Greece - Korina Miller [474]
Pefko ( 22470 41404; mains €4.50-8) The newest of the harbour tavernas, Pefko has perhaps the most imaginative menu selection. Try the ambelourgou (lamb in yoghurt wrapped in vine leaves), or the oven-baked beef with aubergine.
Manolis Tastes ( 22470 41065; mains €4-10) With mouth-watering dishes like seafood risotto, lamb in lemon sauce and traditional Lipsi pork chops, you’d do well to nab one of the handful of outdoor tables at this tiny restaurant. Find it in a small square in the Old Town and consider the takeaway window for your picnic lunch.
Tholari ( 22470 41060; mains €6-12) With stone walls and traditional sofas, this lovely harbourside restaurant does homestyle meals like sharkfish with garlic dip, beef casserole and baked chicken.
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AROUND THE ISLAND
Lipsi has quite a few beaches, most of which are small and without any facilities. Getting to them makes for pleasant walks through countryside dotted with olive groves, cypress trees and endless views. The minibus services the main beaches.
Just 1km beyond Lipsi Village, Kambos Beach offers some shade and is narrower but sandier than its neighbour Liendou. The water is also deeper and rockier underfoot.
From here, a further 2.5km brings you to Platys Gialos, a small sandy beach whose only drawback is a lack of shade. The water is turquoise-coloured, shallow and perfect for children. Above the beach is Kostas Restaurant ( 6944963303; grills €4.50-6.50; 8am-6pm Jul-Aug), for fish and grill dishes. It stays open later on Wednesday and Saturday.
Just 2km south from Lipsi Village at the bottom of a large hill, the sandy Katsadia Beach is wilder, especially if it’s windy. Tamarisk trees offer some shade and on the beach is the Dilaila Cafe Restaurant ( 22470 41041; mains €5-8; Jun-Sep), with a beach-bar feel and a lovely shaded garden. Try spicy ‘mad feta’ or the fried-rice specials.
Beaches on the east coast are more difficult to reach. Due to rough roads, neither taxis nor buses come here. Some locals claim they’re the island’s most beautiful beaches but many are rocky and shadeless.
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ARKI & MARATHI ΑΡΚΟΙ & ΜΑΡΑΘΙ
Serious solace seekers chill out on these two satellite islands just north of Patmos and Lipsi where yachties, artists and the occasional backpacker mingle. There are neither cars nor motorbikes – just calmness. Pack your bathers, books and iPod and leave the rest behind.
Getting There & Away
In summer there are frequent excursion boats and caïques from Lipsi and Patmos. A boat also stops regularly en route between Patmos and Samos. For more details Island Hopping.
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ARKI ΑΡΚΟΙ
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Only 5km north of Lipsi, tiny Arki has rolling hills and secluded, sandy beaches. Its only settlement is the little west-coast port, also called Arki. Away from the village, the island seems almost mystical in its peace and stillness. The island sustains itself with fishing and tourism.
There is no post office or police on the island, but there is one cardphone. The Church of Metamorfosis stands on a hill behind the settlement with superb sea views. To visit, ask a local for the key and follow the cement road between Taverna Trypas and Taverna Nikolaos to the footpath. Several sandy coves can be reached along a path skirting the north side of the bay.
Tiganakia Bay, on the southeast coast, has a good sandy beach. To walk there from Arki village, follow the road heading south and then the network of goat tracks down to the water. You’ll recognise it by the incredibly bright turquoise water and offshore islets.
Arki has a few tavernas with comfortable, well-maintained rooms; bookings are necessary in July and August. To the right of the quay, O Trypas Taverna & Rooms ( 22470 32230; tripas@12net.gr; d €35, mains €5-7) has simple rooms and serves excellent fasolia mavromatika (black-eyed beans) and pastos tou Trypa (salted