navy guarding the coastal waters of Astypalea.
Looking down from the castle walls over the Church of Holy Panagia Portaitissa.
Church
Astypalea Town has one other church which is well-worth a visit. This is the Church of Holy Panagia Portaitissa, located just outside the Kastro walls on the southern tip of Hora.
Unfortunately, the church itself was closed at the time I arrived, but the small church garden and surrounding streets make for a pleasant walk.
A small cemetery next to the church. Not a bad location for a last resting place!
Walking down
As the sun was nearly setting, it was time to walk back down from the Kastro through the winding lanes of Hora. Since I had pretty much skipped lunch, I was getting quite hungry and eager to test out one of the restaurants near the windmills.
Needless to say, there were plenty more great views to admire walking down the hill.
A must-stop on your way down is the little store called ‘Keranthos’, which you will find at the entrance of the old town. This gem of a shop sells all kind of local, organic products such as pastries, herbs, liqueurs, jams and other preserved foods. I can highly recommend the fig compote, among many other products!
Which way to go?
The dimarcheio (town hall) of Astypalea.
The unbelievably cute shop ‘Keranthos’, which sells excellent quality local sweets and other souvenirs.
Food
There are plenty of good restaurants to be found in Astypalea Town, with the bulk of them being located near the windmills at the entrance to the old town.
Maria, the kind host of my studio, had recommended the local tavern ‘Ageri’ to me. This turned out to be a great choice, as I certainly enjoyed my meal.
Given that I was extremely hungry, I ordered some dakos (Cretan salad of tomato, wild greens, peppers, tomatoes and feta and barley rusk) as well as some grilled cheese and some pork dish in a clay pot. All of it was absolutely tasty.
Although the taverns were still fairly empty when I set down, they quickly began to fill up with both locals and tourists after darkness fell. Ageri indeed seemed to be very popular among the locals and Greek tourists, as some people even began to wait on the square near the windmills until some tables became available!
The square also seemed to be a highly popular place for the local kids to run around and play on now that the temperatures had finally dropped to a more pleasant level.
When I arrived at the entrance of the old town at sunset, the streets already started to become noticeably more lively.
Walking back
After the excellent meal, I retreated back to my studio being tired from the long day with the knowledge that a good bottle of Greek red wine was awaiting me.
There were some excellent views over an illuminated Astypalea Town from both the winding coastal road, as well as from the terrace of my studio. Dare I say it, I think that the view over town is even prettier at night than during the day, or at the very least more evocative with the hilltop kastro shining bright in the darkness as a beacon of light.
Although there are plenty of great accommodation options smack in the middle of Hora, I certainly did not regret opting for a studio just outside the old town as it had the benefit of having an excellent view.
Next up: Exploring the last bits of Astypalea Town & touring all over the island with a rental car
For the full Astypalea Town article and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Kastro
From almost everywhere in town, as well as in the wider surroundings, you can see the hilltop castle (kastro) of Astypalea Town. Originally, the main settlement on the island was down at the water level, but due to the danger of marauding pirates the local inhabitants gradually moved their houses higher up the hill.When Astypalea was occupied by the Venetians in the 14th Century, a rich Venetian noble family decided to build the hilltop castle to protect the town.
It would end up standing fierce and proud above town until its eventual decline after the Venetians were first replaced by the Ottoman Turks and when Astypalea finally became part of the modern Greek state.
In the middle of the 20th Century, the last inhabitants moved out of the Kastro after a devastating earthquake crippled the last stone houses. You can still see the impressive ruins of these structures inside the Kastro.
You enter the castle through a narrow entrance, which opens up towards the main courtyard. If you look back, you can see that the tunnel-like entrance actually runs right underneath the blue-domed Church of the Virgin of the Castle.
There is another church within the premises of the castle walls. This is the smaller Church of Agios Georgios, from where you have commanding views over the deep blue waters of the Aegean Sea.
Although there isn’t much else to see within the Kastro, the sweeping vistas from the other side of the castle over Astypalea Town and the little harbour of Pera Gialos are excellent.
A narrow entrance leads into the Kastro.
The narrow tunnel opens up to the castle courtyard.
The entrance to the Kastro basically runs right through the Church of the Virgin of the Castle
The Church of Agios Georgios is the second church within the castle walls.
A frigate of the Hellenic Navy guarding the coastal waters of Astypalea.
Looking down from the castle walls over the Church of Holy Panagia Portaitissa.
Church
Astypalea Town has one other church which is well-worth a visit. This is the Church of Holy Panagia Portaitissa, located just outside the Kastro walls on the southern tip of Hora.
Unfortunately, the church itself was closed at the time I arrived, but the small church garden and surrounding streets make for a pleasant walk.
A small cemetery next to the church. Not a bad location for a last resting place!
Walking down
As the sun was nearly setting, it was time to walk back down from the Kastro through the winding lanes of Hora. Since I had pretty much skipped lunch, I was getting quite hungry and eager to test out one of the restaurants near the windmills.
Needless to say, there were plenty more great views to admire walking down the hill.
A must-stop on your way down is the little store called ‘Keranthos’, which you will find at the entrance of the old town. This gem of a shop sells all kind of local, organic products such as pastries, herbs, liqueurs, jams and other preserved foods. I can highly recommend the fig compote, among many other products!
Which way to go?
The dimarcheio (town hall) of Astypalea.
The unbelievably cute shop ‘Keranthos’, which sells excellent quality local sweets and other souvenirs.
Food
There are plenty of good restaurants to be found in Astypalea Town, with the bulk of them being located near the windmills at the entrance to the old town.
Maria, the kind host of my studio, had recommended the local tavern ‘Ageri’ to me. This turned out to be a great choice, as I certainly enjoyed my meal.
Given that I was extremely hungry, I ordered some dakos (Cretan salad of tomato, wild greens, peppers, tomatoes and feta and barley rusk) as well as some grilled cheese and some pork dish in a clay pot. All of it was absolutely tasty.
Although the taverns were still fairly empty when I set down, they quickly began to fill up with both locals and tourists after darkness fell. Ageri indeed seemed to be very popular among the locals and Greek tourists, as some people even began to wait on the square near the windmills until some tables became available!
The square also seemed to be a highly popular place for the local kids to run around and play on now that the temperatures had finally dropped to a more pleasant level.
When I arrived at the entrance of the old town at sunset, the streets already started to become noticeably more lively.
Walking back
After the excellent meal, I retreated back to my studio being tired from the long day with the knowledge that a good bottle of Greek red wine was awaiting me.
There were some excellent views over an illuminated Astypalea Town from both the winding coastal road, as well as from the terrace of my studio. Dare I say it, I think that the view over town is even prettier at night than during the day, or at the very least more evocative with the hilltop kastro shining bright in the darkness as a beacon of light.
Although there are plenty of great accommodation options smack in the middle of Hora, I certainly did not regret opting for a studio just outside the old town as it had the benefit of having an excellent view.
Next up: Exploring the last bits of Astypalea Town & touring all over the island with a rental car
Feb 16, 2021, 4:17 am
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,572
Chapter 11: Astypalea Town, continued.
For the full Astypalea Town article and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Skala
The next day I picked up my rental car and went on to explore a huge chunk of Astypalea and to visit some of the island’s best beaches, something which I will detail in depth in the next chapter.Having returned from my drive in the late afternoon, there was one important part of Astypalea Town left which I didn’t manage to discover yet: the small fishing harbour of Pera Gialos, which is often simply called Skala by the locals.
Until recently, Skala was also the main port of the island of Astypalea, although nowadays all ferries use the small port of Agios Andreas, located in the middle of nowhere some 7 kilometres away by road.
This means that Skala is nowadays essentially a fishing village, even though it feels like just another neighbourhood of Astypalea Town being fully intertwined. As the entire hill is built up all the way from Skala down at the sea to the hilltop Kastro, you don’t really see the distinction between Skala and Hora when looking from afar.
From the entrance of Hora – or anywhere along the main coastal road higher up on the mountain – it is a steep climb down to Skala by road or steps.
Once you hit the waterfront, you will find plenty of local taverns, shops and services. In fact, most of the shops and services of Astypalea Town, such as the local banks, are located here and not in Hora!
At the far end of Skala, at the intersection with the main coastal road, you will also find the island’s biggest supermarket (Kritikos), which is a handy place to stock up on supplies if you stay in a self-catering apartment or studio.
Pera Gialos, also known as Skala, is basically the lower half of Astypalea Town on the waterfront.
From Hora, it is a steep climb down to Skala on the waterfront, involving many steps.
The Skala waterfront is certainly pretty too and has a whole different vibe compared to the winding streets of Hora.
The views over the Kastro of Astypalea Town are excellent from the Skala waterfront.
Seafood taverns
Although Skala does have a stone beach, it doesn’t rank among the best beaches on the island of Astypalea in my opinion, although it would certainly do for a quick dip if you don’t have a rental car to drive somewhere else.
One thing which the Skala beach does have, is many seaside taverns, some of them even having tables right on the beach of overlooking them. Most of them have superb views as well over Hora and the hilltop Kastro, making them great locations for a seafood meal.
That was exactly what I did for dinner on day two on the island, sitting down at ‘Akrogiali’ for some grilled octopus and a Greek salad.
Although the Skala harbour opens up to the sea on the east and the sun sets on the wrong side behind a hill, the skies still gave away some gorgeous purple and red sunset colours.
After a great meal and a few glasses of white wine, I climbed up the hill again to my studio to end day two on Astypalea.
Day three
On day three on Astypalea, I again used the entire day to tour the island with my rental car, only to return to Astypalea Town in the late afternoon to check out of my studio and to pick up my luggage for my overnight ferry to Kastellorizo.
Of course, I had to make one last walk through Hora and to absorb the last views over gorgeous Astypalea Town before driving down to the ferry dock. These views never grow old, really!
Conclusion
I’ve visited many lovely Greek islands, but Astypalea really is a class apart. Although there are plenty of attractive beaches and towns on the island, it is Astypalea Town itself which is the true highlight.
With its picture-perfect vistas, winding lanes, old windmills and hilltop castle, it really is something like a crown jewel of the Aegean Sea. When people think of beautifully located Greek towns they will without doubt mention Santorini, but Astypalea Town is absolutely magical too.
Whether you admire the town from afar during day or night, explore the small alleys, or sit down at one of the great cafés and taverns, there is so much to like about Astypalea Town!
Perhaps the best part of it all is that the place is relatively undiscovered among foreign tourists. Some 90 percent of annual visitors are Greeks from other islands or the mainland, which means that Astypalea still retains its authentic character and off-the-beaten-path atmosphere.
Astypalea Town really is one of Greece’s best island capitals and I cannot recommend a visit enough to this fabulous place.
Next up: Exploring the Astypalea's beaches, interior and other villages
For the full Astypalea Town article and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Skala
The next day I picked up my rental car and went on to explore a huge chunk of Astypalea and to visit some of the island’s best beaches, something which I will detail in depth in the next chapter.Having returned from my drive in the late afternoon, there was one important part of Astypalea Town left which I didn’t manage to discover yet: the small fishing harbour of Pera Gialos, which is often simply called Skala by the locals.
Until recently, Skala was also the main port of the island of Astypalea, although nowadays all ferries use the small port of Agios Andreas, located in the middle of nowhere some 7 kilometres away by road.
This means that Skala is nowadays essentially a fishing village, even though it feels like just another neighbourhood of Astypalea Town being fully intertwined. As the entire hill is built up all the way from Skala down at the sea to the hilltop Kastro, you don’t really see the distinction between Skala and Hora when looking from afar.
From the entrance of Hora – or anywhere along the main coastal road higher up on the mountain – it is a steep climb down to Skala by road or steps.
Once you hit the waterfront, you will find plenty of local taverns, shops and services. In fact, most of the shops and services of Astypalea Town, such as the local banks, are located here and not in Hora!
At the far end of Skala, at the intersection with the main coastal road, you will also find the island’s biggest supermarket (Kritikos), which is a handy place to stock up on supplies if you stay in a self-catering apartment or studio.
Pera Gialos, also known as Skala, is basically the lower half of Astypalea Town on the waterfront.
From Hora, it is a steep climb down to Skala on the waterfront, involving many steps.
The Skala waterfront is certainly pretty too and has a whole different vibe compared to the winding streets of Hora.
The views over the Kastro of Astypalea Town are excellent from the Skala waterfront.
Seafood taverns
Although Skala does have a stone beach, it doesn’t rank among the best beaches on the island of Astypalea in my opinion, although it would certainly do for a quick dip if you don’t have a rental car to drive somewhere else.
