If you believe the myths, then Nisyros is a rock torn from Kos, which Poseidon threw at the giant Polybotes. For tourists, the island is attractive due to its calm atmosphere and unique natural phenomenon in the form of an active volcano. What is worth seeing in Nisyros and where to relax?

Sights of Nisyros

The main attraction of the island is its famous volcano, which is considered the youngest in Greece. It is active, but completely safe to visit. You can walk along the bottom of volcanic craters with boiling puddles and hot earth. But an equally breathtaking view will open if you stand on the edge of the volcano - the panoramas are reminiscent of lunar landscapes. By the way, scientists associate the appearance on Nisyros with volcanic activity. thermal waters. Their beneficial features people used it for healing in ancient times, as evidenced by the remains of Roman baths.

photo: Dionisis Partheniadis

In the small village of Nikiya is Volcanological Museum of the Island. Through the materials presented here, visitors can learn about the structure and history of Greek volcanoes.

photo: panoramio.com

In Mandraki you can see knights castle, built on a high cliff. It was built in 1315. Today, inside the castle there is Monastery of Panagia Spiliani, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the patroness of the island. Valuable icons are kept inside. Among them are silver-plated icons of Christ and the Virgin Mary from the 18th century.

photo: Sergei & Marina / picasaweb.google.com

Works in the same city Folklore Museum- a place where you can learn a lot about the traditions of Nisyros. It presents a collection of typical costumes of this island, weapons from different eras, work tools, dishes, old photographic equipment and rare photographs.

Main settlements of Nisyros

The island has a small population, so all the villages of Nisyros are small. But everyone, without exception, attracts with their charm. Pali- a calm, picturesque fishing village and one of the oldest settlements of Nisyros. There are good seaside taverns, historic churches and quiet beaches with clear waters just steps from Pali.

Emporio- a traditional village surrounded by greenery. From it you can view seascapes and see the volcano. Once in Emporio, it is worth visiting the Panagia Kira monastery, built at an altitude of 450 m.

Mandraki- the capital and main port of Nisyros. Here tourists can find many options for accommodation and leisure activities. Nisyros has some of the island's best taverns and lively bars, although the town's overall atmosphere is calm. The capital of the island is interesting for its old medieval streets, remains ancient city and the acropolis, which is located above the port.

Beaches of Nisyros

The coastline of the island stretches for 30 km, so there are plenty of places to relax here. Pali Beach is located 4 km from Mandraki. This is a popular spot for sandy beach holidays, but the beach is rarely crowded. Pali is safe for children. However, the infrastructure here is poorly developed - there are only a few taverns on the coast.

photo: Jo Seifried

9 km from Mandraki is the largest beach of Nisyros - Katsuni. Surrounded by cliffs, it offers tourists a quiet refuge from the bustle of the resorts. The beach is not spoiled by tourist infrastructure, and its only attraction is the cave.

Lies- another spacious beach 13 km from Mandraki, which is formed by small bays. This wild coastline doesn't have sun loungers for rent, so it's best to bring a towel. But there are good taverns nearby.

Awlaki- a beach that is interesting to tourists for its hot springs. They can have a positive effect on the body, so you can combine bathing with health improvement. Shallow water makes Awlaki nice beach for holidays with children.

Usually tourists spend no more than two days on Nisyros or only a few hours when arriving from Kos. You can really see the main attractions of this island in just a short time. But even this will be enough to fall under the spell of the traditional atmosphere, historical architecture and natural beauty of Nisyros.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays from Rhodes to the island. Nisyros is sailed by the catamaran Dodecanisos Pride. It is better to buy a ticket at least a day in advance, because... on the day of departure it will cost almost twice as much. On Tuesday they didn’t offer it for 104 euros for two round-trip, but in the end we bought a ticket on Tuesday for Thursday for 58 round-trip for two. You can check the schedule and prices on the Dodecanisos website, and you can probably buy an e-ticket there too.

The catamaran departs at 8.30 from the port at the fortress walls of the Old Town, so that the Old Town at the moment of departure appears in all its glory in the soft light of the morning sun.

It was very windy to sit on the upper deck, and in early June it was also cold, so half the people who occupied plastic chairs on the open stern half an hour before departure were quickly blown into the interior salons.

