Greece TravelGreece Travel

Travel Greece, Greece Hotels Twitter Facebook

Astypalaia - The butterfly shaped island

Astypalaia Island Greece

More about Astypalaia

Astypalaia Photos

Astypalaia, with its white-washed sugar cube house, narrow alleys and windmills, has a more Cycladic character than Dodecanesean where it belongs to. Astypalaia is a butterfly-shaped island -a narrow isthmus a mere 100 meters wide connecting its two winds- with citrus groves and decent mountainous walking country.

Kleomedes -an Olympian boxer- was the island's most famous citizen in antiquity, as he killed in the 71st Olympiad a competitor with a foul blow. He came home so enraged that he demolished the local school, killing all its pupils.

  • Getting There

    There are ferry links with Piraeus, Kalymnos, Kos, Rhodes, Naxos, Paros. There is also flight service from Athens International Airport, Rhodes and Kos.

  • Getting Around

    There is a bus service connecting Hora (Astypalaia), Livadi, Pera Gialos. New Port and Analipsi (Maltezana)
    Taxis, car and motorbike rental is also available.

Astypalaia Beaches

Astypalaia Map Agios Konstantinos, is a lovely cove with nice beaches, surrounded by orchards
Kaminakia, well known beach with sand
Livadi, the most popular on the island
Maltezana (Analipsis), nice beach with some pebble bays around
Pera Yialos, easy to access beach, located at the old port under the castle
Steno, sand with fresh water wells

Excursions & Places of interest

The Castle in Hora, that was built by Quirini -a Venetian family that ruled Astypalaia between 1207 and 1522.
Panagia Portaitissa church in Hora. Located below the castle, one of the most beautiful churches in the Dodecanese with a woodcarved, gilded iconostasis. Right next to it there is an interesting Ecclesiastical Museum.
The Archaeological Museum in Hora.
Agios Ioannis monastery 12 Km from Hora.
The well preserved Roman Baths with floor mosaics of zodiac signs.

Touring Astypalaia Island

Astypalaia Town (Hora)
Chora, Astypalaia Hora is a very nice town with sugar-cube houses, a line of nine windmills, narrow alleys and an impressive 14th century castle (Kastro). Inside the Castle there are two beautiful churches, Panagia Portaitissa which has an unusual 18th century iconostasis dressed in gold leaf and is topped with a white tiled dome, and Agios Georgios on the site of an ancient temple which is the oldest church in the island.

Pera Yialos
Although Hora has been expanded and it seems to be the same town with Pera Yialos now-days, Pera Yialos is still a separate settlement. Pera Yialos was the main port of the island until the recent construction of the Agios Andreas port while a modern marina has been constructed that is fully functional today and combined with the restaurants, the cafeterias and of course the sand and the crystal waters will more than satisfy. There is a beach and excellent tourist infrastructure.

Livadi
is a fertile green valley with a popular sandy beach. There are plenty of restaurants, rooms and studios-apartments to let. Negros cove is accessible by caique.

Maltezana (Analipsi)
Maltezana was named after Maltese pirates. It is the second largest settlement in Astypalaia, a fishing harbour, with some beaches accessible around the bay, and it is surrounded by olive groves. There are some well preserved remains of Roman Baths with zodiac floor mosaics. There some tavernas, rooms and a few excellent complex of hotels, studios, apartments.

Vathi
Vathi looks more like a lagoon due to its protected inlet (having an opening of about 50 m). It comprises two small communities: Exo (outer) Vathi at the inlet entrance with a small wharf for mooring boats; and Mesa (inner) Vathi in the nook of the cove next to cropland, sparse tree vegetation and vineyards.

Useful Info

Population: 1,200
Distance from Piraeus Port: 174 Nautical Miles
Medical Center: 22430 61222
Police: 22430 61207
Tourist Information: 22430 61778
Airport (JTY): 22430 61410, 22430 61665

More about Astypalaia

See also » Astypalaia Photos