Alonissos is a greek island part of the Sporadi, inside the Marine Park, one of the few mediterranean parks which is stil inhabitated by seals and other rare animals. A great part of the island is uncontaminated because of the low number of inhabitants and the tourism which is not well developed yet.
If you are looking for relax, meditation, nature and wild scenery this is the perfect place for you.
When to visit Alonissos
The best season to visit the island goes from April to October. These months combine the temperature of the peak season with pleasant weather and even if you visit the island in August it seems like a peacefull and relaxing oasis, without the crowd of many tourists. How to move
Alonissos is a very small island, 20km long and only 4km wide. In my opinion, the best way to move all around the island is renting a car or, even better, a scooter. Forget to move around the island on foot or with the means of transport. Why? Because the island is quite mountanious and it has only one main street that leades to the other little ones which are, believe me, in bad conditions. On avarage, these little streets are 3/4km long between climb and downhill, that means losing a lot of time if you want to go among them on foot.
Regarding the transports, they are almost inexistent. There are only two bus lines: the first one connect the Patitiri port with the Old village and the second one which connect Patitiri to Stena Vala (a small village) 2 times a day.
If you are not going to rent a means of transport, the only solution is trusting the different local tourist agencies which organize trip boat tour or bus tour to the beaches everyday.
What to see Alonissos is so unique and charming. The landscapes are uncontaminated and the nature dominates civilization. There are only three little villages offering a few variety of restaurants and pubs:
- Patitiri: the main port of the island. Here you can find restaurants, pubs to have a drink after dinner and some souvenirs shop.
- Old Village: my favourite, in my opinion it’s the cutest place. The village stands on a mountain so you can just imagine the view and the sunsets you can enjoy. I have loved coming here, losing myself among the little white and blue streets, enjoying the sunset and then having dinner in some local restaurants where I could taste tipic food. After dinner I had a walk among the streets, finding vintage shops, souvenirs and candle shops. Here you have to go to the famous bakery where you will taste the tipic Cheese Pie, savory pie with greek cheese.
- Steni Vala: a small fishing port. It is a very small village but very cute.
Beaches
The bays reachable from the land are 20, more or less. Here are some of my favourites:
- Kokkinokastro: the reason why it is so unique is because of its red rocks, I suggest you to stay there up to the sunset, the bay will seem like a painting.
- Vithisma: my favourite beach in the island. No beach umbrellas, no restaurants, there will be just you and the crystal clear sea. The beach is uncrowded, that’s why it will be quite possibile to find youself alone in the bay. I was stryck by the silence and the tranquillity of this place.
- Micros Mourtias: a very small bay of sand next to the old village. Here I’ve been really impressed by the color of the water: emerald, probably the most beautiful of the island.
- Megali Ammos: I would define it the chich bay. It’ an equipped beach with about ten beach umbrellas, but super quiet. There are only few villas around and the blue sea will leave you breathless.
Where to stay
In my opinion, Patitiri is the best place to accomodate. It is a very good start point to the different bays and it is very comfortable too: a lot of car parks, many restaurants to have dinner and it i salso next to the old village. To be honest, Alonissos is a very small island, so wherever you will decide to stay, you won’t have problem to reach the bays and the other villages.
My favourite place: Ikion Eco Boutique Hotel
Where to eat
I would like to suggest you to have a stop in one of the many bakeries in the island for lunch, so you can take something to eat in the beach while you are enjoying the summer moments. During the night, my best suggestion for you is to have a good and tasting fish dinner in some of the restaurants in the island.
Here my favourite ones:
- Skipper’s Restaurant – Patitiri
- Farini - Steni Vala
- Αρτολιχδιες Bakery - Old Village
- Taverna Astrofegia - Old Village