Anafi
- The Island
- Chora
- Roukounas Beach
- Klissidi Beach
- Beaches
- Monolithos - Monastery of Panagia Kalamiotissa
- Map
What makes Anafi Island unique and everything you need to know before visiting it!
How to get to Anafi
Anafi is a small island that belongs to the Cyclades complex, located in its south-eastern part, very close to the island of Santorini. Being an island of no more than 300 permanent residents and with limited number of rooms available for rent, it’s relatively neglected by the ferry services.
Anafi island on Google Maps
There are some routes every week (not every day) from the port of Piraeus and it takes around 10 to 12 hours to get to the island. These routes stop on different Cyclades islands before reaching Anafi. So you can also hop on the ferry if you are in Naxos or in Paros for example. Alternatively, you can fly to Santorini – especially if you’re coming from abroad – and take the ferry from Santorini that takes less than two hours. There is also a weekly/once per week ferry connection with Heraklion, the biggest city in the island of Crete, and it takes around 4 hours to reach the island.
I visited Anafi on vacation two consecutive years and both times I spent more than 10 days in the island. As Anafi is a rather small island, I had the chance to explore most of it including visiting most of its settlements and beaches, eating in the local tavernas and enjoying the local cafés and bars. On my first visit I was with my friend Sonia. Some of our friends, by coincidence had also planned to be on the island during the same period that we were, so we ended up being a rather big group of people. On my second visit I was again with my friend Sonia and two of her girl friends.
Why should you visit Anafi
One of the reasons to visit Anafi is that though there are some tourists visiting the island, it’s far from being touristy. It has less than 300 residents, many of which spend most of winter living in Santorini island that is close by. It has one settlement, the capital which is called Chora. It doesn’t have big hotels or anything alike and there are around 25 hostels/rooms to let with very few rooms each. This makes it rather challenging to find a room during the busy month of August. It also makes it a place where you keep on bumping into the same people any given day: on the beach, in the tavern, in the bar, etc. If you spend enough days soon you will feel like being part of the island. As it happens in most small places, if you’re one of the few people staying in a village, you’ll soon get an identity from the other villagers assigned to you – even if they barely know you. As people constantly run into each other, you’ll soon find yourself saying: “the French guys are here too” or “the Italian couple” or “the musician” or the “guy with the funny haircut” etc. I quite enjoy this feeling of belongingness and the illusion of being a “temporary resident” rather than a tourist. In Anafi, as well in all small islands, you have a sense of community. In bigger and more popular islands you’re just one of the thousands of tourists on the island.
A second reason to visit is that the island and its landscapes remain rather untouched. Its Chora (the capital village) is so atmospheric. You’ll see the typical Cycladic architecture with the whitewashed cube houses with the blue doors and shutters. But compared to other Cycladic islands, the majority of these houses are not new but rather well-preserved old houses and the village looks as though it has remained the same for decades. During midday – if you are not on the beach – you can see old ladies washing their balconies and taking care of their houses. Anafians love their surroundings, something that is also evidenced by the many pots of colourful flowers that decorate their properties. Anafi’s Chora is so picturesque that it could be the setting of a movie. Around the island you won’t get to see that many houses, only some beautiful chapels, sometimes hanging off a cliff. I adored the golden-yellow colour of the rocky hills around the island combined with the view of the light blue sky and the blue sea. As most of the islands in Cyclades are quite “dry”, the landscape is rocky, with brown soil and some yellow bushes and flowers. Though Anafi is not Santorini, you’ll still have some breathtaking views of the Aegean sea and its infinite blue.
The third reason that makes people visit Anafi, is because it’s affordable and value-for-money. Don’t expect it to be extremely cheap but compared to other islands or Athens, it’s much more affordable. You can have fresh orange juice for 2.5 euros and you can eat a very nice dinner such as fresh fish for less than 15 euros per person. To rent a room during high season costs around 25 euros per person. Don’t expect a palace but rooms are decent and clean and in June you’ll pay for the same room around 15 euros per person. Drinks in most bars in Chora cost 6 euros and in order to get an idea how these prices compare to other more popular and touristic islands, we had a drink at a very nice café in Oia of Santorini while waiting to take the boat to Anafi: the cost for a fresh orange juice was 9€ and the cocktails 14€ each. The quality of food in Anafi is quite good – for someone who hasn’t been to Crete or Thessaloniki it might be excellent (Thessaloniki and Crete, in my opinion, have the tastiest food in Greece). The dishes are mostly traditional Greek. There’s also plenty of fish served as it’s quite typical for the local fishermen to provide the different tavernas with different type of fresh fish every day. There aren’t any specific to the island recipes.