One thing which the Skala beach does have, is many seaside taverns, some of them even having tables right on the beach of overlooking them. Most of them have superb views as well over Hora and the hilltop Kastro, making them great locations for a seafood meal.
That was exactly what I did for dinner on day two on the island, sitting down at ‘Akrogiali’ for some grilled octopus and a Greek salad.
Although the Skala harbour opens up to the sea on the east and the sun sets on the wrong side behind a hill, the skies still gave away some gorgeous purple and red sunset colours.
After a great meal and a few glasses of white wine, I climbed up the hill again to my studio to end day two on Astypalea.
Day three
On day three on Astypalea, I again used the entire day to tour the island with my rental car, only to return to Astypalea Town in the late afternoon to check out of my studio and to pick up my luggage for my overnight ferry to Kastellorizo.
Of course, I had to make one last walk through Hora and to absorb the last views over gorgeous Astypalea Town before driving down to the ferry dock. These views never grow old, really!
Conclusion
I’ve visited many lovely Greek islands, but Astypalea really is a class apart. Although there are plenty of attractive beaches and towns on the island, it is Astypalea Town itself which is the true highlight.
With its picture-perfect vistas, winding lanes, old windmills and hilltop castle, it really is something like a crown jewel of the Aegean Sea. When people think of beautifully located Greek towns they will without doubt mention Santorini, but Astypalea Town is absolutely magical too.
Whether you admire the town from afar during day or night, explore the small alleys, or sit down at one of the great cafés and taverns, there is so much to like about Astypalea Town!
Perhaps the best part of it all is that the place is relatively undiscovered among foreign tourists. Some 90 percent of annual visitors are Greeks from other islands or the mainland, which means that Astypalea still retains its authentic character and off-the-beaten-path atmosphere.
Astypalea Town really is one of Greece’s best island capitals and I cannot recommend a visit enough to this fabulous place.
Next up: Exploring the Astypalea's beaches, interior and other villages
Feb 19, 2021, 4:42 am
#34
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,572
Chapter 12: Exploring the island of Astypalea
For the full Astypalea island guide and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Around Astypalea
After a fun day in Astypalea Town I was ready to explore the villages and beaches of the island. I had reserved a rental car for two days at Explore Rent a Car Astypalaia – which I can personally recommend.As communicated before by email, my Fiat Panda was brought in the morning to my Astypalea hotel free of charge (complimentary pick up or drop-off at the port or airport is also possible).
Looking at the map of the island, I thought it was a great idea to use my first day to explore the western half of Astypalea, followed by the eastern half the day after.
Two days were indeed sufficient to explore most of the island (with a third day added for Astypalea Town), although three days in total really is the bare minimum. If I would return, I would probably stay six days, as it would mean you can do everything at a much more leisurely pace.
It would also leave you with enough time to make a boat trip to the nearby uninhabited island of Kounoupoi, which has some great beaches and was highly recommended to me by a Greek friend. Sadly, I did not manage to visit it due to a lack of time.
Astypalea is shaped like a butterfly, with a narrow isthmus connecting the western and eastern half of the island.
To the west
My first destination on my island tour of Astypalea was Livadi (also called Livadia at times), a village just a short distance away over the hill to the south-west from Astypalea Town.
Livadi is one of the most fertile places on the otherwise barren island of Astypalea. The town’s whitewashed houses set to the green backdrop of fields and trees surely make for a lovely view when you approach Livadi by road from the island capital.
Livadi
Livadi itself is a small, low-key resort town with some small hotels and apartments. If you do not want to stay in Astypalea Town itself, this place would probably be my pick.
There is a small grocery store as well as a couple of inviting cafés and restaurants in town. The sandy beach has plenty of trees for shade and the waters of the bay are delightfully calm as it faces towards the south-east and thus is protected from the strong northerly meltemi winds which are typical for the summer months in Greece.
The town is bisected by a small river creek, which is completely dried up in summer. Thanks to the small river, the lands behind Livadi feel delightfully green and lush, forming a stark contrast to the barren hills of Astypalea.
From the beach, there are also gorgeous views over Astypalea Town in the distance.
As it was early in the morning, I decided to stop for a while in town for my first swim of the day and for a freddo espresso at one of the beachside taverns.
From Livadi, you have a great view back over Astypalea Town.
Greek mornings with a freddo espresso at the beach are the best.
Gravel roads
From Livadi, a narrow road runs further south. After a while, the tarmac gives way to gravel roads – which is common for much of the western part of Astypalea.
These roads are easily traversable with a normal car, there is absolutely no need to shell out for a four-wheel drive vehicle.
My Fiat Panda did the job extremely well and it’s a surprisingly fun car to drive. In my opinion it’s miles better than the Fiat 500 which was in the same price category, also because of the Panda’s higher ground clearance.
Agios Konstantinos
A few miles south of Livadi is the beach of Agios Konstantinos, which is named after the small church of the same name standing on a bluff right above the beach.
The views from the beach over the deep blue Aegean Sea and Astypalea Town in the background are fantastic.
Unfortunately, the beach isn’t the most suitable for swimming in summer. Facing north, it is fully exposed to the meltemi winds, which means that the waves can be a bit rough.
That said, to me it is a must-visit place on the island not only because of its picturesque location, but also because of the excellent beachside café called Al Mare Beach Bar.
It has a lovely wooden bar and some excellent seating corners underneath the trees. I can highly recommend the place, whether you just come for a coffee or for one of the tasty cocktails.
View from the church towards Astypalea Town.
Al Mare Beach Bar has a wonderful location underneath the trees of Agios Konstantinos beach
Enjoying a second morning coffee at the beach bar.
Next up: driving to the beaches of Vatses and Kaminakia, arguably the prettiest on the island.
For the full Astypalea island guide and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Around Astypalea
After a fun day in Astypalea Town I was ready to explore the villages and beaches of the island. I had reserved a rental car for two days at Explore Rent a Car Astypalaia – which I can personally recommend.As communicated before by email, my Fiat Panda was brought in the morning to my Astypalea hotel free of charge (complimentary pick up or drop-off at the port or airport is also possible).
Looking at the map of the island, I thought it was a great idea to use my first day to explore the western half of Astypalea, followed by the eastern half the day after.
Two days were indeed sufficient to explore most of the island (with a third day added for Astypalea Town), although three days in total really is the bare minimum. If I would return, I would probably stay six days, as it would mean you can do everything at a much more leisurely pace.
It would also leave you with enough time to make a boat trip to the nearby uninhabited island of Kounoupoi, which has some great beaches and was highly recommended to me by a Greek friend. Sadly, I did not manage to visit it due to a lack of time.
Astypalea is shaped like a butterfly, with a narrow isthmus connecting the western and eastern half of the island.
To the west
My first destination on my island tour of Astypalea was Livadi (also called Livadia at times), a village just a short distance away over the hill to the south-west from Astypalea Town.
Livadi is one of the most fertile places on the otherwise barren island of Astypalea. The town’s whitewashed houses set to the green backdrop of fields and trees surely make for a lovely view when you approach Livadi by road from the island capital.
Livadi
Livadi itself is a small, low-key resort town with some small hotels and apartments. If you do not want to stay in Astypalea Town itself, this place would probably be my pick.
There is a small grocery store as well as a couple of inviting cafés and restaurants in town. The sandy beach has plenty of trees for shade and the waters of the bay are delightfully calm as it faces towards the south-east and thus is protected from the strong northerly meltemi winds which are typical for the summer months in Greece.
The town is bisected by a small river creek, which is completely dried up in summer. Thanks to the small river, the lands behind Livadi feel delightfully green and lush, forming a stark contrast to the barren hills of Astypalea.
From the beach, there are also gorgeous views over Astypalea Town in the distance.
As it was early in the morning, I decided to stop for a while in town for my first swim of the day and for a freddo espresso at one of the beachside taverns.
From Livadi, you have a great view back over Astypalea Town.
Greek mornings with a freddo espresso at the beach are the best.
Gravel roads
From Livadi, a narrow road runs further south. After a while, the tarmac gives way to gravel roads – which is common for much of the western part of Astypalea.
These roads are easily traversable with a normal car, there is absolutely no need to shell out for a four-wheel drive vehicle.
My Fiat Panda did the job extremely well and it’s a surprisingly fun car to drive. In my opinion it’s miles better than the Fiat 500 which was in the same price category, also because of the Panda’s higher ground clearance.
Agios Konstantinos
A few miles south of Livadi is the beach of Agios Konstantinos, which is named after the small church of the same name standing on a bluff right above the beach.
The views from the beach over the deep blue Aegean Sea and Astypalea Town in the background are fantastic.
Unfortunately, the beach isn’t the most suitable for swimming in summer. Facing north, it is fully exposed to the meltemi winds, which means that the waves can be a bit rough.
That said, to me it is a must-visit place on the island not only because of its picturesque location, but also because of the excellent beachside café called Al Mare Beach Bar.
It has a lovely wooden bar and some excellent seating corners underneath the trees. I can highly recommend the place, whether you just come for a coffee or for one of the tasty cocktails.
View from the church towards Astypalea Town.
Al Mare Beach Bar has a wonderful location underneath the trees of Agios Konstantinos beach
Enjoying a second morning coffee at the beach bar.
Next up: driving to the beaches of Vatses and Kaminakia, arguably the prettiest on the island.
Feb 19, 2021, 9:29 am
#35
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
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Posts: 1,572
Chapter 12: Exploring the island of Astypalea, continued:
From Agios Konstantinos I drove back up the road to the crossroads, which is overlooked by the small Agios Ioannis church.At the intersection, one road leads south towards Paralia Vatses (Vatses Beach), while another road goes first around a mountain to the north-west, only to loop back south towards Paralia Kaminakia (Kaminakia Beach).
Both beaches are definitely worth a visit. I decided to head first to Vatses and to leave Kaminakia for lunchtime, given that the latter has a taverna while Vatses only has a beach bar.
The road to Vatses Beach is absolutely gorgeous – especially the last bits where you pass through a sort of canyon as you descend towards the beach.
Vatses Beach
When you approach Vatses, it might initially not appear like one of Greece’s best stretches of beach. The beach – a mix of sand and pebbles – looks a bit barren, with just five or seven trees standing at its edge.
However, once you reach the shore you can see instantly why Vatses is actually a delightful little beach. The calm waters of this sheltered bay look highly appealing for a swim and there is a nice little beach bar with lovely views from its wooden deck.
As there are some large slippery stones in the water, it can be a bit tricky to get into the sea for a swim. There are however some special mats placed on the seafloor (in front of the beach bar) where you can walk more easily into the waters up to a level from where you can swim.
The road back
Although Vatses Beach is just a short distance away from Kaminakia Beach as the crow flies, there is a mountain in between – which means you have to take quite a detour to get there.
It basically meant driving back to the crossroads near Agios Ioannis Church, from where I had to take the roundabout route around the mountain to reach Kaminakia.
On Astypalea’s roads this is however not a crime as I absolutely loved the views across the island’s barren interior.
Kaminakia Beach
Just like Vatses, the charms of Kaminakia Beach only become clear once you have actually parked your car and walked onto the pebbles.
Although I think Vatses is a better spot to swim as the beach is less pebbly and has more shade, Kaminakia is a prettier bay. The different shades of blue of the sea just looked absolutely stunning when contrasted against the barren rocks.
Lunchtime
At Kaminakia, there is a small taverna a few feet away from the beach. From the covered terrace, there are some lovely views over the tavern’s small garden and the bay.
Called Linta, the restaurant does typical Greek tavern food ‘grandmother style’. There were no menus available as the old lady running the tavern just came to the table to explain what the available dishes were that day.
Don’t expect the widest variety of food, but prices are cheap, service is friendly and the food tasted good. It was just too bad that the goat I ordered was probably the skinniest animal on the island when it was still alive judging by the small amounts of meat on the bones.
Back to Astypalea Town
After the late lunch it was time to slowly head back to Astypalea Town having basically visited the main sights and beaches of the western half of the island.
There are a couple of more beaches and sheltered bays of interest (for example Panormos) but the roads leading there are very rough and such places are better visited by boat.
The views from the road were again gorgeous – especially the panorama over Astypalea Town as you approach the island capital from the south-west.
Next up: A day exploring the beaches and towns on the eastern half of the island
From Agios Konstantinos I drove back up the road to the crossroads, which is overlooked by the small Agios Ioannis church.At the intersection, one road leads south towards Paralia Vatses (Vatses Beach), while another road goes first around a mountain to the north-west, only to loop back south towards Paralia Kaminakia (Kaminakia Beach).
Both beaches are definitely worth a visit. I decided to head first to Vatses and to leave Kaminakia for lunchtime, given that the latter has a taverna while Vatses only has a beach bar.