The catamaran is two-story, with airplane seats on the first and second floors. We located on the second floor, near the toilet and the only exit to the open deck, so as not to constantly run back and forth. It rocked quite noticeably the whole way; on the way back, all the neighbors around us actively used paper bags, but we felt good. The one way journey takes three hours. Along the way, the ferry makes 5-minute stops at the beautiful port of the island of Halki and the port of the island of Tilos.

And, sailing from Rhodes at 8.30, it docks in the town of Mandraki on the island of Nysiros at 11.35. The return flight is at 15.30, there are only two ferries to Rhodes a week, so it’s better not to be late)))

With us on the ferry was a large Russian-speaking group from Biblio-Globus, which was met at the pier by a bus. Most tourists come to Nisyros to see Greece's only active volcano. After looking at the photos, I was least interested in him on the island, so we refused the offer of the drivers of one of the buses to join for 10 euros per person on an excursion to the volcano, where we will have 40 minutes, after which by 13.20 we will be brought back to Mandraki for an independent walk . Instead, we rented a Fiat Panda from the port for 25 euros, filled it with 10 euros worth of gasoline on the advice of a very nice woman with excellent English, who arranged for us to rent a car in five minutes (no deposits) and provided us with a map of the island and tips, in what order is it better to watch?

Four hours seems like enough for such a small island, but in reality it’s very little. We managed to do everything planned, not in a big hurry anywhere, but still very close.

In three hours on Nisyros we drove around and saw the beautiful village of Nikia, the volcano, the half-abandoned village of Embonas, a fortress on the mountain above Mandraki, then we parked at the embankment in the center of Mandraki and in the remaining 40 minutes we quickly walked around the “capital”, bought a takeaway gyros pita from a cafe , returned the car and managed to eat our lunch before our return ferry arrived.

Nisyros is a volcano island, and thanks to its fertile volcanic soil, it is much greener than its neighbors Halki and Tilos. Many mountain slopes are cut into terraces, and fancy flowers bloom everywhere.

The road to Nikia is good and very picturesque, climbing the mountain slopes with stunning views of the sea and neighboring islands. There are almost no cars, which is not surprising, since only 900 people live on the island. For us, Nisyros has become the embodiment of real provincial Greece, lively and non-tourist. And it was on Nisyros that I wanted to somehow fly to Greece and travel on ferries between such small islands, living on each for two or three days.

Nikia village, where we went first on the advice of the rental employee, since at that time all the tourists were taken to the volcano, it turned out to be a snow-white miracle on the top of the mountain with an excellent view of the crater of the volcano and half of the island. We walked along the central street, met several elderly residents, did not see a single souvenir shop and saw only two taverns that did not impose their services in any way. The center of the village is a beautiful square with a pattern laid out with multi-colored pebbles, a snow-white church and a small tavern.

Just beyond the square is Observation deck, from which you have a beautiful view of the volcano crater and from which the smell of hydrogen sulfide reaches you.

We returned back to the parking lot along one of the lower side streets (there are only 2-3 of them in the whole village).

Then we drove to the blue and white chapel located above the village, from which an equally stunning panoramic view of the island and the village opens.

Then they rolled down the path to volcano. When we arrived, none of the three buses we had noticed from above were no longer there. I didn’t want to go down into the crater and stayed in the car to eat the tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and boiled eggs)) And Seryoga went down (entrance 3 euros), but did not find anything particularly noteworthy. After the Kamchatka volcanoes and fumaroles, and after other active volcanoes, it’s not the same.

After the volcano we headed back and stopped at village of Embonas. Very colorful and atmospheric, but much more abandoned than Nikia - many houses are already in ruins.

And then they returned to Mandraki, drove around the city along the ring road, drove up a mountain with a mostly restored fortress, from where a wonderful view opened up of the snow-white “capital” of the island and the ruins of the fortress and the white monastery right above the city. We went down to the port, drove into the Old Town, parked the car and walked for about 20 minutes through the winding narrow streets of the city. At this time, most of the tourists, who were brought not only by our ferry from Rhodes, but also by two or three ferries from neighboring tourist island Kos was already moving towards the port, so there were not many people.

Mandraki is a charming little town. It's a pity that we had so little time to get to know each other. If you follow in our footsteps, I would advise you not to waste time visiting the restored fortress on the mountain and it is better to take a longer walk around the city and walk up to the white monastery - the view from there should be no worse.