Last but not least, the reason most people visit Anafi is the vibe and the island routine! The vibe on the island is quite cool and relaxed and there are plenty of young people. Though you won’t have 100 bars to choose from, if you want to go out for a drink or (during August) have a crazy night out, you’ll get the chance. There’s a relatively new bar in Chora called Monolithos that organizes events every now and then with Dj sets or live music and there’s an old disco called Millos, which you would visit after a couple of drinks in Monolithos. If you’re up for a crazy night out visit Bar Mantres after Millos, which is a total after and most people stay till dawn to see the beautiful sunrise through the sea. Generally speaking the nights out start a bit late… For example the majority of people would visit Millos after 2 am or even later. This is partly because many people hang around and drink in some tavernas until that time – like Steki or Armenaki. In these two places there’s live Greek music every night, usually Rebetika but not only. The island routine consists of going to the beach, eating, listening to some live Greek music and going out for drinks. Besides the routine, more adventurous visitors can visit the Monastery of Virgin Kalamiotissa that is placed on the top of a mountain which is referred to by locals as “Monolithos”. This mountain, called Kalamos, is the second highest monolithic limestone after Gibraltar. From the top of the hill there are some breathtaking views. Though I haven’t been myself, as I have a bit of acrophobia, I’ve seen plenty of friends’ pictures and also heard them talk about it. It takes around an hour and a half to get there. They say that the path is rather easy but it has some few parts where you get the feeling that you’re on the edge. Though nobody said it’s dangerous, I decided not to take the chance. What most people do, during the last two decades, when visiting the Monastery is to hike up to the mountain late afternoon (in order to avoid the strong sun), carry a sleeping bag or warm clothes and spend the night in a room of the Monastery in order to see the amazing sunrise in the morning!
Practical things
The Super Market
There’s no pharmacy on the island but there’s an establishment with a doctor who will provide you with more specific medicine if you’re in need. You should bring along some painkillers or anything alike you might need. There are two small “supermarkets” that resemble more a kiosk rather than a supermarket. There you can find all sorts of things, from vegetables to washing powder.
The Shop
There are a couple of shops – literally – where you can buy sunscreen, body cream or a pair of sandals, in case you didn’t have the time to buy them at home. All the above are based in Chora, the only settlement on the island.
In the port there’s one ATM where you can withdraw money – of course there isn’t any bank branch. Though in my experience it was always possible to withdraw cash from this single ATM, I’d advise you to bring some cash along, just to be sure… It is also best to avoid having to go back and forth to the port every time you need cash (there isn’t any ATM in Chora).
The Bus
There’s a bus that connects the two main beaches (Klisidi and Roukounas) and the port to Chora. When I first visited the island, we moved around with this bus and I’d say it was quite ok. Of course you don’t have the freedom to move around any time you want but it can work out quite well, if you don’t want to rent a car. The bus also has a route to the port every time there’s a boat service: it leaves an hour before the boat is about to depart. Then there’s the option to rent a car if you prefer to be more flexible. During high season the price is around 40€ per day for a small or medium sized car.
Where to stay
If you want to rent a room, the majority of these are in Chora. I’d suggest you stay in Chora as it’s more convenient, since most of the restaurants and bars are there and it’s where you would want to be going out in the evenings. There are also some rooms to let on the two main beaches: Roukounas and Kleisidi.
If you’re more adventurous and want to save up some money you could also free camp – pay nothing – and stay either on Roukounas beach, where most of the campers stay, or Katsouni beach that is a pathwalk from Klisidi beach and has fewer campers. Roukounas beach is more crowded because it’s also easier to free camp there: there are some showers and the taverna is really close by. If you’re more free spirit you could also free camp on Anargiri beach, but you’ll need to carry along water as there isn’t any tavern next to the beach.
Visit Chora – the capital of Anafi
Chora is the capital of the island and the only settlement/village in Anafi. It’s on the top of a hill and it has amazing views of the Aegean sea. It has the typical Cycladic architecture with white washed cube houses with blue doors and shutters. You will enjoy strolling around the beautiful stone-paved narrow alleys! In Chora you’ll also find the majority of the restaurants, taverns, cafés and bars of the island.