The road to Vatses Beach is absolutely gorgeous – especially the last bits where you pass through a sort of canyon as you descend towards the beach.
Vatses Beach
When you approach Vatses, it might initially not appear like one of Greece’s best stretches of beach. The beach – a mix of sand and pebbles – looks a bit barren, with just five or seven trees standing at its edge.
However, once you reach the shore you can see instantly why Vatses is actually a delightful little beach. The calm waters of this sheltered bay look highly appealing for a swim and there is a nice little beach bar with lovely views from its wooden deck.
As there are some large slippery stones in the water, it can be a bit tricky to get into the sea for a swim. There are however some special mats placed on the seafloor (in front of the beach bar) where you can walk more easily into the waters up to a level from where you can swim.
The road back
Although Vatses Beach is just a short distance away from Kaminakia Beach as the crow flies, there is a mountain in between – which means you have to take quite a detour to get there.
It basically meant driving back to the crossroads near Agios Ioannis Church, from where I had to take the roundabout route around the mountain to reach Kaminakia.
On Astypalea’s roads this is however not a crime as I absolutely loved the views across the island’s barren interior.
Kaminakia Beach
Just like Vatses, the charms of Kaminakia Beach only become clear once you have actually parked your car and walked onto the pebbles.
Although I think Vatses is a better spot to swim as the beach is less pebbly and has more shade, Kaminakia is a prettier bay. The different shades of blue of the sea just looked absolutely stunning when contrasted against the barren rocks.
Lunchtime
At Kaminakia, there is a small taverna a few feet away from the beach. From the covered terrace, there are some lovely views over the tavern’s small garden and the bay.
Called Linta, the restaurant does typical Greek tavern food ‘grandmother style’. There were no menus available as the old lady running the tavern just came to the table to explain what the available dishes were that day.
Don’t expect the widest variety of food, but prices are cheap, service is friendly and the food tasted good. It was just too bad that the goat I ordered was probably the skinniest animal on the island when it was still alive judging by the small amounts of meat on the bones.
Back to Astypalea Town
After the late lunch it was time to slowly head back to Astypalea Town having basically visited the main sights and beaches of the western half of the island.
There are a couple of more beaches and sheltered bays of interest (for example Panormos) but the roads leading there are very rough and such places are better visited by boat.
The views from the road were again gorgeous – especially the panorama over Astypalea Town as you approach the island capital from the south-west.
Next up: A day exploring the beaches and towns on the eastern half of the island
Feb 22, 2021, 3:43 am
#36
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,572
Chapter 12: Exploring the island of Astypalea, continued
For the full Astypalea island guide and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Second day
On day two, I planned to explore the eastern part of the island of Astypalea. From Astypalea Town, you first need to drive across the isthmus to reach the eastern landmass of the butterfly-shaped island.The isthmus is at parts so narrow that you have some good vistas on both sides of the road. There are some especially beautiful viewpoints on the wild northern side on your left as you drive from Astypalea towards the east.
Although there are some small beaches at this side of the island, they aren’t the best for swimming due to the strong waves and winds.
Steno Beach
The first good beach you will hit when you drive from Astypalea Town to the east is Steno Beach, which is located on your right hand side immediately after you pass by the small red-roof Agios Mamas Church on the same side of the road.
First you will come across Paralia Mikro Steno (Small Steno Beach), which is divided by a rock from the main section of Steno Beach. Both stretches of beach face the sea on the sheltered southern side of the island, making it a calm place for a swim.
Steno Beach has a small beachside tavern where you can get a drink or a full meal.
Agios Mamas Church is located on the narrowest part of the isthmus.
Mikro Steno
A panorama view over Steno Beach.
Analipsi
After the turn-off to the Astypalea’s small airport you will descend down towards Analipsi, the main settlement on the eastern landmass of Astypalea.
Just like the town of Livadi on the western half of the island, Analipsi has several small hotels and apartments, making it another alternative to Astypalea Town to stay. Compared to compact Livadi, Analipsi is however more stretched out along the coast and is noticeably larger.
There are several appealing cafés, taverns, shops and a small supermarket in town.
Analipsi is also home to the archaeological site of of the Tallaras Baths. These Roman-era baths are well-known for their ancient floor mosaics. Unfortunately, it was closed due to the corona pandemic when I visited.
I stopped for a coffee at a tavern called Almyra, which in the morning was full of locals doing the exact same. In the afternoon Almyra is a popular and great quality lunch spot as I would find out later!
Fishing nets in front of the tavern.
Walking along the main street of Analipsi.
Analipsi beaches
Analipsi has two beaches. The long but narrow stretch of sand in the town centre is called Maltezana Beach, which ends at Analipsi’s small fishing harbour.
If you walk or drive a few hundred metres more along the main road over a small hill towards the north-east, you will arrive at Schoinontas, which is Analipsi’s second beach. The waters at both beaches are shallow, making it a perfect place for families with young children.
Personally, I thought Schoinontas was the most attractive beach of the two for a swim. Do climb up to the church just above the road at Schoinontas Beach as there are some lovely views from there over the sea.
Maltezana Beach
Long but narrow Maltezana Beach
The sea was amazingly calm this day
At one side of Maltezana Beach you will find Analipsi’s small fishing port.
Small church at the end of the harbour
Of Analipsi’s two beaches, I thought that Schoinontas Beach was the most appealing for a swim.
The small church overlooking Schoinontas Beach and the sea.
Next up: The last bits of Astypalea and the on to Kastellorizo by night ferry!
For the full Astypalea island guide and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Second day
On day two, I planned to explore the eastern part of the island of Astypalea. From Astypalea Town, you first need to drive across the isthmus to reach the eastern landmass of the butterfly-shaped island.The isthmus is at parts so narrow that you have some good vistas on both sides of the road. There are some especially beautiful viewpoints on the wild northern side on your left as you drive from Astypalea towards the east.
Although there are some small beaches at this side of the island, they aren’t the best for swimming due to the strong waves and winds.
Steno Beach
The first good beach you will hit when you drive from Astypalea Town to the east is Steno Beach, which is located on your right hand side immediately after you pass by the small red-roof Agios Mamas Church on the same side of the road.
First you will come across Paralia Mikro Steno (Small Steno Beach), which is divided by a rock from the main section of Steno Beach. Both stretches of beach face the sea on the sheltered southern side of the island, making it a calm place for a swim.
Steno Beach has a small beachside tavern where you can get a drink or a full meal.
Agios Mamas Church is located on the narrowest part of the isthmus.
Mikro Steno
A panorama view over Steno Beach.
Analipsi
After the turn-off to the Astypalea’s small airport you will descend down towards Analipsi, the main settlement on the eastern landmass of Astypalea.
Just like the town of Livadi on the western half of the island, Analipsi has several small hotels and apartments, making it another alternative to Astypalea Town to stay. Compared to compact Livadi, Analipsi is however more stretched out along the coast and is noticeably larger.
There are several appealing cafés, taverns, shops and a small supermarket in town.
Analipsi is also home to the archaeological site of of the Tallaras Baths. These Roman-era baths are well-known for their ancient floor mosaics. Unfortunately, it was closed due to the corona pandemic when I visited.
I stopped for a coffee at a tavern called Almyra, which in the morning was full of locals doing the exact same. In the afternoon Almyra is a popular and great quality lunch spot as I would find out later!
Fishing nets in front of the tavern.
Walking along the main street of Analipsi.
Analipsi beaches
Analipsi has two beaches. The long but narrow stretch of sand in the town centre is called Maltezana Beach, which ends at Analipsi’s small fishing harbour.
If you walk or drive a few hundred metres more along the main road over a small hill towards the north-east, you will arrive at Schoinontas, which is Analipsi’s second beach. The waters at both beaches are shallow, making it a perfect place for families with young children.
Personally, I thought Schoinontas was the most attractive beach of the two for a swim. Do climb up to the church just above the road at Schoinontas Beach as there are some lovely views from there over the sea.
Maltezana Beach
Long but narrow Maltezana Beach
The sea was amazingly calm this day
At one side of Maltezana Beach you will find Analipsi’s small fishing port.
Small church at the end of the harbour
Of Analipsi’s two beaches, I thought that Schoinontas Beach was the most appealing for a swim.
The small church overlooking Schoinontas Beach and the sea.
Next up: The last bits of Astypalea and the on to Kastellorizo by night ferry!
Feb 24, 2021, 10:14 am
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,572
Chapter 12: Exploring the island of Astypalea, continued
For the full Astypalea island guide and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Mountain road
If you venture east of Analipsi you will notice that the lands almost instantly get more wild and mountainous. Compared to the western half of the island, the main road here is of good quality as it’s basically a sealed road almost all the way to Vathi.There are some great views over the coastline from this mountainous road, making it a fun drive.
Agrilidi
There aren’t many points of interest east of Analipsi – and even fewer which can be easily reached by road without requiring a hike or risking the state of your car on one of the rough side roads.
Most rental car companies will not even allow you to use the side roads on this part of the island in the first place – something which also counts for the very rough stretch of road beyond Vathi.
One of the points which I do think is worthwhile to stop is Agrilidi. You are best off parking your car along the main road and walk the short distance (approximately 10 to 15 minutes on a gravel path) to Agrilidi.
Agrilidi basically is a beautiful sheltered bay from where you have some scenic views over the blue-and-green coloured waters. It’s worth it to hike all the way to the small Agios Nikolaos Church, from where the vistas are the best.
Although the sea did look appealing here, I could not find a good spot for a swim as the coastline is very rocky and the few beaches I encountered were not the most appealing.
At Agrilidi, you can also see an abandoned factory and some submerged docks. Seemingly, this was once an important local mining or manufacturing point which has since been left to the elements.
Agrilidi Bay as seen from the main road.
Vathi
As you follow the mountainous road on the eastern half of Astypalea, you will eventually reach the small village of Vathi. Right at the entrance gate to this village the tarmac ends, giving way to a very rough stretch of gravel road.
Most rental car companies won’t allow you to drive past Vathi, so if you want to reach the settlement of Exo Vathi a bit further down the road along the bay, you will most likely have to walk.
Vathi has a real Wild West (or Wild East, in this case!) feel to it. Many of the stone houses in the village are abandoned or crumbling, and the few houses which seemed to be inhabited seemed to belong to local fishermen or shepherds, making Vathi about as far away from any tourist infrastructure as you can possible get on the island of Astypalea.
Although there is nothing to see here as such, I liked driving out here just to absorb the views.
Looking out over Vathi from the main road.
The sea at Vathi was certainly not the most appealing. The beach is rocky and the waters even seemed to be muddy and dirty
Lunch
As it was getting already a bit late in the afternoon and I hadn’t eaten yet, I decided to drive back to Analipsi for lunch.
I returned again to Almyra where I had stopped earlier in the morning for a coffee. This time around, the restaurant was full with locals and tourists alike for lunch.
Almyra is a bit more than your traditional Greek tavern as besides some traditional classics it also features some inventive dishes on the menu such as a “mojito pork belly”.
The restaurant also has fish freshly caught the same morning from the sea. You can just walk inside the kitchen with the waiter to see what kind of fish they have on offer that day.
I went for a massive, ugly looking fish from the grill (no idea how it’s called – I’m quite bad when it comes to recognising fish species!) – which was absolutely delicious. It was served with some kind of orange sauce, which indeed paired excellent with the fish.
Driving back
Having done enough exploring on Astypalea, it was now time to relax a bit more. After the great lunch in Analipsi, I therefore decided to drive back to the western half of the island to Al Mare Beach Bar on Agios Konstantinos Beach, which kind of became my favourite spot on the island.
There really was no better way to while away the late afternoon hours than by drinking a caipirinha or two in the shade while reading a book – and with a lovely backdrop of the Aegean Sea and Astypalea Town that is!
Conclusion
I absolutely loved my stay on Astypalea island. The highlight is arguably Astypalea Town itself, as there aren’t many towns in Greece with such an awe-inspiring, unique location. It’s an absolute delight to explore the winding lanes of the town, stopping regularly to admire the views or to eat and drink at one of the town’s fine taverns.
However, also on the rest of the island there is a lot to see, and you are well advised to get a rental car for at least a day or two. The western part of the island has the best beaches, with Vatses and Kaminakia both being worthwhile destinations with clear blue waters.
The small town of Livadia is also a delight to stop as it has a nice beach and plenty of taverns with great views over the sea and Astypalea Town. A bit further away, Agios Konstantinos Beach might not be the best place for a swim, but with Al Mare Beach Bar it has one of the best places on the island for a drink or two.
Schoinontas and Steno are two of the best beaches on the eastern half of the island, although personally I’d prefer Vatses and Kaminakia. The town of Analipsi is however a low-key, worthwhile place to linger around for a while and you can find some great restaurants here such as Almyra.