Since we really wanted to eat and there was a three-hour return journey ahead, and there was no time for a full lunch, we ordered pita gyros each - a very tasty and high-quality Greek shawarma with tender lamb. It costs only 2.5 euros and takes about 10 minutes to prepare, so I highly recommend it for such a quick snack.

On the way back, it seemed to be rocking less strongly, but it was warmer on the deck, so I spent almost all the time on it. For such a cruise, I highly recommend taking a windbreaker with a hood with you - it was this that allowed me to spend most of the trip on deck both there and back, and I looked in horror at tourists in only T-shirts.

On this Greek island, volcanoes are smoking and miracles are happening from the icon Holy Mother of God.

Small greek island Nisyros is fraught with such heights and lows, it hides such secrets - that it is worth mooring to it.

There is something about it that attracts tourists from all over the world - both English and German speech can be heard here, as well as a soft French accent. And in the toilet at the cafe near the volcano you will see an inscription in the very best Russian language stating that you should not throw pieces of paper into the toilet, but only into the trash can...

But there really is something to see on this island. First, tourists are taken to one of the craters of the volcano. I was already used to the fact that there were continuous “signs” for tourists all around, and therefore I didn’t really expect to see anything really remarkable. I thought: maybe there was something like this a thousand years ago, but it went out long ago. And the past is overgrown. Attraction for foreigners. But it turned out that everything here is not just smoking, but is ready to explode at any minute.

They brought us in and dropped us off. And I found myself in a completely unexpected space. It smelled of sulfur. There is nowhere to hide from this “toilet” smell. It turns out that the volcano itself spews it out. And the volcano is still sleeping ( last time he hiccupped with hydrothermal lava back in 1871), but he tosses and turns in his sleep, purrs, boils... He waits.

We descend to the round crater. It is about three hundred meters in diameter. Below, on a completely flat plateau, there is not a blade of grass - a bare, scorched soft surface, warm, as if heated from the inside - “heated floors”. The soil here is not solid. And hydrogen sulfide hits your nostrils so much that you want to run away somewhere. And dozens of smoking holes. Something strange is happening inside, boiling, hissing, humming, like a rocket launching. If you touch it with your hand, you will immediately get burned. Something so majestic and terrible is revealed in all this. What an attraction! In one of the “lunar” holes (the whole landscape is like on the lunar surface) I saw boiling sulfur... It gurgled, it splashed... Creepy. And this smell, the vile smell of darkness, erupting from somewhere from the infernal depths to the surface...

Here it is, sulfur lake! Almost on the surface... White steam is pouring out of some holes. Almost all holes hiss. Everything here is in motion. The volcano “breathes in its sleep.” And some strange work is happening inside him. “The depths of Satan” (Rev. 2:24) seem to have come to the surface here. Shakespeare mysteriously called all evil spirits “bubbles of the earth” (“Macbeth”). And so I saw these “bubbles” with my own eyes. Bishop Varnava (Belyaev) wrote that hydrogen sulfide is not just a “uterine” smell, no, it is a natural smell of hellish forces. It denotes their presence, the proximity of a dark abyss... If true visions from God’s world are accompanied by an inexplicable, unearthly aroma, then you will recognize the approach of demons by this heavy smell... Well, you will involuntarily remember here about the sulfur lake, where sinners will forever suffer. The Apocalypse says this very definitely, right down to chemical composition: “a lake of fire, burning with brimstone” (Rev. 19:20).

I think there are volcanoes on Earth for a reason. These are checks of hell, these are places where dark infernal power has found a loophole into our world apparently, is obvious to everyone.

It's alarming near the volcano. And praying is hard. For some reason the jokes stop here. People become serious and concentrated. They huddle together on this bare “lunar” surface. For some reason, cell phone service does not work in the crater. Apparently, the radiation from the depths is so powerful that the weak stream of tamed “infernal” telephone messages dissipates under the more powerful influence of the eerie crater. Some kind of hellish frying pan - this whole volcano. And it will boil and pour out lava when there is a signal. When will he come? Volcanologists are constantly monitoring this funnel of evil, this hellish kitchen. So far, there seems to be no signs of an imminent boiling point. But... Someday this will certainly happen, albeit at the end of time, when “The earth and all the works on it will be burned up” (2 Pt. 3:10). If only one Icelandic volcano with the unpronounceable name Eyjafjallajökull (similar to some ancient Celtic spell of spirits) managed to almost stop air travel throughout Europe for a month, then what kind of doomsday will it be when several European volcanoes wake up at once and “speak”?! (By the way, having already returned from Greece, on the first day at home I learned from the news that a volcano in Sicily, Etna, had suddenly awakened... Why would that be?).

