Andros Boat Trips: Cruises, Coves and Day Trips by Sea

A boat anchored in a secluded turquoise cove on the rugged coast of Andros

Andros has one of the longest and most indented coastlines in the Cyclades, and most of its finest beaches, sea caves and coves are cut off from every road. Boat trips are the way to reach them. In summer a small fleet of RIBs, caiques and private cruisers runs from the west-coast harbours to the … Read more

Batsi, Andros: A Complete Guide to the Island’s Liveliest Village

Batsi's golden village beach curving along the bay below the whitewashed houses of the resort on Andros

Batsi is the main resort of Andros, a former fishing village on the sheltered west coast that has grown into the island’s liveliest base without losing its harbour charm. Whitewashed houses tumble down to a curving bay where fishing boats share the water with small excursion craft. A long golden beach runs right through the … Read more

Best Time to Visit Andros: A Month-by-Month Guide

A panorama over the green bay and village of Korthi on Andros

Andros has a Mediterranean climate of warm, dry summers and mild. Wet winters. As the greenest of the Cyclades it stays cooler and more comfortable than its bare neighbours, and the meltemi wind blows across it through the summer. When you visit decides whether you find quiet green trails and flowing waterfalls, warm beaches and … Read more

Where to Stay in Andros: The Best Areas Compared

The seaside resort of Batsi, the main tourist base on the west coast of Andros

Andros is a large island, and where you base yourself shapes the whole trip. The main choice is between Batsi, the lively west-coast resort with the best beaches and the easiest walkable base. Chora. The elegant capital on the east coast with the island’s culture but a quieter, less beach-focused stay. Gavrio, the port, and … Read more

How to Get to Andros: Ferries and Getting Around

The port town of Gavrio on Andros, where the ferries from Rafina arrive

Andros has no airport, so it is reached only by ferry, and only from Rafina, the smaller port of Athens on the eastern side of the city. The crossing is short and frequent, taking one to two hours. Which makes Andros the closest of the Cyclades to the capital and an easy escape from the … Read more

Chora, Andros: A Guide to the Aristocratic Capital

The seafront of Chora, Andros, with the ruined Venetian castle and the Tourlitis lighthouse beyond

Chora, the capital of Andros, is one of the most elegant towns in the Cyclades, set on a narrow peninsula between two bays on the island’s east coast. A marble-paved main street runs between the neoclassical mansions of nineteenth-century shipowners, past squares and churches. To the ruined Venetian castle and the emblematic Tourlitis lighthouse rising … Read more

Hiking in Andros: A Guide to the Andros Route and Best Trails

An old stone watermill and stream shaded by plane trees in a green gorge on Andros

Andros is the finest walking island in the Cyclades, its green, mountainous interior laced with hundreds of kilometres of old stone footpaths that once linked every village. Fed by springs and streams rare in the Aegean, the island stays green and cool when its neighbours are parched. Its restored trail network. Crowned by the long-distance … Read more

Andros Beaches: The Best Beaches and How to Reach Them

A turquoise cove with golden sand and a small chapel on the coast of Andros

Andros rings its 176 kilometres of coast with over eighty beaches, from broad organised sands to wild emerald coves reached only by dirt track, on foot or by boat. Being the greenest of the Cyclades, its beaches often come backed by rivers, plane trees and dramatic mountains rather than bare rock. The long. Indented shoreline … Read more

Things to Do in Andros: The 15 Best Experiences

The neoclassical mansions of Chora, the elegant capital of Andros, above the seafront

Andros is the greenest and one of the largest of the Cyclades, a walker’s island of springs. Waterfalls and terraced valleys that feels a world away from the barren, party-driven islands to the south. Just two hours by ferry from the port of Rafina near Athens, it rewards visitors with an award-winning network of hiking … Read more

Weddings in Karpathos: A Guide to Marrying on the Island

A whitewashed, blue-domed chapel on Karpathos, a picturesque setting for an island wedding

Karpathos has quietly become one of the finest wedding destinations in Greece. Ranked second in the country ahead of far busier islands, thanks to its peaceful atmosphere, natural beauty and living traditions. Set between Rhodes and Crete and still largely undiscovered, it offers exotic beaches, traditional villages and genuine Karpathian hospitality. An authentic and unspoiled … Read more