Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Aerides Cafe-Bar
BAR
( 9am-5pm & 7pm-2am)
Maria and Yiannis make the drinks, pick the music and scoop
the ice cream in summer at this hip hole-in-the-wall on the square.
Sunset Cafe
CAFE
( 10am-2am)
Between the Hora and Patitiri. Summer weekends feature live music in
the courtyard.
THE ORIGINAL CHEESE PIE
Tyropita(cheese pie), almost deified in its birthplace of the northern Sporades, is
made with goat cheese rolled in delicate filo dough, coiled up, fried quickly and
served hot - a method that evolved in the wood-fired ovens of Alonnisos. Eventu-
ally the pies found their way to the country kitchens of Skopelos.
In the 1990s a daytime TV host touted the pie, but credited Skopelos with its ori-
gin. Frozen 'Skopelos Cheese Pie' soon showed up in mainland supermarkets, even
in the Athens' airport snack bars. Stunned Alonnisos folk still can't get over what's
happened to their simple recipe. As Mahi, a Skopelos business woman, confided,
'Basically, we stole it!'
Around Alonnisos
Alonnisos' main road reaches the northern tip of the island at Gerakas (19km), home to
an EU-funded marine research station. North of Patitiri, several roads descend to small
fishing bays and secluded beaches.
Along the east coast, the first bay from Patitiri is tiny
Rousoum Gialos
, tucked
between Patitiri and Votsi. Next is
Votsi
, home to
Maria's Votsi Pension
( 24240
65510;
www.pension-votsi.gr
;
Votsi; d/tr from €40/50; )
, with immaculate rooms
and hospitality to spare. Two kilometres on,
Cape Kokkinokastro
is the site of the an-
cient and submerged city of Ikos. Continuing north, the road reaches
Leftos Gialos
, with
a pebble beach and the superb
Taverna Eleonas
(mains €5-11)
, with exceptional
pites
(pies) and wine made by owner Nikos.
Steni Vala
, a small fishing village and deep-water yacht port, has 50-odd rooms in do-
matia. Try
Ikaros Cafe & Market
( 24240 65390)
for reliable lodging information. Four
busy tavernas overlook the small marina, with
Taverna Fanari
(mains €4-9)
claiming the
best views. Small and sandy
Agios Petros Beach
, just south of the village, is home to