Well, one more worry: how do people live in Nisyros? literally- on a volcano?

We were in the crater for about an hour in total. But even then they managed to “breathe in” all this ancient horror. And then suddenly the wind rose and picked up, swirling like a funnel, all this poisonous dust and threw it on us. Many people's straw hats and tourist caps with visors flew off their heads. I closed my eyes and turned away. Apparently, I was not the only one who prayed fervently at that moment - and the wind suddenly died down. And poisonous sulfur dust settled on the smooth surface of the crater.

Dad, this boiling caustic rubbish dripped onto my leg! - daughter Anna complains. - It’s good that the shoes are closed. But it still burned a little...

There were always plenty of snakes and salamanders on the island. There are still plenty of them here now. But small one and a half meter crocodiles, these pitiful offspring of ancient dragons, disappeared on Nisyros just two centuries ago. And before that there were a lot of them here, crocodiles. They crawled all over the island, scaring people. Well, it could be a good attraction: for ten euros in total - “kill

dragon." So to speak, to hit with a spear... I think there would be a lot of hunters among tourists. It's just a joke. But if somewhere from somewhere out of the fiery Mountain crevice a dragon suddenly emerges, alarmed by the flames of the volcano, I wouldn’t be too surprised. The place here is like a dragon.

That is probably why the Queen of Heaven chose this island for Her bright miracle. Someone has to keep all those dragons from the sulfur lake on a leash!

In 1400, local peasants began to notice a wonderful light. It flowed in a steady stream from the cave in which the straw was stored, on a steep cliff above the sea. Soon they discovered a small icon of the Most Holy Theotokos - only the size of a palm. No one knew how she got there. Therefore, it was a miracle of God, the Greeks decided. The revealed icon was immediately transferred to the temple. But she mysteriously returned to the same cave at night. And so she returned to her chosen place up to three times. Then they decided that this is where she should be. A monastery was built on a rock near the Venetian castle. One hundred and thirty-eight steps now lead to the cave. And the icon began to be kept in the same place where it appeared - in the same cave. Two centuries later, a large icon of Panagia Spiliani (Cave or, as they also say, Our Lady of the Gorge) was painted and another century and a half later encased in a silver frame. Left hand Panagia on the salary is made much bigger size than the right one. Here, in the left palm of the icon of the Most Pure Virgin, they placed that original, small revealed icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. They soon noticed that from this icon of Her, the Queen of Heaven sends healings to those praying and especially help in giving birth to children. Pilgrims flocked to Nisyros...

In the meantime, we are going to the monastery in the small port town of Mandraki, guide Natalya continues the story about the unusual island. The population of Nisyros rarely exceeded three thousand people. Nowadays less than a thousand Greeks live here. But tens of times more people come here every year. And not only foreigners - Greeks from Athens and Thessaloniki also come here. Greek bohemia took a fancy to this island. Artists and musicians come here to small hotels with several rooms... The island gives them inspiration and relaxation. And on the island itself, the owner of a local art gallery has lived for many years - the wonderful photographer Artin Karakasyan. He broke away from his native Armenia long ago and took root here - he became a Greek. And he became a real singer of this island, to which, of course, fate brought him for a reason. The singer of his shrines and volcanoes. Its flora and fauna. But first of all - his people. I had the opportunity to meet this man. A true master! For him, Nisyros is like a creative laboratory. Recently, a selection of his wonderful Nisyros photographs was published in the international geographical magazine Discovery. They are made with great love to a new homeland.

You simply don’t want to leave Karakasyan’s gallery. A song about Nisyros is playing. There are amazing pictures everywhere. In addition, he also asked for our camera in English, but rather showed with gestures that he wanted to photograph our daughter Anna. Lyudmila and I happily agreed. And it was nice to hear a compliment from the artist: “beautiful eyes” (“beautiful eyes”). I gave him the editorial camera and he took some great pictures. “I’ll post these photos of mine on the Internet, in contact!” - Anna chirps to us joyfully. Yes, he truly has the hand of a master. And we left his gallery with another gift - a disk with all his photographs. I will try to introduce readers to some of these photographs...

