A Travel Blog
On our last full day on Astypalea we were fortunate to catch one of the first Avra island tours of the season. This daylong cruise in a wooden boat took us to some of the tiny unpopulated islands we’d been glimpsing off the coast of Astypalea during our stay.
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West of the Chora in Astypalea there are several remote coves with beaches. We were told Konstantinos Beach is the most accessible, but the first time we tried to reach it we found parts of the road washed out with gravel and rocks that had spilled down from the hills, so we ended up turning around. A few days later we tried again and were happy to see the road had been freshly graded and we were able to complete the drive quite easily.
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On this trip, we did something we’ve never done before while travelling — we rented a car. I usually find driving more stressful than enjoyable, especially in another country, but Astypalea is a small and manageable island with only a few roads. And without a car there’s no convenient way to visit the more out-of-the-way sights.
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Pera Gialos is a small port adjoining the main town (Chora) in Astypalea. It used to be the primary port for the island, but now the larger ferries dock at a separate port several miles out of town. Pera Gialos is a former fishing community, and it retains a quieter feeling, with small shops and restaurants surrounding a concrete pier and a sandy beach.
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On a warm and sunny Sunday we decided it was time to figure out the Valencian bus system and head to the El Cabanyal area of the city, about 20 minutes from the core. There we explored the beautiful Platja del Cabanyal beach and the historic fisherman’s quarter tucked in behind it.
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