Both in the west and in the east you will likely be awed by the beauty of the wild, barren interior of the island. Perhaps that is where the real charms of the island lies. Astypalea feels like such an unexplored, unknown gem.
Even for many Greeks Astypalea is quite off the beaten path, and most foreign tourists will likely have never heard of the place before. Around 90 percent of all tourists arriving on the island are Greek – which means that Astypalea has still retained its traditional charms unlike some other Greek islands overrun by tourists in summer.
Astypalea is a great destination and I really cannot recommend it enough!
Next up: Taking the night boat to Kastellorizo!
(the night ferry chapter is already online on my website for those who are interested. Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest. Will post it here to FlyerTalk in full ASAP).
For the full Astypalea island guide and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Mountain road
If you venture east of Analipsi you will notice that the lands almost instantly get more wild and mountainous. Compared to the western half of the island, the main road here is of good quality as it’s basically a sealed road almost all the way to Vathi.There are some great views over the coastline from this mountainous road, making it a fun drive.
Agrilidi
There aren’t many points of interest east of Analipsi – and even fewer which can be easily reached by road without requiring a hike or risking the state of your car on one of the rough side roads.
Most rental car companies will not even allow you to use the side roads on this part of the island in the first place – something which also counts for the very rough stretch of road beyond Vathi.
One of the points which I do think is worthwhile to stop is Agrilidi. You are best off parking your car along the main road and walk the short distance (approximately 10 to 15 minutes on a gravel path) to Agrilidi.
Agrilidi basically is a beautiful sheltered bay from where you have some scenic views over the blue-and-green coloured waters. It’s worth it to hike all the way to the small Agios Nikolaos Church, from where the vistas are the best.
Although the sea did look appealing here, I could not find a good spot for a swim as the coastline is very rocky and the few beaches I encountered were not the most appealing.
At Agrilidi, you can also see an abandoned factory and some submerged docks. Seemingly, this was once an important local mining or manufacturing point which has since been left to the elements.
Agrilidi Bay as seen from the main road.
Vathi
As you follow the mountainous road on the eastern half of Astypalea, you will eventually reach the small village of Vathi. Right at the entrance gate to this village the tarmac ends, giving way to a very rough stretch of gravel road.
Most rental car companies won’t allow you to drive past Vathi, so if you want to reach the settlement of Exo Vathi a bit further down the road along the bay, you will most likely have to walk.
Vathi has a real Wild West (or Wild East, in this case!) feel to it. Many of the stone houses in the village are abandoned or crumbling, and the few houses which seemed to be inhabited seemed to belong to local fishermen or shepherds, making Vathi about as far away from any tourist infrastructure as you can possible get on the island of Astypalea.
Although there is nothing to see here as such, I liked driving out here just to absorb the views.
Looking out over Vathi from the main road.
The sea at Vathi was certainly not the most appealing. The beach is rocky and the waters even seemed to be muddy and dirty
Lunch
As it was getting already a bit late in the afternoon and I hadn’t eaten yet, I decided to drive back to Analipsi for lunch.
I returned again to Almyra where I had stopped earlier in the morning for a coffee. This time around, the restaurant was full with locals and tourists alike for lunch.
Almyra is a bit more than your traditional Greek tavern as besides some traditional classics it also features some inventive dishes on the menu such as a “mojito pork belly”.
The restaurant also has fish freshly caught the same morning from the sea. You can just walk inside the kitchen with the waiter to see what kind of fish they have on offer that day.
I went for a massive, ugly looking fish from the grill (no idea how it’s called – I’m quite bad when it comes to recognising fish species!) – which was absolutely delicious. It was served with some kind of orange sauce, which indeed paired excellent with the fish.
Driving back
Having done enough exploring on Astypalea, it was now time to relax a bit more. After the great lunch in Analipsi, I therefore decided to drive back to the western half of the island to Al Mare Beach Bar on Agios Konstantinos Beach, which kind of became my favourite spot on the island.
There really was no better way to while away the late afternoon hours than by drinking a caipirinha or two in the shade while reading a book – and with a lovely backdrop of the Aegean Sea and Astypalea Town that is!
Conclusion
I absolutely loved my stay on Astypalea island. The highlight is arguably Astypalea Town itself, as there aren’t many towns in Greece with such an awe-inspiring, unique location. It’s an absolute delight to explore the winding lanes of the town, stopping regularly to admire the views or to eat and drink at one of the town’s fine taverns.
However, also on the rest of the island there is a lot to see, and you are well advised to get a rental car for at least a day or two. The western part of the island has the best beaches, with Vatses and Kaminakia both being worthwhile destinations with clear blue waters.
The small town of Livadia is also a delight to stop as it has a nice beach and plenty of taverns with great views over the sea and Astypalea Town. A bit further away, Agios Konstantinos Beach might not be the best place for a swim, but with Al Mare Beach Bar it has one of the best places on the island for a drink or two.
Schoinontas and Steno are two of the best beaches on the eastern half of the island, although personally I’d prefer Vatses and Kaminakia. The town of Analipsi is however a low-key, worthwhile place to linger around for a while and you can find some great restaurants here such as Almyra.
Both in the west and in the east you will likely be awed by the beauty of the wild, barren interior of the island. Perhaps that is where the real charms of the island lies. Astypalea feels like such an unexplored, unknown gem.
Even for many Greeks Astypalea is quite off the beaten path, and most foreign tourists will likely have never heard of the place before. Around 90 percent of all tourists arriving on the island are Greek – which means that Astypalea has still retained its traditional charms unlike some other Greek islands overrun by tourists in summer.
Astypalea is a great destination and I really cannot recommend it enough!
Next up: Taking the night boat to Kastellorizo!
(the night ferry chapter is already online on my website for those who are interested. Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest. Will post it here to FlyerTalk in full ASAP).
Feb 25, 2021, 5:38 am
#38
Join Date: May 2005
Location: London, England, United Kingdom
Programs: Marriott (Lifetime Titantium), whatever other programs as benefits make sense.
Posts: 1,920
The restaurant also has fish freshly caught the same morning from the sea. You can just walk inside the kitchen with the waiter to see what kind of fish they have on offer that day.
I went for a massive, ugly looking fish from the grill (no idea how it’s called – I’m quite bad when it comes to recognising fish species!) – which was absolutely delicious. It was served with some kind of orange sauce, which indeed paired excellent with the fish.
I went for a massive, ugly looking fish from the grill (no idea how it’s called – I’m quite bad when it comes to recognising fish species!) – which was absolutely delicious. It was served with some kind of orange sauce, which indeed paired excellent with the fish.
Enjoying the report very much.
Mar 9, 2021, 2:52 pm
#39
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,572
Apologies for the slight delay, the last days I have been extremely busy travelling through Egypt! Hope to pick up the pace with this TR again in 1-2 days when I'm back home. Was trying to post a new chapter now but my internet connection at my Alexandria hotel is atrocious and I gave up 
Mar 27, 2021, 1:45 pm
#40
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,572
Chapter 13: On a Night Boat in Greece – Astypalea to Kastellorizo With Blue Star Ferries
For the full Greek night boat review and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Night boat
After a great couple of days on the island of Astypalea it was time to continue my trip and to head to the next destination. This evening I would take the night boat all the way to Kastellorizo, Greece’s easternmost island.Just to put it into perspective how easterly Kastellorizo is located: the closest permanently inhabited Greek island is Rhodes, four hours away by ferry.
If you would take a ferry all the way from Piraeus (the port of Athens) to Kastellorizo it would take a full 24 hours on sea.
Embarking the ferry at Astypalea (often spelled ‘Astypalaia’ on ferry timetables and websites, it being a more closely resembling transliteration of the Greek Αστυπάλαια) meant however that my journey time would be halved as the island is located roughly halfway between Piraeus and Kastellorizo.
Astypalaia (JTY) to Kastellorizo (KZS)
Blue Star Ferries – Vessel: Blue Star Chios
Stops: Kalymnos, Kos, Nisyros, Tilos, Rhodes
Departure: 10.25pm – Arrival: 10.40am (+1)
Duration: 12h05m – Distance: ~218 nautical miles
Costs: 105 EUR (A41 – outside cabin with 4 berths for single use)
The ferry from Astypalea to Kastellorizo called at the ports of Kalymnos, Kos, Nisyros, Tilos and Rhodes on the way.
Booking the ferry
As I already wrote before in the introduction to this trip report, I booked the ferry through the excellent ferry booking tool of Viva. Due to its easy-to-use interface it is by far the best website to book up Greek ferry routes, in my humble opinion.
Of course, you could also just use the Viva website to look up shipping timetables and routes and then book your ticket directly with the ferry company.
For my overnight crossing to Kastellorizo, I had booked a private cabin. The cheapest available cabin was a ‘A41’ category room – a four berth exterior cabin for single use.
The entire ferry crossing, including the cabin, set me back 105 euro – a fair price given that I would cover big distance covered and have my own cabin. If you travel on another night boat route in Greece (for example Piraeus to Crete) you can expect similar prices.
Other tickets
Of course, if you are travelling as a couple or family, the tickets will be relatively cheaper as the extra costs for the cabin will be shared over the entire party.
In comparison, it would cost just 33.50 EUR if you would just buy a ‘deck only’ ferry ticket from Astypalea to Kastellorizo without a cabin. In that case, you can stay/sleep in the public areas of the ship as well as on deck.
If you are on a budget or backpacking through Greece in summer, that might not be such a bad thing to do. You will see many other people rolling out their blankets or sleeping bags at night on the deck or in a quiet corner inside the ferry.
For a small surcharge (between 1.5 and 5 EUR on this particular route), you can also reserve an ‘airplane style seat’ – which basically is a recliner seat in a large saloon.
Port of Astypalea
Astypalea’s main port is located in the middle of nowhere some 7 kilometres from Astypalea Town. After picking up my luggage from my accommodation, I drove my rental car to the port.
I had previously agreed with the rental car company that I could drop off the car at the harbour for no extra costs. And indeed, at the pre-arranged time two representatives of the car rental agency arrived to quickly inspect my car and to drive it back to their office.
There is not much to do at the Port of Astypalea, so I wouldn’t recommend arriving too early (although you are supposed to be there 30 minutes before the ferry departure).
The harbour has a small port office, in which you can find a small café selling drinks and snacks, as well as some restrooms. Having already picked up my tickets days earlier at the Naxos office of Blue Star Ferries, all I had to do was waiting for the ship to arrive.
Fortunately, I had brought a cold beer with me – and when I finished it I may have bought another one from the small café.
The Port of Astypalea is basically a dock in the middle of nowhere.
Embarkation
Soon after finishing my second beer, the Blue Star Chios arrived into the Port of Astypalea. This Blue Star Ferries vessel is a roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) ship which can carry up to 418 vehicles in its car garage.
The Blue Star Chios measures 141 by 21 metres (463 by 69 ft) and has a maximum speed of 27 knots. Its carrying capacity is 13,955 gross tonnage.
In total, there is space for 1.782 passengers, although the ship only has 72 cabins.
As there were not many passengers, vehicles and lorries disembarking at the Port of Astypalea, it only took minutes before we were all given the green light by the port officer to embark.
Reception
After showing my ticket and handing over a short health declaration which all passengers had to fill in because of the corona pandemic, I was allowed to set foot on board the ship and made my way up to the main deck.
If you have a cabin booked, you have to report at the ship’s reception desk. Simply show your ticket, and you will be given the electronic key card to your cabin – it is as simple as that.
In case you booked a ticket with an airplane-style seat, the seat number will already be written your ticket.
After collecting the key-card to my room, I made my way up one level and walked down the corridor towards my cabin.
The reception desk and information point of the Blue Star Chios.
Cabin
My cabin on board the Blue Star Chios was a four-berth external cabin. It has two lower bunks on each side of the room, and two upper bunks which were folded away.
It had one window from which I could look outside, although given that it was already dark by the time I finally set foot in my cabin there wasn’t much to see from it.
Cabins on Greek ferries are rather basic, so do not expect any luxuries. Only on a few larger ferries (such as for example the Knossos Palace of Minoan Lines) there are luxury cabins or suites available which you can book.
My cabin on the Blue Star Chios was exactly that: basic but functional. There was a small desk, a telephone, and plenty of storage space to put down your bags or to hang your coat.
The cabin has a few power sockets, although WiFi on the boat isn’t complimentary. If you however have roaming in the EU, you will have no trouble getting a decent 4G signal during your voyage as there is almost always a Greek island with a mast close by. Of course, the exception here is the longer stretch between Rhodes and Kastellorizo!
Looking back from the cabin towards the front door. The door on the left leads to the en-suite bathroom.