Natalia, meanwhile, tells us that water is brought to Nisyros from Kos and Rhodes. There are no fresh water sources here. sea ​​water, processed into fresh water (there is a small factory here), the inhabitants of the island refuse to drink. They collect dew (there is a lot of it here), and collect water during the rainy season. But for some reason they refuse to drink processed sea food. There are probably reasons for this. And electricity also comes here from the neighboring large islands. The cable is laid along the bottom of the sea.

Now we are walking in a group through the narrow streets of Mandraki. Near the administrative building we stop at a monument to some Greek general. Natalya, a little embarrassed, explains to us that the Second World War. There was a small German garrison on Nisyros. And just before the Nazis fled from the island in 1944, a group of German soldiers in a local cafe (apparently over mugs of beer) quarreled with a group of Greek soldiers. It is still not clear who started shooting first. In general, the drinking session ended in a shootout. The famous Greek general died in it (unfortunately, I did not remember his last name). His memory was commemorated just like that by installing his bust on the island. On the main square, which is no more than fifteen meters in size! After all, war has reached here with its bony hand! Although not in the form of big battles, but in the form of an almost funny (if not for the blood!) tavern showdown. But still she came here... Even to Nisyros! In one way or another it touched everyone...

Another large shrine is kept in the monastery of Panagia Spiliani. Relics of Saint Charalampios. The saint to whom they pray, among other things, about the arrangement of financial affairs. God said to the saint: “Come,

Charalampius, who suffered so much for Me, ask Me what you want, and I will give it to you.” And if so, then people prefer to ask him to replenish their wallets (by the way, I am no exception). I write this, of course, without judgment. Because money issues are sometimes so acute that oh so much depends on their solution! And on the day of St. Charalampius, Archbishop Sergius of Samara and Syzran came to us in Samara in 1993. After all, the memory of the saint is February 23 AD. Art. So I prayed to Saint Charalampius for our Archpastor on this island far from Samara.

The relics of Saint Charalampios were brought here from mainland Greece many centuries ago. Then some terrible disease decimated the people on the island. As soon as the ark with the relics of the saint was delivered to Nisyros, the epidemic immediately stopped. And the islanders prayed that the relics of Charalampius would remain with them and would continue to protect the island. Their request was granted.

For some reason my wife forgot that these are the relics of Charalampia. And next to them she fervently prayed... to the martyr Tryphon. By mistake, of course. Twice I told Lyudmila how correct the name of this saint sounds. But she still forgot and continued to ask Saint Tryphon for help. Then, however, she returned to the temple - and in order to correct the mistake, she prayed to Saint Charalampius. And what? Already in the hotel on Kos, I read in the guide to the monastery of Panagia Spiliani that the ark also contains a particle of the relics of the martyr Tryphon... It turns out that there was no mistake.

On the ancient iconostasis near the icon of Christ the Savior (with an unusual, Greek face) there are many signs of gratitude from pilgrims and parishioners. Mostly aluminum images of boats are hung. Apparently, through prayers to the Lord Jesus Christ, storms at sea have subsided more than once in these places. And near the icon of the Queen of Heaven there are dolls (it’s clear why) and coins depicting various parts of the body - all in gratitude for numerous healings.

Anton Zhogolev o. Kos, Greece.

Nisyros Island famous for the volcano that is located right in its central part. The island is small, or rather small. Nisyros is located in the Aegean Sea and is surrounded by other islands on which the resort areas of Greece are located. Not far from Nisyros is the island of Kos, from which we set off on a one-day but very interesting trip.

Nisyros Island famous for three main attractions: volcano, Our Lady of the Cave(church in her honor), coastal town of Mandraki. More detailed story You will find more information about them and all the photos below. Nisyros also has healing springs, a castle and a monastery and ancient ruins.

There is a story about the appearance of this island - Poseidon (the ancient Greek god of the sea) broke off a rock from the island of Kos, which he threw at Polybotes (a giant from Greek myths). The crushed giant remained in place; he could not get out from under the rock. Since then, Politbot has only sighed. That's exactly how it was described history of Nisyros and its volcano by the ancient inhabitants.

