Nisyros is
a quite paradise with a famous active volcano in the center of island. It
belongs to Dodecanese group of islands, situated between Kos and Tilos.
According
to Greek mythology, Nisyros Island was formed when Poseidon cut off a part of
Kos and threw it onto the giant Polyvotis to stop him from escaping, during the
legendary "Battle of the Giants", also known as “Gigantomachy”.
Poseidon
defeated the Giant and buried him beneath this spot. This part of Kos became
the island of Nisyros.
The volcano
was created at the spot where the mouth of the Giant was lying. Any time the
volcano is active, it's due to the fact that Polyvotis sighs or moans.
Getting
there
By boat
Your trip
to Nisyros can be with a conventional ferry -boat or high- speed ferry from the
port of Piraeus.
Accommodation
Mandraki ,
the main village of Nisyros , is a place that holidaymakers can find a
great number of hotels and comfortable
apartments. Apart from Mandraki, the picturesque fishing village of Pali, is a location where
good taverns and accommodation can be found.
Beaches
Hohlakoi
beach
This beach
is situated close to Hora. It has smooth
pebbles both in the sea and on the beach. The impressive black colour of the pebbles,
comes from the volcano.
At the one
end of the beach there is a cavity in the rocks and behind it some trees and
bushes.
Pali Beach
This is the
most popular beach among the tourists and is situated very close to the fishing village of Pali. The sand is very
fine both in and out of the water, while there are also large pebbles next to
the sea, which keep the waters shallow. There are many trees which provide the
bathers its shade.
Lyes beach
The beach
starts around 3 km after Pali village and is located northeast of the island.
The length of this beach exceeds 1.5 km and actually includes many small and
bigger sandy beaches inside the coves formed by the sea. There are pebbles at
places but the coast is mainly covered by dark sand. There aren’t tourist facilities and trees for shade.
Sightseeing
Castle of
the Knights
It is also
known as the Castle of Spiliani because the most important monastery of the
island, Panagia Spiliani, was built on the castle’s surrounding walls. It is
said that when knights of Saint John dominated the island, in the 14th century,
they built it.
The Volcano
Nisyros is
considered the youngest of the large volcanic centers in Greece and is included
along with Methana, Milos and Santorini as one of the active volcanoes in Greece.
The most recent violent eruption was in 1888 which formed a cylindrical
aqueduct of volcanic elements with a diameter of at least 25 meters.
Volcanological
museum
The museum is located in Nikia, at the edge of the
caldera, offering a stunning view of the
volcano. It is well-equipped with samples and pictures of rocks, photographs,
models of volcanoes, computer simulations and much more. In the museum, the
visitor will have the opportunity to learn about the volcanic process, the
genesis and structure of volcanos.
Folklore
Museum
The museum
includes artefacts of folklore art that over the years have gradually
disappeared. There are useful objects
that were used by residents as well as photographic material and other
souvenirs of the past.
Panagia Spiliani
The
monastery of Panagia Spiliani, is built at the top of a hill northwest of
Mandraki. The biggest part of the monastery is built in a cave. The cave is
divided into two churches. The north is dedicated to the Assumption of
Mary and the south to Saint Charalambos. Many significant
ecclesiastical heirlooms from the Monastery of Panagia Spiliani are exhibited
in the Ecclesiastical Museum of Nisyros.
Local
products
*A
traditional product of Nisyros is soumada, a non-alcoholic almond-flavored
drink.
*A
mouth-watering dish is Kapamas, which is goat’s breast with rice,
tomatoes, and onions boiled for 3 hours.
* kanelada is a delicious cinnamon-based soft drink.
Religious
feast
The feast
of Koimisi tis Theotokou takes place
every year on 15th August at the Monastery of Panagia Spiliani.
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