Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
ÝDHRA'S INLAND WALKS
To explore the island's interior and south coast, head out of Ýdhra Town on the street that
leads past the
Miranda
hotel or around the eastern edge past the
Piteoussa
: as you start to
climb, a left turn leads to Áyios Nikólaos, keeping right heads to Profítis Ilías.
Profítis Ilías and Mount Éros
The monastery of Profítis Ilías and nearby convent of Ayía
Efpraxía are about an hour's climb above Ýdhra Town. What must be the longest stairway in
Greece (or alternatively a zigzag path) constitutes the final approach to Profítis Ilías (closed
noon-4pm, but water and
loukoúm
are hospitably left at the gate). If you want to go further, a
rather tougher, harder-to-follow trail continues left behind the monastery to a saddle
overlooking the south coast. From here a pathless scramble brings you within twenty minutes
to the 590m summit of Mount Éros, the Argo-Saronic islands' highest point, but the path itself
branches: right to the chapel of Áyios Mámas, on whose feast day of September 2 there's a
pilgrimage of people and animals to be blessed; left eventually circles down to the sea at the
tiny hamlet of Klimáki, a couple of hours' walk in all.
Áyios Nikólaos
The path from Ýdhra Town towards deserted Áyios Nikólaos monastery
offers spectacular views back down over the harbour before reaching, at the top, a broad, easy
dirt track heading straight across a high plateau towards the monastery. Just beyond Áyios
Nikólaos is a small settlement, from where you can in theory head down to Limnióniza, a
scenic cove on the south coast an hour and a quarter from Ýdhra Town. However, it's a steep
scramble on a path which is hard to find and there are no boats back unless you arrange to be
picked up by water-taxi. A far easier alternative is to follow the broad track down from Áyios
Nikólaos to Mandhráki, where you can have a swim before taking the boat back to town.
Cape Zoúrva
This is Ýdhra's eastern tip and is about three hours' walk from town, on a path
that heads east from Áyios Nikólaos. There are several small chapels along the way, along with
the substantial Moní Zoúrvas. Perhaps the best way to do this trip is to take an early morning
water-taxi to the cape, and walk back to town along the island's spine.
small resort hotel, marks the end of the easy path. At the western tip of the island,
virtually inaccessible except by boat, are two coves sheltering perhaps the island's best
beaches:
Bísti
has a smallish, white-pebbled beach surrounded by pine trees that offer
shade;
Áyios
Nikólaos
is larger and sandier, but with less shade and fewer boats. A path
leads over the cape between the two; both have seasonal snack bars as well as loungers
and kayaks to rent.
ACCOMMODATION, EATING AND DRINKING
BEACHES
behind Antonia, with just a couple of well-equipped
apartments, simply furnished but with wi-fi and a/c; the
larger and more expensive one has two roo
ms w
ith
separate bathroom and kitchen and huge balcony.
€80
Taverna Kodylenia
T
22980 53520.
With a beautiful
terrace overlooking the little harbour,
Kodylenia
is famous
for its seafood and wonderful sunset views. Crowds of
weekend trippers mean slightly higher-than-average
prices: moussaka for €9, seafood spaghetti €15, pork with
mushroom and wine sauce €12.
MANDHRÁKI
Mandraki 1800
T
22980 52112.
Above a tiny cove as
you enter Mandhráki, where they have loungers and
umbrellas, free for customers, this café/ouzerí serves good
fresh fish as well as meze and drinks.
Miramare Hotel
T
22980 52300,
W
miramare.gr.
Restaurant, beach-bar and hotel right on the beach. The
rather crude beachside bungalows are not great value, but
you can eat or simply have a coffee on a beautif
ul wa
terside
terrace, and they have their own boat to town.
€70
KAMÍNI
Antonia
T
22980 52481.
Just one delightfully old-
fashioned room and one apartment for up to five people,
both with balconies hanging right over the sea; with no
frills at all (though there is a/c), and virtually no
Engli
sh
spoken, this feels like the Greece of thirty years ago.
€60
Pension Petrolekka
VLYHÓS
Antigone
T
22980 53228,
E
antigone@freemail.gr.
Just above the jetty where the boats drop you,
Antigone
has good-value apartments; small ones with bedroom
and living room/kitchenette, larger with two bedrooms
and separ
ate k
itchen. There's also a decent restaurant and
snack bar.
€65
T
22980 52701.
Immediately
