Category: Greece holiday May 2015 (page 2 of 3)

A teasing glimpse of Korthi

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Ormos Korthious photo from islandandros.com

Korthi Bay and the village of Ormos Korthiou are seen in a photo from the Andros travel and information website Island Andros.

 

Quick peek: Have you ever experienced that nagging feeling, while travelling from one scheduled holiday destination to the next, that you’re missing out on some really worthwhile sights and attractions you simply don’t have time to stop and visit along the way? We certainly did during our trip to Andros last spring.

After spending 3 nights in Andros Town at the beginning of our vacation, it was time to move on. Our friends had to return to Athens, and they agreed to drop us off at our next stop — a hotel near the resort area of Batsi, on the northwest coast of Andros — while they drove to Gavrio port to catch their ferry back to the mainland. 

So that we could all see a little more of Andros during the drive, we avoided the most direct highway route from Andros Town to Batsi and detoured to the south, following a highway that winds through the island’s Korthi region. The plan was to stop at the fishing harbour and seaside village of Ormos Korthiou to have a coffee before resuming the drive to Batsi.

Click here or on the link under the next photo to turn to page 2 of this post, where you can continue reading about Korthi and view more pictures of some of its top  attractions.

Grias Pidima beach Andros

One of the iconic sights we didn’t get to see in Korthi was Tis Grias to Pidima beach (also called Old Lady’s Leap), shown in this photo from airbnb.gr.  Pictures of the sandy beach and its towering stone pillar can be found on scores of postcards, websites and travel publications for Andros.

 

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Strolling around Stenies

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Stenies village on Andros

Approaching the Stenies mountainside settlement on Andros island

 

Valley village:  There is much to see in the mountain and valley areas near Andros Town (also called Chora) on Andros Island. In fact, visitors could easily spend several days sightseeing and exploring the surrounding countryside by car or, if they prefer, by foot (the island boasts a network of nearly two dozen sign-posted walking and hiking trails, several of which start in or near Chora).

Unfortunately, we didn’t have that much exploration time at our disposal. During the first two days we stayed at Andros Town in late May, we spent much of our time in and around Chora itself. But on our third (and final) day, we ventured a little further off to do some hillside hiking in Stenies village and vicinity.

 

Stenies village on Andros

At Stenies, visitors can stroll past churches, red-roofed houses and palatial private villas nestled against verdant valley hillsides …

 

Bistis-Mouvelas Tower House on Andros

… and see historic ruins, including the crumbling Bistis-Mouvelas tower house, which dates from the 17th Century

 

Situated less than a 20-minute drive from Andros Town, Stenies is a residential settlement area that stretches across rolling hillsides in a mountain valley verdant with flowers, greenery and towering Cyprus trees. Blue-domed churches and large houses with red tile roofs rise from the leafy slopes,  while several sprawling estates with palatial private villas indicate that Stenies is a popular valley enclave for the affluent. Besides recently-built and still-under-construction stone mansions, the hillsides are home to some crumbling old buildings, including the Bistis-Mouvelas tower house, which was built in the 17th Century.  And on the coast at nearby Gialia Bay are two beaches — the pebbly Empros Gialia, and the sandy Piso Gialia, where travellers can stop for a meal on the seaview terrace at Gialia Restaurant and Snack Bar.

We spent several hours at Stenies, where we wandered along a series of paved paths and dirt trails that meandered up and down hills, past attractive homes, over mountain streams and across grassy fields, eventually making our way to and from the Bistis Tower. After working up hearty appetites hiking in warm temperatures under a mixed sky of sun and clouds, we drove to Drosia restaurant in the village of Menites for a midafternoon lunch break. (Staff at the Andros Town hotel where our travelling companions were staying had highly recommended we drop by Drosia for a meal. We enjoyed it as much as they had promised we would.)

 

Drosia Restaurant at Menites Andros

Part of Drosia restaurant’s very pleasant tree-shaded patio is seen in this photo from the Drosia Facebook page

 

Drosia’s outdoor terrace was as delightful as its delicious food — shaded by soaring trees, the patio is perched on the edge of a ravine through which streams cascade down the steep slopes. As we sat amidst thick vegetation, with the sound of water rushing in the creeks below us, it truly felt like we were in a lush island oasis — something we’ve never experienced on predominantly barren other islands in the Cyclades, like Mykonos, Ios or Santorini. 

It was just a short — but sweet — visit to Stenies and Menites, and we realized we had merely scratched the surface in terms of the multitude of things to see and do in both areas. We hope we get the chance to go back and  see more.

 

I shot this short video from the mountain road that took us to Stenies. It shows views of the mountainside settlement as well as nearby Gialia Bay. Click on the arrow to start the video.

 

Please click on the link below to turn to page 2 of this post, where you can read more about our day and view some of our photos of Stenies and Menites.  You can see full-size versions of the pictures, along with dozens more, in my Stenies and Menites album on Flickr.

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Our brief stay at Irene’s Villas in Andros Town

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Irene's Villas on Andros

Irene’s Villas is a collection of self-catering studio apartments on a hillside above Nimborio beach. We spent 3 nights here in late May.

 

Hilltop hideaway: First stop on our island-hopping holiday this year was Andros, where we spent  three days with friends who, like us, were visiting the island for the first time.  They had researched accommodations and shared a short-list of three options they were considering in Andros Town. They ultimately booked at their first choice, Anemomiloi Studios, but by the time I contacted that property, there was no availability in our budget range. So we settled for our second choice, Irene’s Villas, and used their website’s online booking form to reserve a studio.

 

Irene's Villas Andros

Exterior view of the front of our apartment at Irene’s Villas. The studio was spotlessly clean, comfortable and quiet.

