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Andiparos was once quiet and unspoiled, but now the secret is definitely out. The waterfront is lined with new hotels and apartments, and in high season it can be full, though in recent years families seem to be displacing the young, international crowd. It has managed to hold on to much of its friendly small island atmosphere and still has a lot going for it, including good sandy beaches and an impressive cave, and the rooms and hotels are less expensive than on Paros. Most of the population of eight hundred live in the large low-lying northern village , across the narrow straits from Paros, the new development on the outskirts concealing an attractive traditional settlement around the kastro . A long, flag-stoned pedestrian street forms its backbone, leading from the jetty to the Cycladic houses around the outer wall of the kastro , which was built by Leonardo Loredano in the 1440s as a fortified settlement safe from pirate raids - the Loredano coat of arms can still be seen on a house in the courtyard. The only way into the courtyard is through a pointed archway from the platia, where several cafes are shaded by a giant eucalyptus. Inside, more whitewashed houses surround two churches and a cistern built into the surviving base of the central tower. Andiparos's beaches begin right outside town: Psaraliki , just to the south with golden sand and tamarisks for shade, is much better than Sifneiko (aka "Sunset") on the opposite side of the island. Villa development is starting to follow the newly paved road down the east coast, but has yet to get out of hand. Glyfa , 4km down, is another good beach and, further south, Soros has rooms and tavernas. On the west coast there are some fine small sandy coves at Ayios Yeoryios , the end of the road, and another long stretch of sand at Kaloyeros . Kaiki make daily trips round the island and, less frequently, to the uninhabited islet of Dhespotiko, opposite Ayios Yeoryios. The great cave (summer daily 10.45am-3.45pm; ?3) in the south of the island is the chief attraction for day-trippers. In these eerie chambers the Marquis de Nointel, Louis XIV's ambassador to Constantinople, celebrated Christmas Mass in 1673 while a retinue of five hundred, including painters, pirates, Jesuits and Turks, looked on; at the exact moment of midnight explosives were detonated to emphasize the enormity of the event. Although electric light and cement steps have diminished its mystery and grandeur, the cave remains impressive. Tour buses (?2.35 one-way) - buy a one-way fare so you can return on the first available bus - and public buses (?1.10 one-way) run from the port every hour in season; bus services and opening hours are reduced and in winter you'll have to fetch the key for the cave from the mayor or village council (tel 02840/61 218).
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