Bathroom
Of course, the cabin has an en-suite bathroom as well. Again, do not expect to much, as it pretty much looks like a hospital or nursery home bathroom. There is a hairdryer and some very basic toiletries in the bathroom.
Even though especially the bathroom was showing its age, it was however perfectly clean just like the cabin itself. In the end, you are really paying for a night of sleep and a shower in the morning – and I certainly appreciated both.
I managed to have a good night sleep in my cabin and when I woke up in the morning and roamed the decks of the ship, I certainly felt noticeably fresher than the tired-looking passengers who roughed the night by sleeping on the sofas or seats on board.
Nightcap
After I had dropped off my luggage in the cabin, I went to the outdoor deck to get some fresh sea air and to drink a small night cap before going to sleep.
The bar on the Blue Star Chios had a wide variety of (alcoholic) drinks on offer. I went for an Odyssey red ale, which tasted much better than I expected.
Fortunately for me, the Blue Star Chios did not suffer a shipwreck just like Odysseus’ boat as we made our way from Astypalea to Kalymnos without any problems. Kalymnos would be the first of a couple of port calls before the Blue Star Chios would finally reach Kastellorizo the following morning.
Kalymnos
When the ship arrived at Kalymnos, I was already back in my cabin checking some emails and chatting a bit with friends on my laptop.
As it was already pitch black outside at this late evening hour, there wasn’t much to see from my cabin window besides the harbour lights of Pothia, the name by which Kalymnos Town is also known.
Having never been to this part of the Dodecanese before, it was tempting to stay up a bit to try to get some glimpses of the islands of Kos, Nisyros and Tilos where the ship would call next, although in the end I smartly decided against it and went to sleep.
Cabin window view as the ship arrived at the Port of Kalymnos.
The lights of the Port of Kalymnos shining through my cabin window.
Morning
After a great night of sleep I woke up around 7.30am. At this hour, we had already sailed out of Rhodes and were well on our way on the final stage to Kastellorizo.
Having showered, it was time to explore the facilities on board the Blue Star Chios and look around a bit more.
When I woke up, the ship was on the open sea between Rhodes and Kastellorizo.
From my cabin window I could partially see the bridge of the ship.
Soldiers
There were relatively few remaining passengers on board the Blue Star Chios this morning compared to the evening before.
That did not come as much of a surprise, as many passengers probably disembarked at Kos and Rhodes, two popular holiday destinations. Rhodes has a big geographical and economic significance as well being the largest island and main regional hub of the Dodecanese.
My destination of Kastellorizo is by all means a very insignificant island in terms of tourism and commerce – its permanent population doesn’t even exceed 500 inhabitants!
Of the few passengers remaining on board, many seemed to be military personnel, both professional soldiers as well as younger draftees (Greece has mandatory military service for all men).
The military presence is no surprise if you look at the map. While Kastellorizo might be four hours away by ferry from Rhodes, it is only separated by a narrow straight of two kilometres wide from the Turkish mainland.
A month after my visit in July, there was even some sort of a stand-off between the Greek and Turkish navies in the waters around Kastellorizo, which might give you an idea how politically sensitive this territory is.
It is therefore not a surprise that Greece maintains an army garrison on the island and permanently has at least one ship patrolling the Greek territorial waters around Kastellorizo.
A tour of the ship
The Blue Star Chios basically has one main deck on which all indoor public areas and facilities are located, although the cabins can be found over multiple floors. There is also open deck space on multiple floors of the vessel.
If you just have a deck space ticket, you can try to find a couch or seat in one of the public areas to sit or lie down. This was not a problem now on the final stretch between Rhodes and Kastellorizo, but when I boarded the ship halfway on its route in Astypalea all good spots seemed to be taken.
Of course, you can always bring a sleeping bag and mattress and find a quiet corner somewhere, either inside or outside on the open deck.
Other facilities which you can find on board most Greek ferries are a small gift shop and an ATM, although it is not really needed to have any cash on you as contactless payments by card are possible at all shops and restaurants on board.
Airplane style seats
For a small surcharge (often between 1.5 and 5 EUR depending on the distance) you can add an airplane-style seat to your booking. These seats are fairly comfortable, but did not seem to recline very much.
Food on board
There are several food outlets on board the Blue Star Chios. First of all, there were two Everest snack bars – one indoor, and one outdoor on the open deck. A Greek takeaway café chain, Everest mostly sells coffee, drinks, pastries and sandwiches.
The Blue Star Chios also has a self-serve restaurant, although it was closed in the morning when I checked.
Larger ferries in Greece might have some additional food outlets, such as a fast food (hamburger) restaurant or proper sit-down restaurant. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend relying too much on the food outlets on board for a full lunch or proper dinner.
You are almost always better off eating something in town before departure or after arrival as food quality and available options will be superior on land. Needless to say, prices will be lower too.
That said, Greek ferries are perfectly acceptable for a mid-day snack or breakfast in the morning. For breakfast, Greeks do not need much more than a fresh bakery pastry and an (iced) coffee – and you can easily get such on board any passenger boat in Greece.
One of the two bars on board the Blue Star Chios.
The self-service restaurant on board the Blue Star Chios.
The outdoor bar on the Blue Star Chios
Breakfast
Whenever I’m on a ferry in Greece, I love to spend as much time possible on the open deck. There is just nothing better than smelling the fresh sea air while slowly sipping your coffee in the warm morning sun.
Although there wasn’t much to see besides deep blue waters as far as the eye could see, I was thoroughly enjoying the views.
The quality freddo espresso and tasty piece of bougatsa for breakfast made the experience even better.
Next up: Arriving on the gorgeous island of Kastlelorzo
For the full Greek night boat review and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Night boat
After a great couple of days on the island of Astypalea it was time to continue my trip and to head to the next destination. This evening I would take the night boat all the way to Kastellorizo, Greece’s easternmost island.Just to put it into perspective how easterly Kastellorizo is located: the closest permanently inhabited Greek island is Rhodes, four hours away by ferry.
If you would take a ferry all the way from Piraeus (the port of Athens) to Kastellorizo it would take a full 24 hours on sea.
Embarking the ferry at Astypalea (often spelled ‘Astypalaia’ on ferry timetables and websites, it being a more closely resembling transliteration of the Greek Αστυπάλαια) meant however that my journey time would be halved as the island is located roughly halfway between Piraeus and Kastellorizo.
Astypalaia (JTY) to Kastellorizo (KZS)
Blue Star Ferries – Vessel: Blue Star Chios
Stops: Kalymnos, Kos, Nisyros, Tilos, Rhodes
Departure: 10.25pm – Arrival: 10.40am (+1)
Duration: 12h05m – Distance: ~218 nautical miles
Costs: 105 EUR (A41 – outside cabin with 4 berths for single use)
The ferry from Astypalea to Kastellorizo called at the ports of Kalymnos, Kos, Nisyros, Tilos and Rhodes on the way.
Booking the ferry
As I already wrote before in the introduction to this trip report, I booked the ferry through the excellent ferry booking tool of Viva. Due to its easy-to-use interface it is by far the best website to book up Greek ferry routes, in my humble opinion.
Of course, you could also just use the Viva website to look up shipping timetables and routes and then book your ticket directly with the ferry company.
For my overnight crossing to Kastellorizo, I had booked a private cabin. The cheapest available cabin was a ‘A41’ category room – a four berth exterior cabin for single use.
The entire ferry crossing, including the cabin, set me back 105 euro – a fair price given that I would cover big distance covered and have my own cabin. If you travel on another night boat route in Greece (for example Piraeus to Crete) you can expect similar prices.
Other tickets
Of course, if you are travelling as a couple or family, the tickets will be relatively cheaper as the extra costs for the cabin will be shared over the entire party.
In comparison, it would cost just 33.50 EUR if you would just buy a ‘deck only’ ferry ticket from Astypalea to Kastellorizo without a cabin. In that case, you can stay/sleep in the public areas of the ship as well as on deck.
If you are on a budget or backpacking through Greece in summer, that might not be such a bad thing to do. You will see many other people rolling out their blankets or sleeping bags at night on the deck or in a quiet corner inside the ferry.
For a small surcharge (between 1.5 and 5 EUR on this particular route), you can also reserve an ‘airplane style seat’ – which basically is a recliner seat in a large saloon.
Port of Astypalea
Astypalea’s main port is located in the middle of nowhere some 7 kilometres from Astypalea Town. After picking up my luggage from my accommodation, I drove my rental car to the port.
I had previously agreed with the rental car company that I could drop off the car at the harbour for no extra costs. And indeed, at the pre-arranged time two representatives of the car rental agency arrived to quickly inspect my car and to drive it back to their office.
There is not much to do at the Port of Astypalea, so I wouldn’t recommend arriving too early (although you are supposed to be there 30 minutes before the ferry departure).
The harbour has a small port office, in which you can find a small café selling drinks and snacks, as well as some restrooms. Having already picked up my tickets days earlier at the Naxos office of Blue Star Ferries, all I had to do was waiting for the ship to arrive.
Fortunately, I had brought a cold beer with me – and when I finished it I may have bought another one from the small café.
The Port of Astypalea is basically a dock in the middle of nowhere.
Embarkation
Soon after finishing my second beer, the Blue Star Chios arrived into the Port of Astypalea. This Blue Star Ferries vessel is a roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) ship which can carry up to 418 vehicles in its car garage.
The Blue Star Chios measures 141 by 21 metres (463 by 69 ft) and has a maximum speed of 27 knots. Its carrying capacity is 13,955 gross tonnage.
In total, there is space for 1.782 passengers, although the ship only has 72 cabins.
As there were not many passengers, vehicles and lorries disembarking at the Port of Astypalea, it only took minutes before we were all given the green light by the port officer to embark.
Reception
After showing my ticket and handing over a short health declaration which all passengers had to fill in because of the corona pandemic, I was allowed to set foot on board the ship and made my way up to the main deck.
If you have a cabin booked, you have to report at the ship’s reception desk. Simply show your ticket, and you will be given the electronic key card to your cabin – it is as simple as that.
In case you booked a ticket with an airplane-style seat, the seat number will already be written your ticket.
After collecting the key-card to my room, I made my way up one level and walked down the corridor towards my cabin.
The reception desk and information point of the Blue Star Chios.
Cabin
My cabin on board the Blue Star Chios was a four-berth external cabin. It has two lower bunks on each side of the room, and two upper bunks which were folded away.
It had one window from which I could look outside, although given that it was already dark by the time I finally set foot in my cabin there wasn’t much to see from it.
Cabins on Greek ferries are rather basic, so do not expect any luxuries. Only on a few larger ferries (such as for example the Knossos Palace of Minoan Lines) there are luxury cabins or suites available which you can book.
My cabin on the Blue Star Chios was exactly that: basic but functional. There was a small desk, a telephone, and plenty of storage space to put down your bags or to hang your coat.
The cabin has a few power sockets, although WiFi on the boat isn’t complimentary. If you however have roaming in the EU, you will have no trouble getting a decent 4G signal during your voyage as there is almost always a Greek island with a mast close by. Of course, the exception here is the longer stretch between Rhodes and Kastellorizo!
Looking back from the cabin towards the front door. The door on the left leads to the en-suite bathroom.
Bathroom
Of course, the cabin has an en-suite bathroom as well. Again, do not expect to much, as it pretty much looks like a hospital or nursery home bathroom. There is a hairdryer and some very basic toiletries in the bathroom.
Even though especially the bathroom was showing its age, it was however perfectly clean just like the cabin itself. In the end, you are really paying for a night of sleep and a shower in the morning – and I certainly appreciated both.
I managed to have a good night sleep in my cabin and when I woke up in the morning and roamed the decks of the ship, I certainly felt noticeably fresher than the tired-looking passengers who roughed the night by sleeping on the sofas or seats on board.
Nightcap
After I had dropped off my luggage in the cabin, I went to the outdoor deck to get some fresh sea air and to drink a small night cap before going to sleep.
The bar on the Blue Star Chios had a wide variety of (alcoholic) drinks on offer. I went for an Odyssey red ale, which tasted much better than I expected.
Fortunately for me, the Blue Star Chios did not suffer a shipwreck just like Odysseus’ boat as we made our way from Astypalea to Kalymnos without any problems. Kalymnos would be the first of a couple of port calls before the Blue Star Chios would finally reach Kastellorizo the following morning.
Kalymnos
When the ship arrived at Kalymnos, I was already back in my cabin checking some emails and chatting a bit with friends on my laptop.
As it was already pitch black outside at this late evening hour, there wasn’t much to see from my cabin window besides the harbour lights of Pothia, the name by which Kalymnos Town is also known.
