Andros
3.7/5Hiking trails, oak forests, and neoclassical Chora
Hiking trails, oak forests, and neoclassical Chora
Why 3.7: easy access and real history and character — but it is not one of the cheap islands.
Andros is the Cycladic island with running streams, oak forest and a 100 km waymarked trail. It is the northernmost and second-largest Cycladic island, but it feels like nowhere else in the Cyclades: spring-fed water, wooded valleys and stone-paved paths make it more Tuscan than Aegean. The main town, Chora, is elegantly neoclassical — a sea-captains' town on a narrow promontory with a marble-paved main street and the Goulandris Museum, the largest contemporary art museum in the Aegean, with Modigliani, Picasso and Giacometti in the permanent collection. Inland at Apikia you can fill a bottle at the public fountain that supplies Sariza, Greece's best-known bottled spring water, then walk 15 minutes through oak forest to the cold pools at the Pythara waterfalls. Eat fourtalia, the island omelette with potatoes, local sausage and wild fennel. Skip it if you depend on Piraeus — Andros sails only from Rafina — or if you want everything close together: the ferry docks at Gavrio, 35 km from the lively southeast. September is the best month, sea and walks both; August is when the Athens summer-house traffic is at its worst.
Good for
- Hikers — the 100 km Andros Route crosses streams, oak forest and stone-paved trails
- Travellers who want a green, almost Tuscan island unlike the rest of the Cyclades
- Anyone who likes a cultured base — neoclassical Chora has the Aegean's largest modern-art museum
Maybe skip if
- If you depend on Piraeus — Andros sails only from Rafina
- If you want everything close together; the port and the lively southeast are 35 km apart
Getting there
No airport, no ferry from Piraeus. Andros is served exclusively from Rafina (1h east of Athens by car/bus).
Ferries dock at Gavrio on the northwest coast — 35km from the lively southeast.
Tip: KTEL bus from Athens (Mavromateon terminal) goes straight to Rafina port — no need to drive.
Best time to visit Andros
Andros is the Cyclades island that doesn't feel like the Cyclades — green, watered, hiking trails everywhere. Swim May through October; hike March through November. The Andros Marathon walks (organised hiking events) run May and October. Avoid August only if you dislike crowds; Athens summer-house traffic is intense.
Top beaches of Andros
Chrissi Ammos
Andros' most famous beach. Fine golden sand, excellent amenities, perfect for families.
- Type
- Golden sand
- Length
- 800 m
- Depth
- Gradual
- Wind
- Avoid visiting when the wind blows from the south to west at over 5 Bft. Southwest-facing — sheltered from the meltemi (the summer N/NE wind); calm in summer, exposed only to rare S/SW winds
- Facilities
- Good: tavernas, umbrellas, watersports
Achla Beach
Remote northeast beach reached only by boat or rough dirt track. Emerald green water fed by a stream.
- Type
- Coarse sand
- Length
- 300 m
- Depth
- Moderate
- Wind
- Avoid visiting when the wind blows from the northeast to southeast at over 4 Bft. East-facing — mostly sheltered from the meltemi (the summer N/NE wind); can be choppy on the strongest NE days
- Facilities
- Natural — no facilities
Vitali Beach
Dramatic northern pebble cove with crystal water. A taverna on the beach serves ouzo at sunset.
- Type
- Large pebbles
- Length
- 250 m
- Depth
- Deep quickly
- Wind
- Avoid visiting when the wind blows from the northwest to northeast at over 4 Bft. North-facing — fully exposed to the meltemi (the dominant summer N/NE wind); often choppy June–September
- Facilities
- Simple taverna
3-day itinerary for Andros
Read the day-by-day plan on its own page →
Day 1: Chora & the East
- 10:00 · Andros Town (Chora)
Neoclassical sea-captains' town on a narrow promontory between two beaches. The marble-paved main street runs from the inland square down to the sea, lined with grand 19th-century mansions, the Maritime Museum, and the Tourlitis Lighthouse visible offshore. Walk it slowly — every doorway is worth a look.
- 11:30 · Goulandris Museum of Contemporary Art
Major contemporary art museum, founded by the Goulandris shipping family — the Aegean's most ambitious. Hosts world-class summer exhibitions that bring busloads of Athenians; the permanent collection has Modigliani, Picasso, Giacometti, and the museum's pride, sculptures by local-born Michalis Tombros. Check what's on before you go.
- 12:30 · Archaeological Museum
Small but excellent archaeological museum, home to the famous Hermes of Andros — a Roman copy of a 4th-century BC original found on the island. The museum sits a short walk from the main square in the lower Chora; allow 30-40 minutes.
- 🍴 Stop for lunch · Chora & Batsi — see Eat & Drink below
- 17:00 · Paraporti Beach
Sandy beach right below Chora — walk down the cliff stairs and you're on the sand in five minutes. Family-friendly, calm water sheltered by the headland, and a single seasonal canteen for coffee and ice cream. The contrast between the neoclassical town above and the beach below is the postcard image of Andros.
Day 2: Hiking & Waterfalls
- 09:30 · Apikia
Mountain village 6 km inland from Chora, in a green valley fed by springs. The famous Sariza springs bottle Andros' drinking water — you can drink straight from the public fountain, and the locals do, daily. Stop at a kafenio for a coffee made with that water; the difference is real.
- 10:30 · Pythara Waterfalls
Natural pools fed by waterfalls, reached on a 15-minute walk through dense oak forest from Apikia. The trail is shaded all the way and even in August stays cool. The pools themselves are cold enough that a full swim takes nerve — most people just sit on the rocks with their feet in. Worth it. - 13:00 · Ano Mesaria
Village in the heart of the island with the 12th-century Byzantine Taxiarches church — frescoes inside have been restored but kept their colour. The kafenio on the main square is the gathering point of the village; sit under the plane tree, order a frappé and a tiropita, and listen. - 15:00 · Agios Nikolaos Monastery
Monastery on the hillside above Apikia, with wide views over the green valley down to the sea. - 18:30 · Batsi (sunset)
West coast port village with a curved sandy bay and a lively summer evening scene. Dinner on the waterfront, then a walk along the promenade — Batsi is where Andros lets its hair down, with the island's only real concentration of bars. Half the visitors stay here and never see the Chora. - 20:30 · Drive back to Chora
Drive back across the island (about 40 minutes from Batsi). Andros Chora's marble-paved streets and waterfront mansions glow in the evening — try a quiet seafront taverna for dinner.
Day 3: West Coast
- 09:30 · Gavrio (port)
The main ferry port, on the northwest coast. Small but functional with a couple of cafés, a bakery, and the bus stop for Chora. A kafenio at the corner of the waterfront serves the best frappé on the island — the right starting point if you're catching an early ferry.
- 11:00 · Tourlitis Lighthouse viewpoint
The only lighthouse in the world built on a sea-rock — a thin stone tower rising from a wave-battered islet a few hundred metres off the Chora headland. Best photographed from the Chora waterfront at golden hour, when the rock catches the light against the dark sea.
- 12:30 · Stenies
Lush green sea-captains' village 5 km from Chora, set in a wooded valley with running streams — completely unlike a Cycladic landscape. The neoclassical mansions were built by Andros shipowners returning from Constantinople and Odessa in the 19th century; many are still occupied by their descendants.
- 14:00 · Gialia Beach
Quiet pebble beach below Stenies, with stunning clear water and the kind of stillness you get when a beach has no road access. Reach it via a 20-minute path from the village; bring everything (no canteens, no tavernas). The water is deep close to shore — good for swimming, not for small children.