By the way, Nisyros island has no sources of fresh water; it is regularly brought here from other islands. IN time immemorial, the ancient inhabitants of the island collected rainwater, which they then drank and used in cooking. The answer to the question of why there was a need to live there at all is the assumption that due to the lack of fresh water, Nisyros was not at all interested in pirates, from whom its first inhabitants found shelter there.

Visit Nisyros island in Greece You can do it with a tour, or you can do it on your own.

We got to Nisyros from. Kos, from the port of the resort town of Kardamena on a small longboat with two decks - open and closed. Route by time Kos - Nisyros, took about an hour. It was stuffy on the lower and closed deck, so we had to move to the upper one, where it was cooler. And there, hold your hats tightly - one of ours was blown away by the wind towards the island melting in the distance. Kos. :)

After arriving at the port of Nisyros, we were taken to its main attraction - the volcano, the path to which must be made along a serpentine road that encircles almost the entire island. We noticed that almost all the steep slopes of the island are fortified and very similar to steps - this is the work of the ancient inhabitants of Nisyros, who used such steps as beds and built them to prevent collapses and landslides.

If you are traveling on your own, then it makes sense to rent a car or motorcycle right at the port and... be prepared for the serpentine roads :). For a certain price, you can negotiate and get to the island by ferry with your car, for example, if you have already rented it.

Volcano on the island of Nisyros- the most real and active, at the present time he is sleeping. It erupted 7 centuries ago, and its last activity was not noticed for about 15 years. Excursions take you to the upper edge of its vent and allow vacationers to go down. This is where you need it comfortable shoes and clothes. Explaining it as an attempt to preserve natural nature, the road to the Nisyros volcano is “as it is”, in places very inconvenient, without fences, steps, and steep edges. However, the descent is not as tiring as it might seem, the main thing is to go down with a good attitude.

The closer the bottom of the volcano, the stronger the smell of hydrogen sulfide. Almost everything is covered with gray, including tourists who visited the volcano :). Myself volcano o. Nisyros amazes with its lunar landscape and its craters. Hot steam comes out of some craters - it’s better not to get too close to them, it’s dangerous. And when you find yourself near the largest group of craters (you can’t help but notice it!) you can hear a quiet rumbling sound - the sound of a living, sleeping volcano.

On the surface above the volcano there is a small shop, cafe, and toilet. They sell some unsightly stones (apparently from a volcano, but not a fact), it is better to buy magnets with a volcano here.

After visiting the volcano, we went to the capital of the island, Nisyros - Mandraki town, above which rises the church, to the creation of which, according to legend, the Mother of God, or whatever she is called here, had a hand in Our Lady of the Cave.

Myself Mandraki town is already a tourist attraction. Snow-white, low houses located closest to the shore, blue shutters and windows, beautiful greenery, narrow ancient streets. Walking around such a city is a pleasure. And the city hall building and the mosaic paved sidewalk are themselves historical monuments and works of art.

Having walked along Mandraki and overcome a slight climb, we came to another attraction of the island - Church of the Mother of God of the Cave. On the way to church we met very Beautiful places and there were magnificent views. Be prepared that inside the church if you are traveling by Nisyros with excursion, there will be a lot of people. There is a legend that whoever lights a candle will be cured of childlessness (if there is one). However, for not very religious tourists, even five minutes will be enough to explore the church premises and attractions - the icons Our Lady of the Cave.

About the icon Our Lady of the Cave, which the island of Nisyros keeps all the time, the guide will tell you in more detail. Let's not reveal all the cards at once, as they say. ;)

Prices in taverns and for souvenirs on the island of Nisyros are slightly lower when compared, for example, with Kos. However, it is difficult to find something very unique. Unlike the shops of the same Kos (), on Nisyros pumice stone, of local origin and processing, is sold in huge quantities. We limited ourselves to magnets with the inscription Nisyros and landscapes of the island and a mug.

If you move away from the city of Mandraki and walk a little up near the port, you can find yourself near the ancient ruins of the old city of Nisyros.

On Nisyros you can taste fresh fish in a settlement called Pali. Pali is located one kilometer from the town of Mandraki.

The healing springs of Nisyros are located in a place called Loutri, which is located one and a half kilometers from the port.