Having never been to this part of the Dodecanese before, it was tempting to stay up a bit to try to get some glimpses of the islands of Kos, Nisyros and Tilos where the ship would call next, although in the end I smartly decided against it and went to sleep.
Cabin window view as the ship arrived at the Port of Kalymnos.
The lights of the Port of Kalymnos shining through my cabin window.
Morning
After a great night of sleep I woke up around 7.30am. At this hour, we had already sailed out of Rhodes and were well on our way on the final stage to Kastellorizo.
Having showered, it was time to explore the facilities on board the Blue Star Chios and look around a bit more.
When I woke up, the ship was on the open sea between Rhodes and Kastellorizo.
From my cabin window I could partially see the bridge of the ship.
Soldiers
There were relatively few remaining passengers on board the Blue Star Chios this morning compared to the evening before.
That did not come as much of a surprise, as many passengers probably disembarked at Kos and Rhodes, two popular holiday destinations. Rhodes has a big geographical and economic significance as well being the largest island and main regional hub of the Dodecanese.
My destination of Kastellorizo is by all means a very insignificant island in terms of tourism and commerce – its permanent population doesn’t even exceed 500 inhabitants!
Of the few passengers remaining on board, many seemed to be military personnel, both professional soldiers as well as younger draftees (Greece has mandatory military service for all men).
The military presence is no surprise if you look at the map. While Kastellorizo might be four hours away by ferry from Rhodes, it is only separated by a narrow straight of two kilometres wide from the Turkish mainland.
A month after my visit in July, there was even some sort of a stand-off between the Greek and Turkish navies in the waters around Kastellorizo, which might give you an idea how politically sensitive this territory is.
It is therefore not a surprise that Greece maintains an army garrison on the island and permanently has at least one ship patrolling the Greek territorial waters around Kastellorizo.
A tour of the ship
The Blue Star Chios basically has one main deck on which all indoor public areas and facilities are located, although the cabins can be found over multiple floors. There is also open deck space on multiple floors of the vessel.
If you just have a deck space ticket, you can try to find a couch or seat in one of the public areas to sit or lie down. This was not a problem now on the final stretch between Rhodes and Kastellorizo, but when I boarded the ship halfway on its route in Astypalea all good spots seemed to be taken.
Of course, you can always bring a sleeping bag and mattress and find a quiet corner somewhere, either inside or outside on the open deck.
Other facilities which you can find on board most Greek ferries are a small gift shop and an ATM, although it is not really needed to have any cash on you as contactless payments by card are possible at all shops and restaurants on board.
Airplane style seats
For a small surcharge (often between 1.5 and 5 EUR depending on the distance) you can add an airplane-style seat to your booking. These seats are fairly comfortable, but did not seem to recline very much.
Food on board
There are several food outlets on board the Blue Star Chios. First of all, there were two Everest snack bars – one indoor, and one outdoor on the open deck. A Greek takeaway café chain, Everest mostly sells coffee, drinks, pastries and sandwiches.
The Blue Star Chios also has a self-serve restaurant, although it was closed in the morning when I checked.
Larger ferries in Greece might have some additional food outlets, such as a fast food (hamburger) restaurant or proper sit-down restaurant. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend relying too much on the food outlets on board for a full lunch or proper dinner.
You are almost always better off eating something in town before departure or after arrival as food quality and available options will be superior on land. Needless to say, prices will be lower too.
That said, Greek ferries are perfectly acceptable for a mid-day snack or breakfast in the morning. For breakfast, Greeks do not need much more than a fresh bakery pastry and an (iced) coffee – and you can easily get such on board any passenger boat in Greece.
One of the two bars on board the Blue Star Chios.
The self-service restaurant on board the Blue Star Chios.
The outdoor bar on the Blue Star Chios
Breakfast
Whenever I’m on a ferry in Greece, I love to spend as much time possible on the open deck. There is just nothing better than smelling the fresh sea air while slowly sipping your coffee in the warm morning sun.
Although there wasn’t much to see besides deep blue waters as far as the eye could see, I was thoroughly enjoying the views.
The quality freddo espresso and tasty piece of bougatsa for breakfast made the experience even better.
Next up: Arriving on the gorgeous island of Kastlelorzo
Last edited by Romanianflyer; Mar 28, 2021 at 2:53 am
Mar 28, 2021, 3:04 am
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Chapter 13: On a Night Boat in Greece, continued
For the full Greek night boat review and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Land in sight
After a short while, the Turkish coastline could be seen in the far distance from the port side of the ship. From this moment on, we would sail parallel to the coastline all the way until we reached Kastellorizo.About 45 minutes before arrival, we were already close enough to the coastline that you could clearly spot the Turkish seaside towns and the green mountains of mainland Turkey.
Island of Ro
There is one sight of interest during the crossing between Rhodes and Kastellorizo. Just before reaching Kastellorizo, the ship will pass by the uninhabited island of Ro, which you will see (most likely) on your starboard side.
If it weren’t for its geographical location close to mainland Turkey, Ro would be just be an insignificant, barren island.
For Greeks, it is however much more than that as the island runs deep in their national psyche. The reason? One elderly widow named Despina Achladiotou, who is better known as ‘The Lady of Ro’.
Despina is famous for raising the Greek flag on the island every single morning, no matter the weather or her own physical condition.
When her husband died in 1940, Despina continued living all alone on the uninhabited, barren island, still proudly displaying the Greek flag every single day.
Especially in those years this was quite special as back then the island did not yet formally belong to Greece. In the Treaty of Sčvres of 1920, Ro was awarded to the Italians just like the neighbouring islands of Rhodes and Kastellorizo – and this remained the case until the end of World War II.
After a brief British occupation, Ro was finally awarded to Greece in 1947 – but that did not stop Despina from continuing her tradition.
She managed to raise the flag every day until she passed away at in 1982 at the high age of 92 – having lived all the time as a hermit on Ro.
The Lady of Ro was buried with full military honours on her own island, on which the Greek army now has a few soldiers stationed to continue the flag-raising tradition.
The island of Ro as seen from the ferry.
The island of Ro – with Kastellorizo coming in sight in the far distance.
Asia Minor
As the ship slowly approaches Kastellorizo, the Turkish coastline will also come closer into view. After all, at its closest point, there is only two kilometres of sea separating Kastellorizo from Turkey!
The Turkish town opposite Kastellorizo is Kaş, a small but relatively popular holiday destination some 168 kilometres west of Antalya.
Just like many more places in Asia Minor, its population was majority Greek before the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, which saw the Greek Army being driven into the sea by a revigorated young Turkish republic under the command of Mustafa Kemal, better known as Atatürk.
What followed was the Megáli Katastrofí (Great Catastrophy) as the Greeks call it, in which hundreds of thousands Greeks from Asia Minor were killed, with most of the survivors fleeing to the Greek mainland or islands or being forcefully expelled there.
In a similar way, many ethic Turks were forced to flee or were expelled from Greece in what was becoming a major population exchange. The rivalries and tensions which it caused can still be felt in the region.
The barren western coast of Kastellorizo
On the port side of the ship, you can clearly see the houses of the Kaş suburbs.
Getting closer and closer to Kastellorizo.
Arriving at Kastellorizo
Kastellorizo has to be one of the most beautifully located harbours of all of Greece thanks to the mighty backdrop of its steep cliffs set against the aquamarine waters of the bay and the elegant, pastel-coloured waterfront mansions.
Many sailors will tell you that the Port of Kastellorizo is a great natural anchorage. In fact, some would even say that Kastellorizo is the best natural harbour between Piraeus and the Middle East!
On deck, people are in full anticipation of the moment when the ship finally rounds the island’s western cape and sails into the bay in which Kastellorizo Town is located. After rounding the cape on your starboard side, you are well advised to head to the port side on deck for the best arrival views.
As the ship sails into the bay, look out for the old mosque and minaret on the waterfront as well as the ruins of the hilltop castle right above it!
Rounding the western cape of Kastellorizo as the harbour bay comes in sight.
A Greek navy vessel guarding the entrance to the harbour.
At this point, no more than two kilometres of water is separating the island of Kastellorizo (left) from the Turkish coast (background).
The first proper glimpses of Kastellorizo Town.
On your left-hand side, you can clearly see the old Ottoman mosque and the hilltop castle ruins.
Kastellorizo is well-known for its elegant pastel-coloured waterfront mansions.
Docking at the Port of Kastellorizo.
Disembarkation calls
At this point, you will likely hear some loud disembarkation calls from the ship’s loudspeakers.
However, given that Kastellorizo is the final stop of the ferry route and thus the intermediate turning point before the long voyage back to Rhodes (and Piraeus), there is plenty of time to disembark at a leisurely pace.
You are well-advised to stay on deck until the ship has properly docked as the views are just absolutely stunning and you really don’t want to miss even a minute of it.
You certainly do not want to miss the moment when the ship makes a 45 degree turn to its starboard side in order for the rear cargo doors to align with the dock, as at this moment you will have a full panorama view of Kastellorizo Town.
Again, remain standing on the port side for the best views of Kastellorizo’s drop-dead gorgeous waterfront.
Arrival
After making some last pictures of the beautiful waterfront from the deck of the ferry, I took my luggage and headed a few floors down to the car garage in order to disembark the ferry.
Kastellorizo is small, which means that you can easily walk to whatever place in town you are staying for the night.
I simply had to walk for five minutes down the waterfront to my accommodation, although I couldn’t help but stop a few times to make some more snaps of the cute houses.
When you look back at the anchored ship, you suddenly start to respect the fine steering skills required by the captain to dock such a large vessel like the Blue Star Chios.
Once turned to its docking position, the bow of the ship almost reaches the other side of the harbour!
Disembarking the Blue Star Chios at the Port of Kastellorizo.
Only when you look at the Blue Star Chios from a distance do you realise it has almost the same length as the full width of the harbour!
Next up: Exploring the gorgeous island of Kastellorizo
For the full Greek night boat review and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Land in sight
After a short while, the Turkish coastline could be seen in the far distance from the port side of the ship. From this moment on, we would sail parallel to the coastline all the way until we reached Kastellorizo.About 45 minutes before arrival, we were already close enough to the coastline that you could clearly spot the Turkish seaside towns and the green mountains of mainland Turkey.
Island of Ro
There is one sight of interest during the crossing between Rhodes and Kastellorizo. Just before reaching Kastellorizo, the ship will pass by the uninhabited island of Ro, which you will see (most likely) on your starboard side.
If it weren’t for its geographical location close to mainland Turkey, Ro would be just be an insignificant, barren island.
For Greeks, it is however much more than that as the island runs deep in their national psyche. The reason? One elderly widow named Despina Achladiotou, who is better known as ‘The Lady of Ro’.
Despina is famous for raising the Greek flag on the island every single morning, no matter the weather or her own physical condition.
When her husband died in 1940, Despina continued living all alone on the uninhabited, barren island, still proudly displaying the Greek flag every single day.
Especially in those years this was quite special as back then the island did not yet formally belong to Greece. In the Treaty of Sčvres of 1920, Ro was awarded to the Italians just like the neighbouring islands of Rhodes and Kastellorizo – and this remained the case until the end of World War II.
After a brief British occupation, Ro was finally awarded to Greece in 1947 – but that did not stop Despina from continuing her tradition.
She managed to raise the flag every day until she passed away at in 1982 at the high age of 92 – having lived all the time as a hermit on Ro.
The Lady of Ro was buried with full military honours on her own island, on which the Greek army now has a few soldiers stationed to continue the flag-raising tradition.
The island of Ro as seen from the ferry.
The island of Ro – with Kastellorizo coming in sight in the far distance.
Asia Minor
As the ship slowly approaches Kastellorizo, the Turkish coastline will also come closer into view. After all, at its closest point, there is only two kilometres of sea separating Kastellorizo from Turkey!
The Turkish town opposite Kastellorizo is Kaş, a small but relatively popular holiday destination some 168 kilometres west of Antalya.
Just like many more places in Asia Minor, its population was majority Greek before the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, which saw the Greek Army being driven into the sea by a revigorated young Turkish republic under the command of Mustafa Kemal, better known as Atatürk.
What followed was the Megáli Katastrofí (Great Catastrophy) as the Greeks call it, in which hundreds of thousands Greeks from Asia Minor were killed, with most of the survivors fleeing to the Greek mainland or islands or being forcefully expelled there.
In a similar way, many ethic Turks were forced to flee or were expelled from Greece in what was becoming a major population exchange. The rivalries and tensions which it caused can still be felt in the region.
The barren western coast of Kastellorizo
On the port side of the ship, you can clearly see the houses of the Kaş suburbs.
Getting closer and closer to Kastellorizo.
