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Most people carry on to ARMENISTIS , 57km from Ayios Kirykos, and with good reason: this little resort lies below Ikaria's finest (if much diminished) forest, with two enormous, sandy beaches battered by near-constant surf - Livadhi and Mesakhti - five- and fifteen-minutes' walk to the east respectively. The waves, which attract Athenian surfers, are complicated by strong lateral currents (as signs warn), and regular summer drownings have prompted the institution of that Greek rarity, lifeguard service. Armenistis itself is spectacularly set, looking northeast along the length of Ikaria towards sun- and moonrise, with Mount Kerkis on Samos closing off the horizon on a clear day. A dwindling proportion of older, schist-roofed buildings, plus fishing boats hauled up in a sandy cove, lend Armenistis the air of a Cornish fishing village. Despite gradual growth it remains a manageable place, reminiscent of similar youth-oriented, slightly "alternative" spots in southern Crete, though gentrification (and a strong package presence) has definitely set in, and the islanders' tolerance doesn't extend to nude bathing. The long-running, semi-official campsite behind Livadhi beach closed in 2001 - a sign of the times - and probably won't reopen; a few freelance tents still sprout in the rivermouth greenery behind Mesakthi. Several "music bars", often with live Greek gigs, operate seasonally behind Livadhi and at the quay's north end, but for most visitors nightlife takes the form of extended sessions in the tavernas and cafes overlooking the anchorage, or the zaharoplastia (especially En Plo ) at the village entrance.
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