An undoubted advantage of traveling on Nisyros with excursion, is the organization of the return journey - Nisyros - Kos. We sailed back on the same ship as to the island. Upon arrival, we boarded a bus, which took us to the hotel.

The time allotted for the excursion was enough to explore the main attractions of the island of Nisyros, the volcano, the city, and the church. However, those who like a very secluded holiday can stay on the island longer. Good luck on your travels!

The island of Nisyros is one of the smallest islands of the Dodecanese. The island is home to one of the active volcanoes - Nisyros. It has several craters and the largest of them is Stefanos. And you can look at all this and even walk around the crater. So, the island of Nisyros is a volcano, in person.

Nisyros Island, Volcano

The opportunity to visit Nisyros and “touch” the volcano with our own hands became a decisive factor when we were thinking about which Greek island to visit this time. And we are the easiest place to get to Nisyros. Perhaps those who have the time and funds should go to Nisyros on their own and stay there for a couple of days, but there are also options for budget tourists. Of course, you already know that purchasing excursions from Russian tour operators is throwing money away. After all, every local tourist office will definitely offer you a one-day tour to Nisyros for 25-30 euros. We did just that, purchased tickets in the capital Kos and went on a tour. A transfer picks you up from the hotel and takes you to Kardamena, from where ships depart for the volcanic island of Nisyros.

About an hour away, good Boat trip and we are on Nisyros. Everyone arriving on the island of Nisyros is first greeted by the icon of the Virgin Mary. It is located on a hillside and can be seen from afar.

The island is small. The closest to Kos, for which it is also called the satellite of Kos. The terrain is mountainous. The crater of the volcano is located almost in the center of the island. The path to it lies along a serpentine road. The landscapes are amazing. Very beautiful and deserted.

Only about a thousand people live on the island and almost all of them live in the only town of Mandraki. There are several more villages in the mountains, but, unfortunately, we did not visit them. By the way, there are no reserves on the island drinking water, it is delivered to Nisyros from neighboring islands.

Volcano Nisyros

The crater of the volcano is located in the ring high mountains. The surface of the crater is almost white, and olive groves are located on the slopes of the mountains.

In the crater

The landscape is truly cosmic. Admission to the crater costs 3 euros.

You can go down into the crater, look at the fumaroles from which streams of gas rise, and in the very center something gurgles.

Smells strongly of hydrogen sulfide. And the ground is hot. A seismic sensor was also found in the crater, so it is quite safe to be there.

There is, of course, a souvenir shop and a cafe there; you can buy and take pieces of the volcano with you.

Afterwards we returned to Mandraki, the capital of the island. A small town with whitewashed houses with blue shutters and doors.

It's very pleasant to wander around the city,

There are many narrow streets, ancient churches, a couple of museums, small shops, benches.

On many paths there are beautiful mosaics made of pebbles. They are very popular here and can be found at every step.

And the monastery and castle ruins rise above the city.

Monastery on the rock

From the courtyard of the monastery there is a panoramic view of the whole of Mandraki and the sea. Very beautiful, breathtaking. Reminds me of something famous photo Santorini.

View from the walls of the monastery

Spiliani Monastery

This monastery is famous for the fact that in the temple there is an ancient icon - the Virgin Mary of Spiliani. According to legend, the icon was found in a cave and more than once they tried to move it to the city, but it mysteriously moved back to the cave.

Some rooms of the monastery are located in a cave.

On your way back, stop by the shop and buy cinnamon syrup (Canelada) and almond milk (Sumada) as souvenirs. Here they make tomato jam and cheese in wine. The prices are quite reasonable.

You can also buy a mask made from volcanic clay here. It seems like you won’t find something like this in other places. Very good cosmetic product. Exclusive, but a little expensive. For one jar you will have to pay about 20 euros.

Octopuses

It is also worth taking a break and refreshing yourself at a local tavern. There is plenty to choose from, large portions, low prices and very tasty. For example, a frappe coffee can be bought for 1 euro, and a plate of gyros (or rather a huge wooden tray of Gyros (portions are more than enough for two) costs 5 euros. We recommend this tavern, the best price/portion combination 😉

Tavern in Mandraki

If you are on Kos, don’t even hesitate, take one day to Nisyros - you will get a lot of impressions. The island will not leave anyone indifferent.

We visited the island of Nisyros as part of our trip to the island of Kos, and although Nisyros is a different island, many people classify it as one of the islands.