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All ferries and catamarans arrive at the main port, GAVRIO , a moderately attractive holiday resort. Few venture onto the adjacent windswept beach; however, there are plenty more attractive alternatives just to the south, where you'll find some of the area's better accommodation. A converted dovecote houses a sporadically functioning tourist office , and there are half a dozen ferry ticket agents , a bank , and a post office on the waterfront. The cheapest accommodation is in the basic Galaxias (tel 02820/71 228; ?24-33), which serves as a late-arrival fall-back. There are more room and studio outfits along and above the main coastal road to Batsi: Aktion (tel 02820/71 607; ?34-42) is fairly representative, while Andros Holiday Hotel (tel 02820/71 384; ?73 and upwards) is a good upmarket choice. Restaurants worth trying include the good if basic estiatorio, Tria Asteria ; the Veggera taverna 100m inland with its pleasant leafy courtyard; and the smart Trehandiri ouzeri opposite the catamaran dock. Nightlife revolves around a string of cafes and bars along the harbourfront, of which Marlin is a popular choice. Alternatively, there are one or two lively venues on Ayios Petros beach several kilometres south, including Marabou taverna which frequently features live guitar music. Along the same stretch the excellent Yiannouli taverna is worth checking out for lunch. The road north begins behind the Hotel Gavrion Beach . Around 3km northwest are two beaches named Fellos : one with holiday villas and a taverna, the other hidden beyond the headland and popular with freelance campers. Beyond Apano Fellos, the countryside is empty except for a few hamlets inhabited by the descendants of Albanians who settled here and in southern Evvia several hundred years ago. Most visitors head 8km south down the coast, past the lively Khryssi Ammos beach, and the Perakkis Hotel above it (tel 02820/71 456; ?34-42), to BATSI , the island's main resort, with large hotels and bars around its fine natural harbour. The beautiful though often crowded beach curves round the port, and the sea is cold, calm and clean (except near the taxi park). Hotels range from the central, comfortable Chryssi Akti (tel 02820/41 236; ?34-42) to the upmarket Aneroussa Beach Hotel (tel 02820/41 045; ?34-72), south of town past the Stivari area towards Ayia Marina beach - a picturesque cove with Yiannoulis fish taverna and studios (tel 02820/41 963; ?34-42). Besides these there are plenty of other rooms, and good food can be had, especially at To Akroyiali and Pizza Ritsa . Other choices include Stamatis , an established taverna with a nice atmosphere, and Ta Delfinia , which has a pleasant, sheltered balcony. For something a little different have a shrimp feast at Restaurant Sirocco , on the inland path above the village. There are several cafe-bars, such as Capriccio and Select , a half a dozen or so loud indoor bars featuring the standard foreign/Greek musical mix, and even an outdoor cinema with a different movie every night in the summer. There are two banks, with cash dispensers. For information on walking tours, a free copy of the informative Island of Andro , or other travel needs go to Greek Sun Travel (tel 02820/41 198, fax 41 239, greeksun@traveling.gr ), upstairs near the taxi park. From Batsi you're within easy walking distance of some beautiful inland villages. At KATO KATAKILOS , one hour inland, there are a couple of seasonal tavernas including O Gregos ; a rough track leads to ATENI , a hamlet in a lush, remote valley. ANO KATAKILOS has a couple of undervisited tavernas with fine views across the village. A right-hand turning out of Katakilos heads up the mountain to ARNI , whose lone taverna is often shrouded in mist. Another rewarding trip is to a well-preserved, twenty-metre-high tower at Ayios Petros , a mystery even to locals, 5km from Gavrio or 9km coming from Batsi. South of Batsi along the main road are Kato and Ano Aprovato . Kato has rooms, including Galini (tel 02820/41 472; ?24-33), a taverna and a path to a quiet beach, while nearby is the largely unexplored archeological site of Paleopolis . Ano has the excellent taverna To Balkoni tou Egeou , which can be most easily visited on one of the "Mezedhes Nights" organized from Batsi by Greek Sun Travel and various hotels, though for a more authentic evening you may be better off making your own way there.
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