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You can e-mail me if you have questions about the Greek Islands, itineraries, ferry connections, hotels or anything actually- Matt Barrett
Astypalia
Looks like two
seperate islands connected by a narrow isthmus.
Most of the visitors are Greeks. The island is
more like a Cycladic island then the Dodecanese
chain which it is a part of. Beautiful geometric
white houses and a labarynth of a village crowned
by a Venetian castle. Many coved beaches, it is
remarkable that the island does not get more
tourists. It could be the boat schedule. By my
count there were only three a week last summer.
Go! (and then write and tell me about it)
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Halki
Small
island which caters to package tourists
looking for an unspoiled island. For that
reason it is tough to find a room. When the
sponge in the area died out many of the
inhabitants moved to Tarpon Springs Florida
and the old Horio is deserted. There is a
daily caique connecting the island to Rhodes
and a hydrofoil once a week to Kalymnos, Kos,
Nisiros and Tilos, but no ferries since there
are no cars on the island.
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Kalymnos
 Spongefishermen's
island. The main port of
Pothia
is lined
with cafes and as home to Greece's
spongefishing fleet is a working town. There is
a sponge museum there too. There are resort
beaches around the island and several other
small ports and towns worth visiting. There
are small excursion boats from
Pothia
to the
small islands of
Nera
and
Pserimos
and from
the resort town of
Myrties
to
Telendos
where
there are rooms to rent, tavernas and
beaches.
People who visit
regularly rave about Kalymnos.
Kalymnos
is connected by an almost daily boat from
Pireaus to the other major islands of the
Dodecanese chain and also a ferry and
hydrofoil to Samos. There may even be an
airport there by the time you read this. It
takes around 12 hours by ferry from Pireaus
and a little less on the Blue Star
Lines. If you have been to Tarpon Spring Florida then you probably have met someone from Kalymnos. See Gill Collins review of Kalymnos at
www.greektravel.com/greekislands/kalymnos
You can book this island through Fantasy Travel and you can find hotels for Kalymnos at www.hotelsofgreece.com
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Karpathos
Another
world. Don't come here to party but to watch, listen
and learn. Very traditional, especially the
mountain village of Olympos which was isolated
for centuries and still carries on many
medieval customs and crafts.One side of the
island is rocky while the other is more
fertile and green. A line of mountains
seperate the two sides. Many nice beaches some
with hotels and restaurants but tourism has
not gotten out of hand here...yet. The port
town of Pigadia is the island's capital and
has hotels, restaurants and cafes on an active
waterfront. There are
only a couple ferries a week from Pireaus and
perhaps one or two a week to Rhodes, Crete,
Santorini, Milos, Kassos, Halki, Paros, and
Naxos. There is an airport and most people
come here that way. For hotels see www.hotelsofgreece.com or contact Aegean Thesaurus Travel
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Kassos
A great
island for walking and witnessing the
vanishing tradions of Greek island life. One
of the least visited islands in Greece. You
can walk from the main village of Phry to all
the other villages and beaches on the island
or to the two monasteries. There are only 2
boats a week from Pireaus. There is an airport
though with flights to Athens, Karpathos and
Rhodes.
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Kastellorizo
Tiny
island made famous by the film Mediterraneo, a
must-see for anyone visiting Greece. Also
called Megisti, the island has no beaches but
has instead the rocky coves that make it one
of the best islands for snorkling. The island
has a dramatic history and has been occupied
by just about everyone and was even bombed
severely during WWII. There are also excurson
boats to the islets which surround Kastellorizo
including the island of Ro whose last
inhabitant, Despina Achladioti, died in 1982.
