Where to go

Where to go

Astypalea or Hora

The island’s capital is built on a hill jutting out into the sea to form two distinct bays; namely Livadi and Pera Gialos, where the main port is situated. The white domes of the churches of Evangelistria and Agios Georgios stand out against the dark, local stone of the hilltop castle in which they are enclosed.

Clustered on the hill around the castle are whitewashed houses with blue doors and windows, and wooden railings on their balconies. In the main square of the Hora, overlooking the mills, you will find restaurants with fine food as well as picturesque coffee shops and bars for an evening drink.

Finally, there is no shortage of small hotels and rooms to rent for visitors.

Livadi

Following the course of a fertile gorge, then spreading wider where it meets the bay of the same name, the village of Livadi is the flower garden of the island; tangerine orchards, orange groves, vineyards and houses garlanded by flowers, all tumbling colourfully down to its beautiful beach.

If you like to stay within walking distance of the sea shore, Livadi’s rooms to rent and small hotels make an ideal choice. Throughout the day, you can enjoy a meal at the beach cafes and restaurants overlooking the sea and Hora.

Pera Gialos

Pera Gialos is the first port of the island and typifies authentic Astypalean hospitality.

It has many small hotels with lovely views, restaurants where you can enjoy the local cuisine, small traditional cafes and bakeries and a lovely beach, ideal for relaxation and the occasional dive into crystalline waters.

If you want to explore the rest of the coastline, Pera Gialos is also a great starting point, as here you will find tour boats that can take you to exquisite beaches of Astypalea and islands like Koutsomitis and Kounoupa.

Analipsi or Maltezana

A quiet coastal village nestled in a small valley in Mesa Nisi, ideal for relaxing on the fine sand. Its alternative name, Maltezana, dates back to the days of the pirates, who would roam the Aegean and take refuge in the island’s enclosed bays. The holiday village embraces a bay with a long pier, where fishing boats dock, and stretches back inland to delightful orchards and vineyards.

Maltezana has many rooms to rent and several restaurants where you can enjoy fresh fish.

Vathy

A very narrow bay of about 50 meters, which looks more like a lagoon, Vathy has two small settlements: Exo Vathy, located at the entrance of the bay, with a number of small steps down to where fishing boats dock, and the more pastoral Mesa Vathy, at the end of the bay, with quiet fields, shady orchards and vineyards. You can reach Vathy via a passable dirt road. It lies about 12km from Maltezana.