Arriving at Kastellorizo
Kastellorizo has to be one of the most beautifully located harbours of all of Greece thanks to the mighty backdrop of its steep cliffs set against the aquamarine waters of the bay and the elegant, pastel-coloured waterfront mansions.
Many sailors will tell you that the Port of Kastellorizo is a great natural anchorage. In fact, some would even say that Kastellorizo is the best natural harbour between Piraeus and the Middle East!
On deck, people are in full anticipation of the moment when the ship finally rounds the island’s western cape and sails into the bay in which Kastellorizo Town is located. After rounding the cape on your starboard side, you are well advised to head to the port side on deck for the best arrival views.
As the ship sails into the bay, look out for the old mosque and minaret on the waterfront as well as the ruins of the hilltop castle right above it!
Rounding the western cape of Kastellorizo as the harbour bay comes in sight.
A Greek navy vessel guarding the entrance to the harbour.
At this point, no more than two kilometres of water is separating the island of Kastellorizo (left) from the Turkish coast (background).
The first proper glimpses of Kastellorizo Town.
On your left-hand side, you can clearly see the old Ottoman mosque and the hilltop castle ruins.
Kastellorizo is well-known for its elegant pastel-coloured waterfront mansions.
Docking at the Port of Kastellorizo.
Disembarkation calls
At this point, you will likely hear some loud disembarkation calls from the ship’s loudspeakers.
However, given that Kastellorizo is the final stop of the ferry route and thus the intermediate turning point before the long voyage back to Rhodes (and Piraeus), there is plenty of time to disembark at a leisurely pace.
You are well-advised to stay on deck until the ship has properly docked as the views are just absolutely stunning and you really don’t want to miss even a minute of it.
You certainly do not want to miss the moment when the ship makes a 45 degree turn to its starboard side in order for the rear cargo doors to align with the dock, as at this moment you will have a full panorama view of Kastellorizo Town.
Again, remain standing on the port side for the best views of Kastellorizo’s drop-dead gorgeous waterfront.
Arrival
After making some last pictures of the beautiful waterfront from the deck of the ferry, I took my luggage and headed a few floors down to the car garage in order to disembark the ferry.
Kastellorizo is small, which means that you can easily walk to whatever place in town you are staying for the night.
I simply had to walk for five minutes down the waterfront to my accommodation, although I couldn’t help but stop a few times to make some more snaps of the cute houses.
When you look back at the anchored ship, you suddenly start to respect the fine steering skills required by the captain to dock such a large vessel like the Blue Star Chios.
Once turned to its docking position, the bow of the ship almost reaches the other side of the harbour!
Disembarking the Blue Star Chios at the Port of Kastellorizo.
Only when you look at the Blue Star Chios from a distance do you realise it has almost the same length as the full width of the harbour!
Next up: Exploring the gorgeous island of Kastellorizo
Apr 1, 2021, 4:05 pm
#42
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,572
Chapter 14: Traditional Apartments Alexandra, Kastellorizo, Greece
For the full Traditional Apartments Alexandra review and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Kastellorizo
After a great journey on the night boat from Astypalea to Kastellorizo, it was a short walk from the dock to my accommodation for the next two nights.
I had booked a two night stay at Traditional Apartments Alexandra, a small pension inside a typical Kastellorizian house, for which I paid 58 euro per night.
Most of the accommodation options on Kastellorizo are self-catering apartments, small pensions and Airbnb rentals, with there only being two or three hotels on the small island of around 500 inhabitants.
At the front door, I was met by the welcoming elderly lady who runs the pension. She briefly showed me around the facilities of the apartment and handed me the keys.
Apartments Alexandra
The first thing you will notice at Apartments Alexandra is the unique, Italianesque architecture of the house. Most of the houses on Kastellorizo all have pastel-coloured facades, high ceilings and breathe a certain atmosphere of turn-of-the-century life.
These houses used to be the mansions of relatively wealthy traders and sea captains, and it clearly shows in the architecture on the island.
Even the newly built houses are all made in the same style, thereby retaining the traditional character of the island.
A look at the apartment
My apartment was located on the first floor of the building and consisted out of multiple rooms. When you enter the apartment, you arrive in the main bed and living room.
At the right side there is a cosy seating corner with a couple of chairs and a one-person bed which doubles as a sofa. On the left you will find a double bed.
With the high ceilings, mirror, curtains and some decorations, it did look both traditional and classy at the same time. It did however have modern-day amenities such as air-conditioning and a TV.
The WiFi internet connection was fast and reliable too, and there were plenty of power sockets throughout the entire apartment.
Kitchen
If you turn left around the corner through an arched opening you will arrive in the kitchen of the apartment, which was much more spacious and better equipped than I expected.
It has a dining table which seats four, a microwave oven, sink, fridge and two pits if you want do some cooking.
Although I didn’t really use the kitchen for cooking (one of the main points of coming to Greece is dining out!) it was for sure nice to have a large kitchen, if only to make some coffee and to prepare some breakfast in the morning.
Bathroom
The bathroom of my apartment was quite large too, although it wasn’t the best-equipped ever. That was especially visible when it comes to the shower, which had no shower curtain and a small shower head with poor water pressure.
Needless to say, it also makes the bathroom prone to flooding after you take a shower!
This is a however a wider issue among many Greek apartments and pensions, and it is certainly something you should expect at the bulk of accommodation options, including those on the island of Kastellorizo.
Apartment view
The apartment itself has multiple windows, as well as two large wooden doors leading to a small balcony, from where you have some decent views over the nearby streets and mountain right behind the house.
On Kastellorizo, the most expensive apartments are of course those which are located directly on the waterfront. If you want to have a cheaper apartment, you will most likely end up with an apartment with a similar town or mountain view.
Terrace
One of the great aspects of the apartment is the fact that is also featured a lovely terrace, although it is not directly connected to the apartment itself.
Instead, you have to get out of the living room into the main corridor and staircase and head through another door, which leads to the large terrace.
It features a big wooden table with a couple of chairs and panoramic views over the streets and mountain forested with Kastellorizo’s ubiquitous pine trees.
The terrace made for a great place to eat breakfast in the morning or to drink a glass of wine in the afternoon.
View from the terrace. As you can see, the local supermarket (with the red banner) is only a few steps away!
The terrace was an excellent place to drink some coffee and eat a fresh pastry from the nearby bakery in the morning.
The terrace was an equally fine spot for a glass of wine.
Location
Granted, due to its compact size and small population, there isn’t really a bad location for an apartment on the island of Kastellorizo as most accommodation options are just a few feet away from the waterfront and the local shops and taverns.
That was certainly the case with Traditional Apartments Alexandra, as the waterfront was only 30 metres away.
To reach the port where the ferry docks, it is a leisurely 10 minute walk, so you don’t really need to use the sole island taxi for this short distance either.
As you are smack in the middle of town, you have the local supermarket and bakery just a few feet away from the building as well.
Conclusion
I had a great stay at Traditional Apartments Alexandra, which certainly lived up to expectations. It was clean, cosy and nicely decorated, providing a comfortable base from where to explore Kastellorizo.
The apartment was value for money and had all the facilities you require, whether it is reliable internet, a fully equipped kitchen, and some pleasant seating areas to have a meal or drink.
The only negative was the bathroom, although given how common such a shower with weak water pressure and flooding is in Greek apartments and studios, it was something which I more or less have come to expect when travelling in the country.
Overall you certainly cannot go wrong by staying at Traditional Apartments Alexandra or one of the many similar self-service apartments and studios on the island.
For the full Traditional Apartments Alexandra review and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Kastellorizo
After a great journey on the night boat from Astypalea to Kastellorizo, it was a short walk from the dock to my accommodation for the next two nights.
I had booked a two night stay at Traditional Apartments Alexandra, a small pension inside a typical Kastellorizian house, for which I paid 58 euro per night.
Most of the accommodation options on Kastellorizo are self-catering apartments, small pensions and Airbnb rentals, with there only being two or three hotels on the small island of around 500 inhabitants.
At the front door, I was met by the welcoming elderly lady who runs the pension. She briefly showed me around the facilities of the apartment and handed me the keys.
Apartments Alexandra
The first thing you will notice at Apartments Alexandra is the unique, Italianesque architecture of the house. Most of the houses on Kastellorizo all have pastel-coloured facades, high ceilings and breathe a certain atmosphere of turn-of-the-century life.
These houses used to be the mansions of relatively wealthy traders and sea captains, and it clearly shows in the architecture on the island.
Even the newly built houses are all made in the same style, thereby retaining the traditional character of the island.
A look at the apartment
My apartment was located on the first floor of the building and consisted out of multiple rooms. When you enter the apartment, you arrive in the main bed and living room.
At the right side there is a cosy seating corner with a couple of chairs and a one-person bed which doubles as a sofa. On the left you will find a double bed.
With the high ceilings, mirror, curtains and some decorations, it did look both traditional and classy at the same time. It did however have modern-day amenities such as air-conditioning and a TV.
The WiFi internet connection was fast and reliable too, and there were plenty of power sockets throughout the entire apartment.
Kitchen
If you turn left around the corner through an arched opening you will arrive in the kitchen of the apartment, which was much more spacious and better equipped than I expected.
It has a dining table which seats four, a microwave oven, sink, fridge and two pits if you want do some cooking.
Although I didn’t really use the kitchen for cooking (one of the main points of coming to Greece is dining out!) it was for sure nice to have a large kitchen, if only to make some coffee and to prepare some breakfast in the morning.
Bathroom
The bathroom of my apartment was quite large too, although it wasn’t the best-equipped ever. That was especially visible when it comes to the shower, which had no shower curtain and a small shower head with poor water pressure.
Needless to say, it also makes the bathroom prone to flooding after you take a shower!
This is a however a wider issue among many Greek apartments and pensions, and it is certainly something you should expect at the bulk of accommodation options, including those on the island of Kastellorizo.
Apartment view
The apartment itself has multiple windows, as well as two large wooden doors leading to a small balcony, from where you have some decent views over the nearby streets and mountain right behind the house.
On Kastellorizo, the most expensive apartments are of course those which are located directly on the waterfront. If you want to have a cheaper apartment, you will most likely end up with an apartment with a similar town or mountain view.
Terrace
One of the great aspects of the apartment is the fact that is also featured a lovely terrace, although it is not directly connected to the apartment itself.
Instead, you have to get out of the living room into the main corridor and staircase and head through another door, which leads to the large terrace.
It features a big wooden table with a couple of chairs and panoramic views over the streets and mountain forested with Kastellorizo’s ubiquitous pine trees.
The terrace made for a great place to eat breakfast in the morning or to drink a glass of wine in the afternoon.
View from the terrace. As you can see, the local supermarket (with the red banner) is only a few steps away!
The terrace was an excellent place to drink some coffee and eat a fresh pastry from the nearby bakery in the morning.
The terrace was an equally fine spot for a glass of wine.
Location
Granted, due to its compact size and small population, there isn’t really a bad location for an apartment on the island of Kastellorizo as most accommodation options are just a few feet away from the waterfront and the local shops and taverns.
That was certainly the case with Traditional Apartments Alexandra, as the waterfront was only 30 metres away.
To reach the port where the ferry docks, it is a leisurely 10 minute walk, so you don’t really need to use the sole island taxi for this short distance either.
As you are smack in the middle of town, you have the local supermarket and bakery just a few feet away from the building as well.
Conclusion
I had a great stay at Traditional Apartments Alexandra, which certainly lived up to expectations. It was clean, cosy and nicely decorated, providing a comfortable base from where to explore Kastellorizo.
The apartment was value for money and had all the facilities you require, whether it is reliable internet, a fully equipped kitchen, and some pleasant seating areas to have a meal or drink.
The only negative was the bathroom, although given how common such a shower with weak water pressure and flooding is in Greek apartments and studios, it was something which I more or less have come to expect when travelling in the country.
Overall you certainly cannot go wrong by staying at Traditional Apartments Alexandra or one of the many similar self-service apartments and studios on the island.
Apr 6, 2021, 6:31 am
#43
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,572
Chapter 15: Kastellorizo: A Look Around Greece’s Easternmost Island
For the full Kastellorizo trip report and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
The outer fringes of Greece
The island of Kastellorizo (sometimes called Megisti or Meyisti) is the easternmost island not only of the Dodecanese archipelago but of entire of Greece.Reaching Kastellorizo is not exactly straightforward as the nearest (inhabited) island is Rhodes, some four hours away by ferry or 40 minutes by small propeller plane.
Kastellorizo Town
Having checked into my beautiful little apartment for my three night stay on Kastellorizo, it was time to explore the island.
Measuring only 12 square kilometres, you really do not need a car to explore Kastellorizo. In fact, there is only one road which links Kastellorizo Town to the small local airport at the other side of the mountain.