Every day she would raise the Greek flag over
the small island, clearly visable from the
Turkish coast and she became a symbol of the
Greek Spririt in the face of adversity. There
are daily flights to and from Rhodes to
Kastellorizo in the summer and ferries twice a
week to Kalymnos, Kos, Rhodes, Symi and Tilos. For hotels see www.hotelsofgreece.com or contact Aegean Thesaurus Travel
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Kos
Very
popular with Scandinavians in the past, Kos is rich in archaeology including
Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian
sites. Many of the islands beautiful beaches
used to be quite crowded just as they are in
Mykonos and Santorini and the other popular
islands, but a drop in the number of package
tourists mean there are bargains to be found.
The interior of the island is still
undeveloped, fertile and agricultural and best
of all, largely flat so that riding bicycles
(and of course motorbikes) is a fun way to get
around. There are daily ferries to and from
Pireaus and the other large islands of the
Dodecanese, daily boats to Bodrun in Turkey
and three flights a day to and from Athens.
There are also several boats a week going to
the smaller islands. If you are coming in the
summer better book in advance (as
anywhere).
See my Kos website at
www.greektravel.com/greekislands/kos
For
bookings and more information contact Fantasy
Travel at
www.fantasytravelofgreece.com
For hotels on Kos
see
www.hotelsofgreece.com
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Leros
The main port
of Laki is one of the best examples of Art Deco
Architecture. It was designed by Mussilini's
architects in 1923, though in defiance of the
dictator, the capital was moved above to the
village of Agia Marina.The rest of the island is
green with stunning beaches and large bays. It is
also the base for sailing trips to the coast of
Turkey and the other Dodekanese islands.
Daily or
almost boat from Pireaus make the overnight trip
and then continue on to the other larger
Dodecanese islands. There is also a daily flight
from Athens in the summer. You can find hotels for Leros at www.hotelsofgreece.com
You can book holidays on Leros through Aegean Thesaurus Travel.
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Lipsi
Few people had heard of the small island of Lipsi until 2002 when the leader of the Greek terrorist group November 17th was captured here in his villa where he had been quietly living for the last 15 years or so. But Lipsi is one of the most interesting of the small islets that sit between Patmos and the coast of Turkey. Despite it being a relatively unknown island there is some package tourist activity here and just showing up because you assume you will find a room may be unwise in July or August. There is really only one town which is the port. With a number of good tavernas in town, a few hotels and a dozen beaches within walking distance and a few ouzeries on the waterfront, this may be the quiet island you are looking for, if you can get here. A travel agent can help but finding one that books Lipsi maybe tough. Try Hahathakis Tours in Lesvos who seem to be willing to book the islands that other agents have no interest in.
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Nisyros
This
fertile island is actually a dormant volcano
and even though there is little water it is
rich in agriculture because of the mineral
rich soil. The colorful port of Mandraki is
host to and ancient acropolis, a monastery and
a black stone beach. There is a thermal spa at
Loutra. The volcano itself attracts many
visitors and the villages of Nikea and
Emboreios sit on the rim with spectacular
views of the caldera. An excellent island for
walking, the volcano has created and altered
some incredible landscapes. There are several
ferries and hydrofoils from Kalymnos, Kos,
Rhodes, Symi, Tilos and Kastellorizo.
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Patmos
 Quiet
island at night but busy stop by day for
Cruise ships. Great
beaches and landscape this is where the
Apocalypse of John, or Revelations was
written. The main town of Skala caters to the
many people who arrive on cruise ships but is
still a comfortable enough place to base
yourself to see the rest of the island. A
place you have to visit is the monastery of
Saint John the Theologian above Skala and the
Monastery of the Apocalypse built around the
cave where John had his vision of the end of
times. A popular island with spiritually
minded people, there is no denying the feeling
of sacredness here. There are
daily ferries from Pireaus for the overnight
trip, continuing on to kalymnos, Kos, leros
and Rhodes. There is a daily hydrofoil in the
summer to Ikaria, Samos and Fourni and another
small boat to the picturesque island of
Lipsi.
