|
From either Fira or Ia, boat excursions and local ferries run to the charred volcanic islets of Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni , and on to the relatively unspoiled islet of Thirassia, which was once part of Thira until shorn off by an eruption in the third century BC. At Palea Kameni you can swim from the boat to hot springs with sulphurous mud, and Nea Kameni, with its own mud-clouded hot springs, features a demanding hike to a volcanically active crater. The real attraction though, is Thirassia , the quietest island in the Cyclades. The views are as dramatic as any on Thira, and tourism has little effect on island life. The downside is that there is no sandy beach, no nightlife and nowhere to change money. Most tour boats head for Korfos , a stretch of shingle backed by fishermen's houses and high cliffs. It has a few tavernas, including Tonio which stays open when the day-trippers have gone, but no rooms. From Korfos a stepped path climbs up to MANOLAS , nearly 200m above. Donkeys are still used for transport, and stables can be seen in both villages. Manolas straggles along the edge of the caldera, an untidy but attractive small island village that gives an idea of what Thira was like before tourism arrived there. It has a bakery, a couple of shops and a few tavernas, including the friendly Panorama , that opens only for the midday rush; the restaurant at the Hotel Cavo Mare (tel 02860/29 176; ?43-58) wins out by giving diners the use of the swimming pool. Dhimitrios Nomikos has rooms (tel 02860/29 102; ?24-33) overlooking the village from the south. The best excursion from Manolas is to follow the unmade road heading south; about halfway along you pass the church of Profitis Ilias on a hilltop to the left. From here an old and overgrown trail descends through the deserted caldera-side village of Kera , before running parallel with the road to the monastery of the Kimisis above the southern tip of the island. Minoan remains were excavated in a pumice quarry to the west of here in 1867, several years before the first discoveries at Akrotiri, but there is nothing to be seen today. Ferries run to Thirassia four times a week in season and three times a week through the winter. There is no problem taking a car or rental bike over, but fill up with petrol first. Day-trips take in Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni but are quite expensive (?18) and only stay two or three hours on Thirassia.
Your Tip for Kameni islets and Thirassia
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Kameni islets and Thirassia - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Kameni islets and Thirassia - visit the main Kameni islets and Thirassia forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Kameni islets and Thirassia webguide section below! Thanks.
| 
