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Contents
1. Introduction
I first heard of Andros about 4 years ago when I read a newspaper article about the wonderful hiking trails. Unfortunately when we got there the trails didn't live up to expectations. Andros isn't particularly popular with foreign tourists despite being only a 2 hour ferry ride from Athens.
Another reason why we visited Andros is that we had our own car and there are several daily car ferries from Andros to Athens and Naxos. We arrived from Naxos (see my blog Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide).
2. Andros Town
2.1. Parking in Andros Town
The centre of Andros Town is pedestrianised and the streets around the centre are a bit narrow. There is limited parking.
Google maps show 2 car parks and we went to the car park to the north of Andros Town. The car park was small and we got the last space. The car park is very convenient as it is on the seafront and near the centre. The other car park is to the west of the town centre.
2.2 What to See in Andros Town
Andros Town is very attractive and juts out into the sea on a rocky spur . It isn't spoiled, or touristy, as most visitors stay on the northwest side of the island. We spent a pleasant hour or so wandering around the old streets.
There are two museums and beaches on either side of the town.
3. A Drive around Andros Island
We drove from the northwest of the island to Andros Town on the east coast. We then drove southwards to Korthi where we stopped for lunch. The road crosses back over to the west coast after Korthi and we drove up to Gavrio.
The trip took 5 hours and the scenery was beautiful. Unfortunately there were few places to pull over on the mountain roads to enjoy the views and take photos.
4. The Beach at Agios Petros
There are lots of good beaches on Andros but we only visited the one at Agios Petros. It is an excellent sandy beach but it is fairly open and could be affected by wind.
Most of the beach is for public use but at the southern end there are 2 roadside tavernas that have sun loungers and umbrellas on the beach.
There was no charge, but at least Eur 8 of food or beverages had to be ordered from the taverna. I think this is Eur 8 for 2 people. There was plenty of parking near these tavernas.
5. Batsi and Gavrio
5.1. Batsi
Batsi is the main resort on Andros. There is nothing of historical interest but Batsi has been developed well. We usually had our evening meals at one of the waterfront restaurants followed by a pleasant stroll on the seafront.
There is a large beach in the centre and plenty of free parking in June.
5.2. Gavrio
Gavrio is the port for Andros. It is a small pleasant town with very little for visitors to do. There are free car parks at the southern end near to where the ferries dock.
6. Hiking on Andros
6.1. Overview
Andros was the last of the 4 Cyclades islands that we visited. On the other 3 islands the hiking trails were well signposted but often overgrown.
Hiking trail 11 on Andros passed within 100 metres of our accommodation so it was the first hike we attempted. Unfortunately the first section was overgrown so we abandoned the hike.
We only did one short hike. This was due to concerns about trail maintenance and because I couldn't find circular hikes that appealed.
6.2. Planning Hikes on Andros
The Andros routes website is run by volunteers who hike, and maintain the trails. There is a page that details all the hikes and another page that provides information on path maintenance. It does seem that they try to maintain the trails.
The AllTrails website shows trails for 48 hikes. They all have reviews providing useful information. If the reviews are recent they can provide a good guide to the condition of the trails.
6.3. Trail 9A - Paleopolis Archeolgical Site
This short trail is described on the Androsroutes and AllTrails websites. It takes about half an hour each way and is in good condition.
The Androsroutes website showed the route condition as "open, with a lot of overgrown vegetation at parts". Bizarrely there was no overgrown vegetation in June 2023. Whereas for trail 11 the website didn't report any overgrown vegetation but we found it to be a problem.
The route on the Alltrails website starts above the main road. We parked in a layby off the main road, just past the museum at Paleopolis. When driving from the north it is on the right hand side and has space for about 10 cars.
From the layby walk back along the road to Paleopolis until you see a 9A sign pointing to the left. Don't descend the steps before that. There is a sign indicating that there is no access.
Half way down you can go left or right. These paths lead to different ends of the beach. At the north end of the beach there are rocks from where a couple of people were swimming. At the far south end there is a small sandy beach, but you have to clamber over a large boulder to reach it.
We didn't see any archaeological remains.
7. Car Repairs on Andros
We had to have the front springs and shock absorbers replaced on our car. I found AutoTechnics on the internet and the owners of our accommodation recommended them.
The garage ordered the parts from Athens and they received and fitted them 2 days later. They did a good job and the cost was reasonable.
It was very convenient. They are located at Agios Petros, across the road from a great beach. We spent half a day on the beach while they fixed our car. We could see our car in the workshop from our sun loungers!
8. Accommodation on Andros
We stayed in a 3 bedroom house on the mountainside above Batsi which we booked through Booking.com for Euro 65 per night. It was very good value which is probably because the house is a 10 minute drive up a steep hillside. I reviewed the accommodation on my blog "UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2" (number 4).
9. My Other Blogs on Greece
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