Kastellorizo is not only small in size but also in population, as there are only around 500 permanent residents on the island. Visiting the island thus really is all about slowing down and taking it easy.
That is certainly not something which is hard to do when you admire the beauty of Kastellorizo’s waterfront. The town might not only be one of the prettiest in Greece, but also one of the most beautifully located ones.
Lunch
As it was lunchtime when I arrived in Kastellorizo, the first order of business was finding a place to eat. There are many cafés and restaurants on Kastellorizo’s waterfront and you cannot really go wrong choosing any of them.
Although I first planned to explore a couple of options, I was persuaded to sit down at one of the first taverns I encountered when the welcoming owner promised me free wine on the house.
Athina Restaurant as it is called turned out to be a good choice. I had a simple but excellent quality lunch of freshly caught fish and some chips.
Due to the friendly service, great views and good food that is excellent value for money I ended up returning quite a few times to Athina during my stay on Kastellorizo.
Turtles
One great surprise during my lunch was the arrival of a turtle in the waters right beneath the quay. According to the owner of the restaurant, the turtle always arrives around lunchtime, knowing that sometimes they can snack from seafood leftovers thrown into the water.
The sight of the majestic beast in the clear blue waters of the harbour certainly made for a memorable sight. I was even more delighted when I found out that a second turtle had arrived as well!
After a while the turtle was joined by one of his friends!
A walk around town
There aren’t many sights of particular interest in Kastellorizo Town, but that doesn’t matter much at all. The town is so delightfully calm and beautiful that it is all about absorbing the special vibe.
Life on Kastellorizo mostly evolves around the waterfront and this is the place where you keep on returning to.
The town runs two or three streets land inward from the waterfront. When you walk these streets you will soon enough reach a dead end or find yourself at the foot of the huge cliff which forms the backdrop of the island.
For the full Kastellorizo trip report and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
The outer fringes of Greece
The island of Kastellorizo (sometimes called Megisti or Meyisti) is the easternmost island not only of the Dodecanese archipelago but of entire of Greece.Reaching Kastellorizo is not exactly straightforward as the nearest (inhabited) island is Rhodes, some four hours away by ferry or 40 minutes by small propeller plane.
Kastellorizo Town
Having checked into my beautiful little apartment for my three night stay on Kastellorizo, it was time to explore the island.
Measuring only 12 square kilometres, you really do not need a car to explore Kastellorizo. In fact, there is only one road which links Kastellorizo Town to the small local airport at the other side of the mountain.
Kastellorizo is not only small in size but also in population, as there are only around 500 permanent residents on the island. Visiting the island thus really is all about slowing down and taking it easy.
That is certainly not something which is hard to do when you admire the beauty of Kastellorizo’s waterfront. The town might not only be one of the prettiest in Greece, but also one of the most beautifully located ones.
Lunch
As it was lunchtime when I arrived in Kastellorizo, the first order of business was finding a place to eat. There are many cafés and restaurants on Kastellorizo’s waterfront and you cannot really go wrong choosing any of them.
Although I first planned to explore a couple of options, I was persuaded to sit down at one of the first taverns I encountered when the welcoming owner promised me free wine on the house.
Athina Restaurant as it is called turned out to be a good choice. I had a simple but excellent quality lunch of freshly caught fish and some chips.
Due to the friendly service, great views and good food that is excellent value for money I ended up returning quite a few times to Athina during my stay on Kastellorizo.
Turtles
One great surprise during my lunch was the arrival of a turtle in the waters right beneath the quay. According to the owner of the restaurant, the turtle always arrives around lunchtime, knowing that sometimes they can snack from seafood leftovers thrown into the water.
The sight of the majestic beast in the clear blue waters of the harbour certainly made for a memorable sight. I was even more delighted when I found out that a second turtle had arrived as well!
After a while the turtle was joined by one of his friends!
A walk around town
There aren’t many sights of particular interest in Kastellorizo Town, but that doesn’t matter much at all. The town is so delightfully calm and beautiful that it is all about absorbing the special vibe.
Life on Kastellorizo mostly evolves around the waterfront and this is the place where you keep on returning to.
The town runs two or three streets land inward from the waterfront. When you walk these streets you will soon enough reach a dead end or find yourself at the foot of the huge cliff which forms the backdrop of the island.
Apr 7, 2021, 6:16 am
#44
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,572
Chapter 15: Kastellorizo; continued
For the full Kastellorizo trip report and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Australians and Italians
One particularly beautiful stretch of Kastellorizo Town is the upper part of town on the hill on the eastern side of the harbour. If you walk up the waterfront stairs you will come across some fine mansions in all kinds of different colours.Some of these are old buildings but others are newly constructed houses built in the same traditional style.
Many are built by wealthy Athenians or Australians as holiday houses. Why Australians you might ask yourself? Well, many locals left Kastellorizo for Australia in search of a better future during the harsh Italian occupation (1928 to 1943) and the immediate aftermath of World War II.
The children and grandchildren of these émigrés still visit Megisti regularly, which is why in summer you can often hear people talking in a thick Aussi accent!
However, during my trip there were almost none of these Greek Australians on the island as Australia did not allow people to leave the country for touristic reasons due to the corona virus pandemic.
In summer, Kastellorizo is also popular among Turkish visitors who hop over for a day from the city of Kaş, which is located eight kilometres away across the sea (at its closest point, Kastellorizo is just three kilometres away from Turkey).
But this summer there were also zero Turks in town due to Greek entry restrictions, robbing Kastellorizo of the two biggest groups of visitors in normal times.
During my visit, most visitors seemed to be Greeks from the mainland and a handful of Italians, who flock here because a popular Italian film (Mediterraneo) was shot on Kastellorizo, which is called ‘Castelrosso’ in Italian.
If you walk up the stairs from the port you will reach a particularly beautiful backstreet of Kastellorizo
Mosque
One of the few sights in Kastellorizo Town is the former Ottoman mosque which dates back to the late 18th Century. Nowadays the building is used as a small island museum.
Inside, you can see a couple of exhibits detailing Kastellorizo’s history and folk culture. It was interesting to see some old pictures of the island as it seemed so much more built up in those years!
Under Ottoman rule, Kastellorizo used to have the largest cargo fleet of the entire Dodecanese island chain, which contributed immensely to the island’s wealth.
Kastellorizo however lost most of its economic importance after the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923.
The years which followed were not kind to the island. In 1926 an earthquake destroyed lots of buildings on Kastellorizo and in 1928 the Italians occupied the island. World War II bombardments brought even more destruction.
During Italian occupation and World War II a big chunk of Kastellorizo’s population had already fled the island – and never returned afterwards.
Coupled with mass emigration in the years following World War II, it meant that Kastellorizo never regained its peak population and feels a bit like a backwater compared to the old pictures showing a more lively and certainly much bigger port city.
Inside the mosque are some exhibits detailing the history and culture of the island.
Old pictures show how Kastellorizo looked like in the early 20th Century before the town was decimated by an earthquake and World War II.
Lycean tomb
If you walk from the mosque along the cape towards the east, you will find a nice path hugging the northern coastline of the island. From here you have lovely views over the turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea and the tiny islet of Psoradia just in front of the coast.
This path continues all the way to Mandraki, the satellite neighbourhood of Kastellorizo Town located at the other side of the hill.
If you walk the short distance from Kastellorizo Town proper to Mandraki make sure that you don’t have your eyes firmly fixed on the sea alone.
It is otherwise easy to miss the 4th Century BC Lycean tomb in the rocks on your right if you only pay attention to the sea on your left-hand side!
Although these Lycean tombs are fairly common across the water on Turkey’s Anatolian coast, they are extremely rare in Greece.
The small islet of Psoradia is just swimming distance away.
The 4th Century BC Lycian tomb with its fine Doric facade.
Castle
Another main sight on the island is the is the Castle of the Knights of St. John which is located on the hill which separates Kastellorizo Town from its sattelite neighbourhood of Mandraki.
The castle has a prime strategic location as it overlooks both the deepwater port of Kastellorizo and the more shallow fishing harbour of Mandraki.
The knights were the ones who gave Kastellorizo (Castelrosso) its name as they thought the towering red cliffs of the island resembled a castle.
Not much remains of the castle these days, although you can use the rickety metal stairs to climb to the top, from where you have great views over both Kastellorizo Town and the Turkish coast at the other side of the sea.
You can see the castle rising high above the houses of Kastellorizo Town
Not much remains of the castle these days. The biggest reason to climb all the way up are the great views.
For the full Kastellorizo trip report and a few more pictures thrown in, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Australians and Italians
One particularly beautiful stretch of Kastellorizo Town is the upper part of town on the hill on the eastern side of the harbour. If you walk up the waterfront stairs you will come across some fine mansions in all kinds of different colours.Some of these are old buildings but others are newly constructed houses built in the same traditional style.
Many are built by wealthy Athenians or Australians as holiday houses. Why Australians you might ask yourself? Well, many locals left Kastellorizo for Australia in search of a better future during the harsh Italian occupation (1928 to 1943) and the immediate aftermath of World War II.
The children and grandchildren of these émigrés still visit Megisti regularly, which is why in summer you can often hear people talking in a thick Aussi accent!
However, during my trip there were almost none of these Greek Australians on the island as Australia did not allow people to leave the country for touristic reasons due to the corona virus pandemic.
In summer, Kastellorizo is also popular among Turkish visitors who hop over for a day from the city of Kaş, which is located eight kilometres away across the sea (at its closest point, Kastellorizo is just three kilometres away from Turkey).
But this summer there were also zero Turks in town due to Greek entry restrictions, robbing Kastellorizo of the two biggest groups of visitors in normal times.
During my visit, most visitors seemed to be Greeks from the mainland and a handful of Italians, who flock here because a popular Italian film (Mediterraneo) was shot on Kastellorizo, which is called ‘Castelrosso’ in Italian.
If you walk up the stairs from the port you will reach a particularly beautiful backstreet of Kastellorizo
Mosque
One of the few sights in Kastellorizo Town is the former Ottoman mosque which dates back to the late 18th Century. Nowadays the building is used as a small island museum.
Inside, you can see a couple of exhibits detailing Kastellorizo’s history and folk culture. It was interesting to see some old pictures of the island as it seemed so much more built up in those years!
Under Ottoman rule, Kastellorizo used to have the largest cargo fleet of the entire Dodecanese island chain, which contributed immensely to the island’s wealth.
Kastellorizo however lost most of its economic importance after the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923.
The years which followed were not kind to the island. In 1926 an earthquake destroyed lots of buildings on Kastellorizo and in 1928 the Italians occupied the island. World War II bombardments brought even more destruction.
During Italian occupation and World War II a big chunk of Kastellorizo’s population had already fled the island – and never returned afterwards.
Coupled with mass emigration in the years following World War II, it meant that Kastellorizo never regained its peak population and feels a bit like a backwater compared to the old pictures showing a more lively and certainly much bigger port city.
Inside the mosque are some exhibits detailing the history and culture of the island.
Old pictures show how Kastellorizo looked like in the early 20th Century before the town was decimated by an earthquake and World War II.
Lycean tomb
If you walk from the mosque along the cape towards the east, you will find a nice path hugging the northern coastline of the island. From here you have lovely views over the turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea and the tiny islet of Psoradia just in front of the coast.
This path continues all the way to Mandraki, the satellite neighbourhood of Kastellorizo Town located at the other side of the hill.
If you walk the short distance from Kastellorizo Town proper to Mandraki make sure that you don’t have your eyes firmly fixed on the sea alone.
It is otherwise easy to miss the 4th Century BC Lycean tomb in the rocks on your right if you only pay attention to the sea on your left-hand side!
Although these Lycean tombs are fairly common across the water on Turkey’s Anatolian coast, they are extremely rare in Greece.
The small islet of Psoradia is just swimming distance away.
The 4th Century BC Lycian tomb with its fine Doric facade.
Castle
Another main sight on the island is the is the Castle of the Knights of St. John which is located on the hill which separates Kastellorizo Town from its sattelite neighbourhood of Mandraki.
The castle has a prime strategic location as it overlooks both the deepwater port of Kastellorizo and the more shallow fishing harbour of Mandraki.
The knights were the ones who gave Kastellorizo (Castelrosso) its name as they thought the towering red cliffs of the island resembled a castle.
Not much remains of the castle these days, although you can use the rickety metal stairs to climb to the top, from where you have great views over both Kastellorizo Town and the Turkish coast at the other side of the sea.
You can see the castle rising high above the houses of Kastellorizo Town
Not much remains of the castle these days. The biggest reason to climb all the way up are the great views.
