Greece - Korina Miller [294]
In the Middle Cycladic period (2000–1500 BC) many of the islands were occupied by the Minoans – at Akrotiri, on Santorini, a Minoan town has been excavated. At the beginning of the Late Cycladic period (1500–1100 BC) the archipelago came under the influence of the Mycenaeans, who were followed by the Dorians in the 8th century BC.
By the middle of the 5th century BC the islands were members of a fully fledged Athenian empire. In the Hellenistic era (323–146 BC) they were controlled by Egypt’s Ptolemaic dynasties and then by the Macedonians. In 146 BC the islands became a Roman province and lucrative trade links were established with many parts of the Mediterranean.
The division of the Roman Empire in AD 395 resulted in the Cyclades being ruled from Byzantium (Constantinople), but after the fall of Byzantium in 1204, they came under a Venetian governance that doled out the islands to opportunistic aristocrats. The most powerful of these was Marco Sanudo (self-styled Venetian Duke of Naxos), who acquired Naxos, Paros, Ios, Santorini, Anafi, Sifnos, Milos, Amorgos and Folegandros, introducing a Venetian gloss that survives to this day in island architecture.
The Cyclades came under Turkish rule in 1537. Neglected by the Ottomans, they became backwaters prone to pirate raids, which led to frequent relocation of coastal settlements to hidden inland sites and, finally, to wholesale depopulation. In 1563 only five islands were still inhabited. The Cyclades played a minimal part in the Greek War of Independence, but became havens for people fleeing from other islands where insurrections against the Turks had led to massacres and persecution.
Italian forces occupied the Cyclades during WWII. After the war the islands emerged more economically deprived than ever. Many islanders lived in deep poverty; many more gave up the struggle and headed to the mainland, or to America and Australia, in search of work.
The tourism boom that began in the 1970s revived the fortunes of the Cyclades. The challenge remains, however, of finding alternative and sustainable economies that will not mar the beauty and appeal of these remarkable islands.
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ANDROS ΑΝΔΡΟΣ
pop 10,112
Andros sits dreaming peacefully on the northern edge of the Cyclades and is the second largest of the group, after Naxos. It makes for a rewarding escape for those who want a less tourist-oriented world.
Satisfyingly remote in places, Andros is a mix of bare mountains and green valleys where tall cypresses, like green tapers, rise above smaller trees. Neoclassical mansions and Venetian tower-houses contrast with the rough unpainted stonework of farm buildings and patterned dovecotes. Handsome stone walls, made up of large slabs with smaller boulders packed between them, lock the sometimes friable hill slopes in place. A network of footpaths, many of them stepped and cobbled, is also maintained, and the island has a fascinating archaeological and cultural heritage.
Andros has several beaches, many of them in out-of-the way locations. There are three main settlements: the unpretentious port of Gavrio, the resort of Batsi and the handsome main town of Hora, known also as Andros.
Getting There & Away
Andros is best reached from the mainland port of Rafina, 66km away and a reasonable two hours by ferry. Regular ferries run south to the neighbouring islands of Tinos, Syros and Mykonos, from where onward links to the rest of the archipelago can be made. For details Island Hopping.
Getting Around
Nine buses daily (fewer on weekends) link Gavrio and Hora (€3.80, 55 minutes) via Batsi (€2.10, 15 minutes). Schedules are posted at the bus stops in Gavrio and Hora; otherwise, call 22820 22316 for information.
A taxi ( Gavrio 22820 71171, Batsi 22820 41081, Hora 22820 22171) from Gavrio to Batsi costs about €8 and to Hora, €30. Car hire is about €35 in August and about €25 in the low season. Euro Rent A Car ( 22820 72440; www.rentacareuro.com) is opposite