The Greek islands are a great spot to look for a holiday – not only are there big islands like Crete, Santorini, Rhodes and Corfu there are hundreds of lesser known ones too. As the islands sit in the Aegean and Ionian Seas they’re often boiling hot for much of the year and each one has its own character and history.
The Greek Islands stretch all the way from the mainland to Turkey and there are around 227 to pick from. Brits wanting to avoid the masses and travel to a smaller, less busy island need look no further than Andros.
Never heard of it? You wouldn’t be alone but that’s part of the beauty of this pretty hotspot. The small island is only about 40km long but boasts white sand beaches, mountains and luscious valleys perfect for holidaymakers who really want to feel like they’re a world away from the UK.
READ MORE: Gorgeous European lake with £1 hotels and boat rides with 'unlimited wine'
READ MORE: 'I stayed in a £1k-a-night luxury resort in Thailand – it was better than the Maldives'
Andros has a fun main town – Chora – which has a mix of Venetian, Byzantine and Ottoman architecture which means it’s full of stunning mansions and buildings. Many of them used to be owned by sailors and captains because the island’s life was based on the sea.
What a sea it is too! The water around Andros is bright turquoise and clear, the beaches are unspoiled white or gold sand and it’s easy to spend the day swimming, snorkelling, sunbathing or kayaking. The most famous beaches are Agios Petros, Batsi and Golden Sand. One of the best aspects of Andros is that it's not massively set up for tourism so the beach will never be heaving even on mid-summer days.
However, those who love to explore can find their way to isolated spots like Vlychada, Agios Sostis and Halkolimnionas. On the island you can also find watersports rentals where you can learn to scuba dive or windsurf, rent surfboards, kayaks and paddle boards.
Lots of people also like to charter sailboats or head on a boat tour around the island. Holidaymakers who want to explore the island can also find dozens of hiking trails through the beautiful vegetation including olive trees, valleys and mountains. It's best to go hiking in Autumn and Spring when it's not too hot – you might even find waterfalls and abandoned chapels as you walk.
When you’ve had enough of indulging in the island’s natural beauty you can head back into Chora which has two squares. One is surrounded by cafes, restaurants and bakeries and the other is paved with marble with a statue of the Unknown Sailor – it also has a fabulous sea view.
Chora also hosts the Museum of Modern Art, Nautical Museum and the Archeological Museum and has preserved the gateway to the old city for those who love to feel the medieval atmosphere of older structures. If you want to head out to explore the Malden there are plenty of other little spots including Messaria, a medieval village, Menites, Stenies and Apoikia, where the Sariza spring – said to have healing properties – sits.
If you're someone who gets restless then you can always take a ferry to another island for the day. Andros is one of the Cycladic islands and so you can catch a ferry to Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Syros meaning it's great for a day out or for island hopping.
In terms of getting to the island the journey isn't too tricky. It's close to Athens so you can fly to the Greek capital and then take a boat from the ports of Rafina and Lavrio in Athens as they run every day. To get to Athens from the UK, Skyscanner puts the cost at £34 or more for a return with Wizz Air.
Accommodation isn't too pricy either with plenty to choose from on sites like booking.com. The cheapest we spotted for a trip between March and May was a two-bedroom apartment in the village of Batsi. You can stay for five nights for just £93 between two people – that's just £9.30pp per night.
If you prefer a hotel then Ostria Hotel & Apartments in Gavrion costs £183 for five nights – and has a private pool, garden and bar. Anyone wanting to stay in Chora can rent a one bed apartment with a sea view, terrace and kitchen for £192 over five nights.
Source: Read Full Article