 

Irene's Villas Andros

What we liked the most about our studio was the long sea- and mountain-view veranda out front, where we enjoyed having breakfast and coffee

 

Please click on the link below to continue reading our review of Irene’s Villas, and to see our photo slideshows of the property and nearby area.

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Cool things to see in and around Andros Town

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Andros Town

Red-roofed buildings on the northeast side of Andros Town

 

Eye & camera candy:  If you enjoy exploring Greek island towns, either simply to stroll around and just see what’s there, to learn more about the destination’s history, or to discover interesting subjects for photography, painting or other artistic hobbies, you won’t be disappointed with Andros Town. 

During our Andros visit this spring, we spent three days at Chora (the Greek name for the island’s main town) and wandered its streets, lanes, and seaside areas several times. The town has many familiar features and amenities we enjoy seeing and photographing on other Greek islands — outdoor bars and cafes, public squares, picturesque churches and chapels,  impressive local architecture, and cats aplenty — but it also boasts its own special landmarks and historic sites, plus distinctive natural surroundings of seasides, beaches, bays and mountains.

Unfortunately, jet lag kept us from exploring Andros Town as thoroughly as we would have liked. Though we did view a lot of interesting sights and scenery, when it came time to move to a beach resort area on the south side of the island, we realized there had been much, much more we didn’t get to see. But that just means there will be plenty of new things to experience the next time we visit Chora. 

Page 2 of this post features photo slideshows of some of the sights we saw during our various walkabouts. Click here or on the link below to access the photos.

You can view full-size versions of all of the pictures, along with hundreds more, in our Andros Town album on the mygreecetravelblog Flickr page.

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A purrfect place for a catnap

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cat sleeping on a squash on Andros

A cat catches an early afternoon snooze on a giant butternut squash displayed on a table outside a house in Stenies village on Andros. We saw the cute kitty cozying up to the giant gourd while we were hiking around the Stenies area during our Andros visit in late May.

Exploring the quiet lanes and alleys of Andros Town

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a lane in Andros Town

Three curious cats watch as we approach them in a lane in Andros Town

 

During our visit to Andros at the end of May, we usually had most of Andros Town all to ourselves while walking around — we saw only a small number of residents and even fewer tourists whenever we were out and about. Although the town’s main commercial street was  bustling with people each morning and again in the evening at dinner time, it was a different story off the main strip, where we typically would encounter some cats but barely any people on side streets and lanes like the one in the photo above. For us, the quiet alleys and walkways were pure bliss — a refreshing escape from the crowds, traffic, sirens and incessant city noise that stress us out back home in downtown Toronto. In main travel season, I’m sure Andros Town is teeming with tourists and residents, but we didn’t mind finding it so empty in May.

Here are more street scenes that will give you an idea of what it’s like to stroll around Andros Town:

 

a street in Andros Town

Approaching a church near the eastern tip of Andros Town

 

the main street in Andros Town

Looking along the main street in Andros Town. Vehicles can drive on this particular block, but beyond the intersection a few doors down, the street becomes a pedestrian-only thoroughfare.

 

the main street in Andros Town

With most shops and businesses closed in late afternoon, the pedestrian section of Andros Town’s main street is empty. Stormclouds gathering overhead seemed to scare most of the tourists back to their hotels until dinner time.

 

the main street in Andros Town

A view of the main street during a busier time of day

 

the main street of Andros Town

Shops and cafes line the marble-paved street

 

a lane in Andros Town

A view down the steps leading to the island’s Museum of Contemporary Art. It was open only between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and since we were always off exploring other parts of the island during those hours, we were unable to visit the galleries. Other tourists told us that the museum’s collections and special exhibits are impressive.

 

steps in Andros Town

A steep flight of steps on the south side of Andros Town

 

a street in Andros Town

Not a soul in sight on this street, either

 

a street in Andros Town

A colourful section of street near Agios Georgios Church

 

Agios Georgios Church Andros Town

Agios Georgios Church

 

steps in a lane in Andros Town

A lane of steps in Andros Town

 

road at Nimborio Beach Andros Town

The road along Nimborio beach on the north side of Andros Town

 

a street in Andros Town

A street near Nimborio beach

 

the main square in Andros Town

The big main square in Andros Town

 

steps from Andros Town to Paraporti beach\

Looking down the long, steep flight of stairs leading to Paraporti beach …

 

steps from Paraporti beach to Andros Town

… and looking partway up the same stairs from a spot near the bottom

 

a lane in Andros Town

This lane has views of two of the most famous landmarks at Andros Town — the Tourlitis lighthouse and Agia Thalassini Church

 

 a street in Andros Town

Steps leading from Andros Town to the Nimborio beach area

 

a lane in Andros Town

A lane high above the bay on the north side of Andros Town

 

a street near Nimborio beach

A street near Nimborio beach

 

Agia Thalassini Church on Andros

A wide waterfront promenade leads to Agia Thalassini Church on the seaside

Seaside houses in Andros Town

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seaside houses in Andros Town

A view of houses built on the south side of the rocky peninsula that juts into the sea at Andros Town. We found Andros Town fascinating to explore because of its unique layout on the slender, long finger of land, particularly since the views of sea, coast and land change drastically from one vantage point to the next. At upper right is the Tourlitis Lighthouse, an Andros icon often seen on postcards, travel websites and island guidebooks.

View from the steps to Nimborio beach at Andros Town

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view to Nimborio beach

Looking toward the Nimborio beach area from partway up a long lane of steps that lead into the heart of Andros Town. Our accommodations were at Irene’s Villas, located on a hill behind the beach. This was just one of the beautiful views we would get to see while walking back to our villa from town.

 

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