Chora of Anafi island on Google Maps
Eat in Chora
Armenaki
Armenaki on Google Maps
Armenaki is a café-restaurant in Chora that maintains some of the old vibe of Anafi. In the old days when there were no bars on the island, the tourists would simply “party” in the taverna. When everybody would be finished with eating, the taverna transformed into a place with loud music and people would start dancing the night out. Armenaki continues with this tradition and after 10pm there’s a small band playing traditional Greek music. The gifted waitress – a very tall, brown-haired woman – also starts singing at some point and she has a certain talent for lifting the mood of the people up. The primary reason you would go to Armenaki – besides eating something – is to enjoy the live music. Armenaki is also good for having breakfast.
Katafygio Pies – 24_7
Katafygio Pies – 24_7 on Google Maps
Katafygio, which means “shelter” is a place with pies, sandwiches and coffee that you can visit during the day but most importantly it’s the place you can visit after a night out, if you’re hungry and want to eat something before going to bed. It’s open 24-7!
Liotrivi
Liotrivi on Google Maps
Liotrivi, which means “olive press” in Greek, in my opinion, is one of the best places to eat in Anafi. It’s a family-run restaurant that though you have the option to have some meat dishes, it specializes in seafood and fish. You can ask what is the fish of the day and then choose how much fish you’d like to have. The process is as follows: you’re told the price per kilo for each type of fish displayed in the restaurant window, you choose the fish you’d like to have, you go inside and they weigh it in front of you. That way you know how much it’s going to cost you and can always adjust the cost accordingly. It’s very good value-for-money and the quality is superb. Last time we paid something around 13€ per person and the price included eating some fresh fish.
Petrino Grill Tavern
Petrino Grill Tavern on Google Maps
Petrino Grill is a great place to have a souvlaki or grilled meat. When it’s not windy you can sit in its beautiful terrace with really nice view of Chora and the sea.
Ta plagia
Ta plagia on Google Maps
Ta Plagia is a patisserie, specializing in sweets and particularly ice cream! The ice cream is homemade with fresh milk. I love its Kaimaki – it’s a typical flavour in Greece and Turkey. The other flavors are also extraordinarily tasty, especially the strawberry and the chocolate. It also has a beautiful balcony where you can sit and enjoy the view of the Aegean sea.
Tholos
Tholos on Google Maps
Tholos, which means “dome”, is an all-day café-restaurant with a stunning view. You can go there for breakfast or dinner. It’s not exactly a taverna but it has very tasty food and it’s also suitable if you want to have some tapas along some raki. It’s also great value-for-money. Last time we were there for dinner we got really full and we paid something like 11€ per person.
To Steki
To Steki on Google Maps
Which translates to “the meeting point”, is a café-restaurant that operates all day. It’s mostly visited during the evenings for dinner and live Greek music, primarily some Rebetika tunes but not only.
Drink in Chora
Glaros Bar
Glaros Bar on Google Maps
Glaros Bar is a romantic café-bar that is best visited at sunset as it offers an amazing view of the infinite blue Aegean Sea. It’s an ideal place to visit before going for dinner in order to have an aperitivo: have a nice glass of wine or some rakomelo (raki with honey). It’s very atmospheric and the owner usually talks in low voice and plays some classical-lounge tunes. It’s a rather tiny place and it’s hosted in a renovated traditional Cycladic house.
Monolithos Bar
Monolithos Bar on Google Maps
Monolithos, which takes its name from the monolithic hill of Kalamos, is a relatively new bar located in Chora. Its architecture follows the Cycladic style with a twist. It’s an artsy, classy café-bar-shop with minimal decoration. You can have some drinks or some cocktails, which cost 6 and 8 euros respectively. The music differs, some days there are DJ sets and other days there are some sort of events. For example, I’ve been there while they had a standup comedy and I’ve also been there while a Greek band was playing a gig. Depending on the day and how crowded the island is, most people go there for a drink quite late for my standards, after 11pm.
Mylos Bar
Mylos Bar on Google Maps
Mylos in Greek means mill and as the name suggests, the bar is hosted in a reformed traditional windmill. I really like the place because it’s nicely decorated and I love its stone walls. Another thing I like in this place is its feel of a discotheque! Also there’s a beautiful view of Chora from its balcony. As it’s a rather big place, if there’s only a few people it looks quite empty. The music as well as how crowded it will be, totally depends on the day. Usually DJ sets fill up the bar but when there’s no scheduled event it can be rather empty. It’s an after-hours place, so people start going there after 2am and if you want to see the place crowded, you should go there as late as 4am (reminder: in the case there’s an event going on)!
