Travel Guide Mandraki

Mandraki, the village and main port of Nissiros, is located on the north coast of the island. Long difficult to access, as there are no moorings on the island's deep volcanic seabed, the port is some 400 metres from the village proper. The village is made up of winding alleys and pretty white houses, with pebble mosaic forecourts and wooden balconies. You'll have to wander endlessly up and down it, discovering buried churches, cool, quiet squares and all the life of the island that crowds around the foot of the miraculous church of Panaghia Spiliani. This church has stood watch over the island, embedded in the rock since 1600. The remains of an ancient acropolis dominate the landscape, offering sumptuous panoramic views, while the beach at Hochlaki below is exceptional. Beautiful fishermen's houses line the seafront, now converted into small tavernas and pleasant cafés. Once the tourists from Kos have left, as the aperitif hour approaches, Mandraki reveals its true face. Everywhere, old women sit in the alleys and squares to chat in the cool, while their husbands meet up on the seafront with the few tourists who have had the good sense to spend the night on the island. A few kilometers east of Mandraki, on the coast accessible by car and on foot, you pass the volcanic thermal baths of Loutra before arriving at the fishing port of Pali. Here you'll find a tranquil life of saffron-yellow fishing nets and colorful little boats. The marina is home to several tavernas serving succulent fish. Beyond, the road leads to some of the island's most beautiful beaches, including the secluded, volcanic black-sand beach of Pachia Ammos, accessible only on foot.