Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tílos
HÁLKI
Aréta
Kelliá
Áyios Yeóryios
Dh´yo Yialí
Kefáli
Pefkiá
185m
593m
Kánia
600m
452m
445m
Stavrós
578m
EMBORIÓ
Ayíou
Ioánnou
Prodhrómou
Horió
Yialí
Knights'
Castle
Póndamos
Trahiá
N
0
2
kilometres
Kárpathos
GETTING AROUND
By bus
A sixteen-seat bus shuttles between the waterfront, Póndamos and Ftenáya.
8
Emborió
With its photogenic ensemble of restored Italianate houses rising from the waterfront,
EMBORIÓ
, facing east towards Rhodes from the head of a large bay, is a sort of
miniature version of Sými (see p.543). Hálki's port as well as the only inhabited town,
its skyline is pierced by the tallest freestanding
clocktower
in the Dodecanese, as well
- a bit further north - as the
belfry
of Áyios Nikólaos, which holds a fine
votsalotó
(pebble-mosaic) courtyard. The waterfront has been paved with fieldstones, generally
prettified and declared off-limits to vehicles in season.
Although there's no
beach
at Emborió, many visitors swim anyway, simply lowering
themselves into the water from the quayside or shoreline rocks. If that doesn't suit you,
two beaches lie within easy walking distance, both equipped with good seaside
tavernas. The island's only sandy beach, long narrow
Póndamos
, a fifteen-minute walk
west over the hilltop, along the grandly named Tarpon Springs Boulevard, fills with
day-trippers in summer. The best alternative, the tiny pebble cove and the gravel
sunbed-lido at
Ftenáya
, lies a few minutes south of Emborió, along a well-signposted
path that starts behind the
Hiona Art Hotel
. It too can get heavily subscribed.
ACCOMMODATION EMBORIÓ
Reserve accommodation in high season, whether in one of Emborió's handful of hotels, or in the many rental houses and
villas. Some are divided into individual studios, while several perch right over the sea, with access ladders for swimmers.
Both
W
nissiaholidays.com and
W
zifostravel.gr
offer an extensive selection of properties.
Ì
Captain's House
T
22460 45201,
W
chalkiholidays
.gr.
Three delightful en-suite a/c rooms, with a sea-view
terrace, a shady garden, and the
fee
l of an old French
country hotel. Closed Nov-March.
€50
Hiona Art Hotel
T
22460 45244,
W
hionaart.gr.
Nicely
refurbished, municipally owned hotel, in the splendid-
looking old sponge factory on the south side of the bay,
barely 5m from the sea. Tasteful en-suite rooms with
sea-vie
w bal
conies, but haphazard service. Closed Nov-
March.
€130
Mouthouria House
T
22460 45061,
W
halki
mouthouria.com.
Fine old pastel-orange mansion,
perched above the harbour and decorated in rich antique
flair, and r
ente
d out for longer stays. Sleeps four, in two
bedrooms.
€90