Mantres Bar
Mantres on Google Maps
Mantres is the “after” bar of the island. It’s the last stop on a night out and the majority of people going there will stay till dawn to experience the stunning view of the sun rising from the sea. Primarily it plays rock-indie tunes as well as some oldies hits. Generally speaking, the target is to make people dance! The mood is kind of elevated given the fact that the majority of people there are at least tipsy – and many are wasted! It’s a little bit further out of Chora. You can walk there as it’s downhill but, of course, the return trip will be a bit of exercise!
Be Merry in Chora
Anafis Gi Pottery Workshop
Anafis Gi, which translates to “the earth of Anafi”, is a beautiful, stylish workshop of pottery, run by potter Manos Arvanitis who makes his own (and gorgeous) art and displays it there. It’s a stunning place that combines artistic, modern pottery with an island feel. The shop is a short walk from the center of Chora towards its northern part.
Visit Roukounas, the most famous Beach of Anafi
Roukounas is the most famous beach in Anafi and in my opinion it’s also the most beautiful one. Sometimes when it’s very crowded you can’t fully admire its beauty but it has really beautiful transparent greenish waters and amazing thin golden sand.
Roukounas Beach on Google Maps
Roukounas beach has been one of the main reasons people have been visiting the island during the last twenty years. People have been free camping on the beach and spending long time in the taverna that is next to it. Until today you can see many tents lying on the beach and on its far-right side it’s also quite typical for people to swim nude.
The taverna, which also serves coffee, is usually quite crowded – especially during midday when the sun is strong. It’s also very typical during the afternoon to have some people playing live Greek music and have the whole taverna crowd singing along.
Free camping means that there’s no charge for putting up a tent and sleeping there. The place facilitates free camping by also providing some showers next to the beach where someone can even use shampoo! On the far left side of the beach it’s possible to see more random crowds – not campers – including a few families. In Roukounas beach there are also some few rooms to rent located above the taverna.
This year, a new café opened at Roukounas beach, which is quite different from the taverna. It has a very nice view of the sea, as it’s located a bit uphill, it plays funky or lounge tunes and it also serves some cocktails!
If you take the path over the hill on the left side of Roukounas beach, you’ll end up in Katalimatsa beach. You can read more about Katalimatsa beach on the Beaches tab.
There’s a bus connection from Chora to Roukounas beach and back.
Visit Klissidi Beach and Katsouni Beach
The second most popular beach of the island is Klisidi beach. Klisidi beach used to be open for people to free camp until recently when it was banned by residents. There are a few rooms to rent there instead. The beach itself is very beautiful! Just before going down to the beach there’s an all-day café-restaurant, Margarita, with delicious and healthy snacks, and a more old school tavern called Vivi (which is the name of the old lady who owns the place and cooks).
Klissidi Beach on Google Maps
If you don’t go down to reach Klisidi beach but continue walking on the trail, you’ll end up in Katsouni beach. Now, in Katsouni beach you’ll see that there are some people free camping. These people, I think, prefer camping there than in Roukounas beach because there are fewer people. At the end of Katsouni beach you’ll see that there’s another beach next to it, called Flamourou. You can read more about it on the Beaches tab.
There’s a bus connecting Klisidi beach to Chora and back.
Margarita’s Restaurant
Margarita’s Restaurant – Klissidi Beach on Google Maps
Margarita is a Café-Restaurant with a relaxed vibe. People visit it for a coffee or to have a snack after being at the beach. It has a very nice view of the sea and it’s well-known for its tasty food.
Vivi – Klissidi Tavern
Vivi – Klissidi Tavern on Google Maps
Vivi is a traditional tavern, that you’ll appreciate its simplicity and its prices. Vivi, the old lady who owns the tavern, cooks few but tasty dishes each day. Her signature dish is meatballs with freshly cut (and very tasty) chips. If you don’t go crazy with your order (for example if you only have a main dish and a salad to share) you probably won’t pay more than 10€ per person.