Read about my father's visit to Patmos in 1964
For hotels on Patmos
see
www.hotelsofgreece.com/dodcanese
For hotel
descriptions, bookings and rates contact
Dolphin Hellas or Fantasy Travel
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Rhodes
 The most
popular island in the Dodecanese and rivals
both Santorini and Mykonos as one of the most
popular islands in Greece. Rhodes town is more
of a city but a nice one, in fact I could
easily live here. The old town is something
special, a medieval walled city and one of the
most important historical sites in the world.
Fantastic castle built by the Knights of Saint
John. Lots of nightlife, and plenty of
archaeology to get through the days if beaches
packed with beautiful women (and men) bore
you. Try Sticky Fingers or the 60's bar. Check
out the rest of the island which is
agricultural with great beaches and some fancy
resorts, villages, mountains and the longest
summer of any Greek island. Lindos is
picturesque and packed during the season but
go early or late and share it with the locals.
Plenty of undiscovered spots but you will need
a car to find them. Don't forget the Valley of
the Butterflies. Well they are moths actually
but nonetheless
impressive.
I loved it here on Rhodes and actually shopped for a house here. I stayed at the
Hotel Mediterranean in town right on the
beach where the Aegean sea meets the
Mediterranean.
Several
boats a day during the summer from Pireaus do
the overnight journey and a cabin is
recommended. These boats stop in Patmos,
Kalymnos, Leros and Kos along the way. As the
hub of the Dodecanese islands, there are boats
to all the islands in the chain as well as
several a week to other islands in the
Cyclades and NE Aegean islands and
Thessaloniki. There are daily boats to
Marmaris in Turkey, only an hour or so away so
you can go there for the day. There is an international airport
too.There are
daily boats as well as to the nearby islands
of Symi, Halki, Tilos and the other
Dodecanese. Many people do day trips to the
other islands.
See my
guide to Rhodes at
www.greecetravel.com/rhodes
(One of my better
pages)
For a travel agency
specializing in Rhodes see
www.fantasytravelofgreece.com
For hotel
descriptions, bookings and rates visit:
www.hotelsofgreece.com
If you are
coming to Rhodes on a cruise and want a
private tour of the island by comfortable
air-conditoned Mercedes visit
www.greecetravel.com/rhodes/privatetours
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Symi
Beautiful bays
and pebbled beaches, best reached by small boats
that leave frequently. Daily boats between Symi
and Rhodes and many people come for the day to eat
in the restaurants and wander around the beautiful
town.
Symidream is a co-operative of writers,
photographers and astrologers living on Symi
island, Greece who have classes in creative
writing, photography, Life Journeys and other
interesting subjects. There are several ferries a
week to Kalymnos, Kos, Kastellorizo, Rhodes and
Tilos as well as a hydrofoil twice a week. There
are a couple ferries a week to and from Pireaus. You can find hotels for Symi at www.hotelsofgreece.com
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Tilos
A great
island for walking, with deserted villages,
dramatic landscapes, a spectacular monastery, a
medieval castle and uncrowded beaches. There are
plenty of places to stay in Livadia and camping is
permitted on the beaches.There are several ferries
a week to Kalymnos, Kos, Kastellorizo, Rhodes and
Simi as well as a hydrofoil twice a week. For the past 16 years, Tilos, has banned
hunting and has as a result become a paradise
for birds, some of them endangered. Animal
protection groups and the Mayor of Tilos are
attempting to create an official natural park
in Tilos which will guarantee a long term
hunting ban. However, local hunting clubs are
putting pressure on the Greek Government and
islanders to lift the ban and are thereby
jeopardising efforts to shift the island
economy to conservation uses of their natural
resources.
The local Association
Tilos
Park is
promoting ecotourism to help Tilos remain a
sanctuary for birds. But they need support
both within Greece and internationally.
A good response will prove to the Greek
Government that the Tilos community can only
benefit from a hunting ban. You can sign a
petition to indicate your support at
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/proact02/
It only takes a minute. For more information,
email
Tilos-Park@otenet.gr
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