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Andros has approximately 10000
inhabitants. It has an area of 400 km˛ making it the second
largest of the Cycladic island (after Naxos). The island is
the closest to Athens making it a popular destination for
Athenians. Andros has a lot of sweet is relatively green and
is abundant with water (at least by Greek islands standards).
Only few international holidaymakers come here. English is
not widely understood.
Batsi
Unlike on most other islands the port town is not the
commercial centre of the island. On Andros the "main town" is
Batsi and it is 8 kilometers east of the port town Gavrio.
Especially on weekends Batsi is packed with people from
Athens. The busy nightlife is aimed at a Greek audience.
Accommodation is rather expensive; especially when you come
here during high season and/or the weekend. The town is
rather pretty and built on a hill side. At the seafront is a
large square with cafes, restaurants and bars.
Andros City
Andros town is situated on a narrow peninsula in the north of
the island. It is lot quieter and – believe it or not –
prettier than Batsi. Most visitors are day trippers from
Batsi but it does actually worth staying there. There are a
number of museums in town (maritime, modern art and a museum
of local history) but it is good fun to actually just walk
around. As mentioned earlier; the town is rather pretty.
Gavrio
Andros' local port at this stage is the islands second most
important tourist destination. There has been a lot of
construction work in recent years. The town has a few all
right beaches and nice restaurants. Most visitors still
prefer going to Batsi.
Korthion
Korthion is a small, quiet and sleepy little fishing village
in the south of the island. There are a few rooms to rent and
a few restaurants. The beach is average at most though.
Busses on Andros
The three major towns on the island are connected by bus.
There 6-8 busses a day. The schedule is aligned with the
ferries arrivals. From Batsi there are also busses down
south. Final stop for these busses is Ormos Korthiou.
Ferries to Andros
Ferries to Andros leave from Rafina (about 1 hour east from
Athens). There are up to three a day. 2 out of three only
stop in Andros and then continue to Tinos and
Mykonos.
Ferries to other islands are rather rare but during high
season you can catch one of the (more expensive) fast ferries
to the main Cycladic islands like Naxos,
Mykonos,
Paros and
Santorini.
Accomodation on Andros
At the port: Highly recommended by a reader was the hotel
Galaxy (Tel.: 22820-71228). A double cost about 40 Euro.
Recommended in Batsi was Villa Aegeo. They have studios and
apartments with kitchen, balcony and air condition for 30-65
Euros depending on the season. Tel.: 22820-41327
Considerably cheaper is "The Yellow Rose" (also in Batsi).
They have basic rooms that cost 20-30 Euro. Tel.: 22820-41455
The number one place to stay in Korthion is the Hotel
Korthion (22820- 61218). A room there will cost you about
35-50 Euro. If you travel on a tighter budget best shop
around a little bit. You most likely will find a cheaper
private room.
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