The Cyclades. A cluster of islands gathered in the windswept waters of the Aegean Sea. The ancient Greeks, who did not yet use aerial reconnaissance drones, saw them forming a circle around the sacred island of Delos, the mythical birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. They named them the Cyclades, from κύκλος (Kiklos), meaning circle. It is curious that, despite lying so close to one another, these islands are so different. Like legendary catches gathered in a net cast from the shores of Attica by a mischievous god, they had all the makings of mythological inspiration, each under the protection of a god or a fabled figure.
The Hermes of Andros © François Ribard
But how did they originate? They are simply the exposed summits of folds formed during the great tectonic upheaval that raised the Alps, as well as the great mountain ranges of Anatolia and the Himalayas. These islands are therefore mountains rooted in the seabed rather than on the mainland. Many people forget that 80% of Greek territory is mountainous (30% in France).
From Moni Panachradou, a view of Andros as a mountain in the sea © François Ribard
Add to this the hundred or so permanently inhabited Greek islands, and the challenges of regional planning become infinitely more complex than in a hexagon-shaped country with vast plains. When 10 to 11 million Greeks – whose wealthiest citizens pay little tax – have to fund road infrastructure or maintain the constant flow of ferries serving the islands, the question of the economic crisis becomes all the more pressing!
Over the years, Grand Angle has established its expertise in organising holidays on the Greek islands, particularly the Cyclades, offering both guided and self-guided walking trips. Our in-depth knowledge of the terrain, combined with our passion for the landscapes and for the welcoming people whose age-old traditions remain very much alive, drives us to discover and offer new destinations.
Among the latest trips we have developed are visits to the two northernmost islands of the Cyclades, Andros and Tinos, which extend the line of the long island of Euboea towards the famous island of Mykonos.
Andros and Tinos are reached from the port of Rafina, a half-hour transfer from Athens airport. The town rings with the cries of ticket sellers whenever a ferry is about to depart. Their voices blend into the same refrain: “Andros! Tinos! Mykonos!” Then, as soon as the ferries have left, silence returns.
Leaving Rafina in the early morning © François Ribard
At daybreak, the ship fills with a varied crowd of tourists, islanders returning home, pilgrims travelling to Tinos – the Greek Lourdes – and a few jet-setters bound for Mykonos. It takes two hours to reach Gavrio, the port of Andros, then forty-five minutes by bus to Chora, the capital, in the greenest part of the island, at the foot of mountains rising to 700 or 800 m, while the island’s highest summit, just inland from Chora, approaches 1000 m.
Chora on Andros, perched on its peninsula © François Ribard
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In Greece, each island’s main town bears either the name of the island or the name Chora (χώρα). Andros, “the island of shipowners”, has pursued a remarkable policy to promote hiking and preserve the island’s natural and cultural heritage. As soon as we have dropped our bags at the hotel, a lovely walled path takes us up to the village of Apikia, where the island’s distinctive features become clear: pretty little valleys wooded with oriental plane trees and water, plenty of water, even at the end of summer, so much so that one spring
The Sariza spring © François Ribard
provides water that is bottled and sold under the Sariza brand. A lovely descent follows, between valleys and villas,
The start of the descent at Apikia © François Ribard
as far as Nimborio beach, at the foot of Chora. What a surprising town it is. Despite its modest size (one thousand six hundred inhabitants), it has all the trappings of a capital. Set on a rocky ridge that slopes gently towards the sea, with an entirely pedestrianised centre, it is beautiful, distinctive and lively, with its maze of white alleyways
Saint George’s Church, in the heart of Andros’s old town © François Ribard
in typical Cycladic style, its lavish neoclassical villas, its many shops and its archaeological museum, which holds remarkable works such as a sculpture of Hermes from the second century BC. Even more remarkable is the contemporary art museum founded by the Goulandri family, which houses several renowned works.
The next day, a fine viewpoint overlooking the town gives us a chance to pause before a path lined with low stone walls leads us to the village of Sineti. At an altitude of two hundred and fifty metres, we already feel we are in the mountains. This impression grows as we climb the Valley of the Mills
Climbing the Valley of the Mills © François Ribard
with its surprising structures dotted along stone channels that are now dry, but bear witness to the island’s abundant water and the inhabitants' determination to harness its power in centuries past. At the top of the climb, there is still the option of reaching the ruins of the Venetian fortress of Epano Kastro, perched on a high plateau, before descending to the beaches of Ormos Korthiou.
The mountain atmosphere returns on the next stage, after a gentle climb from hamlet to hamlet brings us to the imposing monastery of Moni Panachrandou
At Moni Panachrandou © François Ribard
for a spectacular panorama of the valleys that converge towards Chora. The descent runs alongside some of the island’s most remarkable walls, restored through a determined initiative as part of a wide-ranging project to open traditional paths to hikers.
On the descent from Moni Panachrandou © François Ribard
After an hour and a half on the ferry, the bustling arrival at the port of Chora on Tinos comes as something of a surprise. First, there is the busy capital itself. Its 4000 inhabitants are joined by large numbers of tourists. Here, though, there are no young people out partying as on the neighbouring island of Mykonos. Tinos is the Greeks' “Lourdes”. Its story centres on a miraculous icon of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary, discovered underground thanks to the visions of a nun from the monastery of Kechrovounio,
The granite peak of Xobourgo seen from the rooftops of Kechrovounio monastery © François Ribard
Saint Pelagia, which prompted the construction of an imposing basilica at the top of an avenue. Some pilgrims make their way there on their knees to atone for their sins.
Entrance to the church of Panagia Evanghelistria © François Ribard
But Tinos has many other treasures, especially its villages. This soon becomes clear when, after a transfer to the island’s higher ground, we discover the dazzling white village of Volax
The village of Volax © François Ribard
in an extraordinary landscape of rounded granite boulders, close to the peak of Xobourgo – now a rock-climbing site – which was the first inhabited site on the island. Along the walk, the dovecotes
A dovecote on Tinos © François Ribard
rival the chapels and old windmills in number as we pass through Ktikados, a pretty hilltop village, before descending to the beautiful beaches of Kionia.
Tinos and its geology remain a constant theme. From the village of Kardiani, the climb up to the schist ridge of Polemou Kambos, opposite old marble quarries, rewards us with magnificent views of Syros
The church of Defteri Evresi on the ridge of Polemou Kambos © François Ribard
before we reach the beautiful small town of Pyrgos, devoted to marble. It is home to a remarkable museum dedicated to marble’s formation, extraction and history. We then weave our way between low walls and windmills to finish in Panormos, one of the island’s few seaside settlements.
The descent to Panormos © François Ribard
There is still time to enjoy the town and – why not? – treat ourselves to one of Tinos’s specialities, such as fourtalia, an omelette with tomatoes and the island’s traditional sausage
Fourtalia © François Ribard
before boarding the ferry to Piraeus for a final night in Athens.
