General Information & Reviews

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• General info • Useful links • Gallery (8) • Reviews (4)

Anafi is a small island, located to the east of Santorini. Its shape is triangular and its land is mostly rocky. Anafi island, because of its size, hasn't been too much developed in tourism so it is a great destination for peace and quiet seekers. According to the myth, Anafi rose from the sea to provide shelter for the Argonauts and to protect them from the wild sea. It has got a semi-mountainous structure with Vigla, Kalamos and Agios Ioannis Theologos being their highest peaks.

Anafi is also provided with a number of beaches, most of them with fine soft sand and some others pebbled. The port of Agios Nikolaos is the busiest part of Anafi. It is provided with the basic facilities a tourist would need, such as taverns and rooms to let. From there, some small tour boats begin to make the round of the island and make some stops to beaches.

Otherwise, the island can be crossed on foot or on mule back. There is one local bus but the itineraries are rather rare. Chora village, the capital of Anafi, is built on a naturally amphitheatrical site at the center of the island. It is located 2 km from the port. Chora is characterized by a number of small churches, its white houses, and paved roads. A lot of sightseeing can be done on Anafi. The 18th-century Monastery of Panagia Kalamiotissa is an important religious center for the island.

Close to the monastery, there are the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to Apollo. The Monastery of Zoodohos Pigi, another important religious center, was built in the 19th century. A large part of the monastery was destroyed from an earthquake that affected the island in 1956. The temple of Apollo, the Venetian castle and the church of Agios Athanasios is the special tourist attractions of Anafi.

Anafi preserves the local traditions and customs at its best. Religious feasts are celebrated with much enthusiasm. They are accompanied by traditional music and dance. Villagers and visitors actively take part in all festivities. The climate is dry and cool, ideal for the cultivation of barley, wheat, and citrus. Vegetables, such as onions and tomatoes grow abundantly.

Wine and olives are an important part of Anafi agriculture. Thyme produces good-quality honey. The island also supports stockbreeding. After all, stockbreeding, along with agriculture and fishing, are the main sources of income for the island, as tourism hasn't yet developed enough.

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Reviews

ferra77 01 Sep 2011

Simplicity at the best

It will only get you 1 and half hour to get to Anafi from Santorini. The island is not fully developed and has very few residents. Last summer, I had the chance to stay to a beautiful room where I would hear the sound of the waves from my window. Here, luxury is not the point while simplicity comes in every aspect of Anafi.

Keep in mind that amenities like food and shops were only available at Chora which is at the top of a steep mountain. However, beaches can be found much more easily. On a short walking distance there is Kleisidi, a great beach and next to it there is a huge rock with a wonderful monastery standing on top. It is hard to climb but the view will compensate you. There are other beaches as well but you have to walk or go by boat. Great for free camping, as you have nothing to be afraid there.
iliasgekk 15 Oct 2009

Impressive place

Ohhh!! Drink too much local drink rakomelo and your head will spin round and round as the round of Anafi island that you must do with small boats and you will love it also! For a good meal combined with fresh crocus bread, seek Maroulas and many more small restaurants same as little yards with pink and red geranium painted pots.

Anafiis recommended for camping but the only problem is that most of sandy beaches are only reachable by boats and you can not find them easily on your own but as an easy option there is Roukouna an enormous beach with thrift trees which is like a trademark among the Greeks since 70s when the hippies were there!

If you are keen on climbing and related sports, this is the place with the second larger monolith after Gibraltar, called Kalamos. It is where we saw the new church next to the ancient temple of Apollo. There also two small Russian churches that it seems to me that were like sweet cupcakes! What has impressed me most was the fact that there are no snakes in the island and there is no scientific explanation for this!
koklt 01 Jul 2009

Walk a lot

Yes, it was nice in Anafi... We didn't spent many days there, only three days last summer. After a week in Santorini, we island hopped in Anafi, which was a nice small island, very barren (like Santorini), very tiring because we walked a lot there (!) and very quiet. In early June, most Greek islands are quiet. Imagine Anafi, which is calm all summer. We didn't see many people there. a few visitors and some locals. We didn't know of we would find a room because it was difficult to book through the Internet. I doubt even if there is an Internet connection on Anafi (!). But when we arrived, we asked a local man at the port and told us to go to Chora and we would find there. Indeed, this happened. A few minutes after the ferry arrived in the port, a bus came to transfer us to Chora. It was a public bus and came to the port only when a ferry would arrive. The bus was old and not air-conditioned, but didn't mind because the trip lasted only for 10 minutes. Anafi is small and you must walk to see it. The village was small but lovely and had nice hills around it. Every morning, we went from Chora to the beach near the port to swim. Once we took the boat to make the tour of Anafi. The beaches were nice but seemed rocky to me. I suggest to prefer the beach near the port. Some taverns are also there and the onwers are really nice people, although they don't speak English.
bbenjimen 21 Oct 2008

Things that you must know about Anafi

Anafi is a volcanic island, sheer out of the water so you need to be reasonably fit to get around this island.
The tourist season does not start until early July, so if you go early expect few attractions and fewer taxis. It seems that Anafi's population does not warrant a licence for a taxi and as there no bus service, it is advisable to find a car hire service.
Early visitors could find a problem with eating, the only decent place to eat was by the harbour side. I visited Anafi in 2006 and it was just starting to be tourist friendly, well I did want an island away from tourism but I also wanted to find a place with good food and a taverna to watch the world go by.
It was the first place in Greece that there were no post cards. Nevertheless, it is a fantasic island for peace and solitude for anyone who wants to visit the end of the world.
We stayed at the Appolon Village complex and I can recommend it (see my film of Travelling Anafi) to you, as the owners gave us a real welcome and made sure that our stay was enjoyable.

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