The Beaches of Anafi in a nutshell
The two main beaches that are most popular, have some cafés and it’s possible to visit by bus from Chora, are Roukounas beach and Klisidi beach. From Klissidi you can walk to another two beaches, Katsouni and Flamourou. From Roukounas beach you can walk to Katalimatsa beach. There are no organised beaches in Anafi, there are no umbrellas or sunbeds, which I think is really nice as you can enjoy their purity and nature’s inspiring authenticity.
Klissidi-Katsouni-Flamourou
Klissidi Beach
Klissidi Beach on Google Maps
As you can also see in the pictures, Klissidi is a long sandy beach. You can see there were some free campers when I took the pictures but recently free camping on this beach has been prohibited.
Katsouni Beach
Katsouni Beach on Google Maps
Katsouni is another sandy beach that you can reach if you take on the trail that starts from Margarita’s restaurant. The path is easy to walk and it takes no more than 10 minutes to get there. In Katsouni you’ll find some free campers. Shade is limited but there are a few tamarisk trees.
Flamourou Beach
Flamourou Beach on Google Maps
Flamourou beach can be reached from Katsouni beach. On the far left side of Katsouni beach you can easily pass to another small bay with a dock and then you can either walk inside the sea to reach Flamourou beach or you can swim to it. It’s possible to walk on the rocks in the sea, in the case you want to carry things like your bag, but I’ve seen many people fall into the water while trying it. It’s easier to leave your bags and just swim to Flamourou (taking turns with friends so that someone is always watching your things). The beach, as you can see in the pictures, is really beautiful and is worth the effort!
Roukounas – Katalimatsa
Roukounas Beach
Roukounas Beach on Google Maps
Roukounas is the most famous beach in Anafi because of its beautiful water, which has an amazing, transparent-green color. There are some few tamarisk trees for shade. It’s nudist-friendly beach specifically on its far-right side. On the right side there are also many people free-camping on the beach. Next to it there’s a taverna and a café and there are also some showers.
Katalimatsa Beach
Katalimatsa Beach on Google Maps
Katalimatsa is a small beach that you can reach by taking a path that starts from the left side of Roukounas beach. People decide to go there in order to enjoy some calmness as it’s more secluded. Sometimes there are a few people free camping on that beach. On the pathway there’s also a beautiful tiny chapel. Katalimatsa was also the ancient port of the island – the island has been inhabited since the 7th century BC – and on the pathway to the beach you can also spot some ancient columns. There aren’t many trees on Katalimatsa beach but in the afternoon the rocks that surround its right-hand side, as you’re looking towards the sea, create a pleasant shade that can protect you from the sun.
Other Beaches
Besides the beaches mentioned above, there are some more beaches in Anafi you can visit if you drive a car. Out of these Agioi Anargyroi and Livoskopos are standing out. In my opinion, Agioi Anarygi is a nice beach but I’d say its main advantage is that there aren’t many people. Livoskopos beach, which is something like an hour drive from Chora and a 20 minutes trail from where you have to park the car, though it’s a nice beach, I personally think it didn’t worth the effort.
Go on a trip to Monolithos and visit the Monastery of Panagia Kalamiotissa
On the island the mount Kalamos is known as Monolithos. Mount Kalamos is the second biggest monolith in Europe, after Gibraltar. Monolithic – as the name also suggests in Greek, “Mono”: single and “Lithos”: stone – it’s a geological feature consisting of one single rock. Monolithos is visible from most parts of the island: the Chora, the port and Roukounas and Klissidi beaches. It’s 460 meters high and on the top of it there’s the Monastery of the Virgin Kalamiotissa.
Monolithos – Monastery of Panagia Kalamiotissa on Google Maps
The trail that gets you to the monastery is not supposed to be a difficult one. Having a bit of acrophobia and being told that there are a few spots that feel like you’re on the edge, I decided not to go.
The photo above is taken by friends who went there and were really impressed by the view. It took them about an hour and a half to get there. The locals’ advice was that the best thing to do is to walk the path either very early in the morning or in the afternoon to avoid the heat, which sounds reasonable. Since the monastery also has a wonderful view of the sunrise, it has become a tradition for visitors to sleepover. They walk up to the mountain in the afternoon, spend the night in a room in the monastery (sleeping on the floor in their sleeping bag) and start hiking down the mount of Kalamos after having watched the stunning view of the sun rising from the sea. I’ve been also told that it gets quite fresh/cold at the night.
In order to reach the beginning of the trail that will take you to the top of mount Kalamos, you’ll need to go to the Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi. If you don’t have a car there’s a bus connection between Chora and the Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi.
