Andros is the largest and most northerly of the Cyclades group. Due to its ease of access from Rafina on the mainland, it is popular with wealthy Athenians as a spot for a second home, and with others as a holiday getaway.
Andros is big enough to absorb plenty of visitors, though, being over 40km from one end to the other. It is quite a mountainous island, too, with Mt Petalo in the centre rising to 944m. This divides the island into two distinct halves, the north being more rugged and barren, while the south is much more fertile and green.
Andros has been inhabited ever since the Ionians arrived in about 1000 BC, and since then the Romans, Venetians and Turks have all left their stamp on the island.
To get to Andros you need to fly to Athens and then take the ferry from Rafina.
There are several fast ferry connections per day between Rafina on the mainland and Andros, with a journey time of about two hours.
Ferries in Greece has an excellent and very thorough website where, in addition to checking ferry schedules and times, you can also book tickets and get lots of useful information about travelling by ferry in Greece.
Andros Town (or Chora) shows the influence of the wealthy Athenians who have lived here over the last couple of centuries, with many elegant Neo-classical mansions. Many of these were built during the 1920s and 1930s, when Greek shipping dynasties amassed incredible wealth by dominating the world’s maritime trade. The town has a clean and prosperous air, its main street pedestrianised with marble slabs underfoot.
The town has a good Archaeological Museum as the island has been quite rich in finds, and it also boasts an unusual and very good Museum of Contemporary Art, housed in two buildings and featuring work by artists including Rodin and Barbara Hepworth alongside modern Greek artists, and with a delightful sculpture garden too.
There are plenty of good beaches on the south and northeast coasts of Andros, both busy and peaceful, and no one should miss seeing the Monastery of Moni Panachrantou. This is in the mountains south of Andros Town and 230m high. It was founded in 961 and is kept immaculately, even though only a handful of monks now live here.
An ancient gold ring dating back to Mycenaean times was recently returned to Greece by Sweden’s Nobel Foundation, according to an announcement of the Greek Culture Ministry. The Mycenaean signet ring…
Kastellorizo, one of Greece’s smallest islands located in the Dodecanese, is getting ready to host the 1st Rock Solid island trail race, scheduled to take place during June 11-12.
Greece is among the six winners of the 2022 edition of the Natura 2000 Awards, an event that recognises conservation success stories across the EU and raises awareness on the Natura 2000 protected are…
The Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) has handed over under a concession deal a 1934 silo on the port of Piraeus and the surrounding space to the Greek Culture Ministry so that it may be converted into a M…
Peel Me a Lotus by Charmian Clift is a Hydra travel writing classic, describing her family’s life on this tiny Greek island near Athens in the 1950s.
The churches of Thessaloniki are remarkable and include UNESCO World Heritage Monuments, Byzantine masterpieces, and a church dating from the 5th century.
Greece’s beaches are among the world’s cleanest with the region of Halkidiki and the island of Rhodes in the lead this year, according to the 2022 Blue Flag quality award list for beaches, marinas and…
The Municipality of Lipsi is saying “no” to sunbeds on the island’s beaches and is encouraging travelers to enjoy eco-conscious summer holidays this year in order to live authentic experiences. “We ar…
The Municipality of Ioannina, the capital of the Region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, has launched action to associate the city’s gastronomy with the destination’s brand-name and identity. “Adding t…
The Athens Municipality recently completed the first phase of a 4.2-million-euro refurbishment project aiming to upgrade the National Garden, one of the Greek capital’s landmark sites. The refurbished…