Andros Island

Andros is the northernmost island of the Cyclades and, after Naxos, the largest in the group. It lies about 10 km southeast of Euboea and 3 km north of Tinos, runs nearly 40 km from end to end, is at most 16 km wide, and has some 176 km of coastline. Ferries from Rafina reach the port of Gavrio in about two hours, which makes it one of the quickest Cycladic islands to reach from Athens.

Geographical Overview

The interior is mountainous. The Petalo and Kouvara ridges reach 997 m at their highest point, and between them run the fertile, well-watered valleys, ravines and small rivers that set Andros apart from the drier islands further south. Four settlements carry most of the island's life: Andros town, known as Chora, on the east coast; the ferry port of Gavrio and the resort of Batsi on the west; and Ormos Korthiou in the south. Palaeopolis, the ancient capital, stood on the west coast, built into a steep hillside, and part of its harbour now lies underwater.

Historical Significance

Two sites on the west coast mark very different chapters of the island's past. Strofilas, a fortified village of the Final Neolithic, was the largest organised settlement of its period in the Cyclades, spreading over roughly 12 hectares and carrying rock carvings of ships and animals. About a kilometre southeast along the coast lies Zagora, a Geometric-period town of the 10th to 8th centuries BC, defended by a wall some 110 m long. Both confirm Andros as a maritime centre long before the classical era.

Attractions and Activities

The Tourlitis lighthouse stands on a rock islet at the entrance to Chora's harbour. Built in 1897, it was the first automated light in the Greek system; it was destroyed in the Second World War, and the present tower is a replica of the original put up in the 1990s at the expense of the Goulandris family. Inland, the village of Apoikia is the source of Sariza, a mineral water bottled on the island, and the Pythara waterfalls and pools are about ten minutes' walk above it. A dense network of marked footpaths crosses the interior, and walking here runs through most of the year rather than a single season.

Climate and Waters

Summers are hot, dry and clear. August is the warmest month, averaging around 27°C by day, and the sea peaks near 26°C. The meltemi blows out of the north through July and August; when it fills in, the west-coast bays stay workable while the northern and eastern shores take the full force of it, which is where the island's windsurfers go. Off the beaches the bottom drops away quickly and the water stays clear enough for snorkelling and diving.

Navigating the Waters

Bays and coves open at short intervals along the 176 km coastline, so there is usually shelter within a short run whichever way the wind is blowing. Andros also sits on the passage between Euboea and Tinos, which is why it turns up as one of the anchorages you'll visit on a private gulet cruise in Greece far more often than its modest visitor numbers would suggest. The seabed around the island carries reefs, wrecks and a good deal of marine life, and dive operators work out of Chora and Batsi.