Greece - Korina Miller [502]
Hill walking is possible – just pick a direction, and you’ll find yourself alone in nature. However, since Psara lacks trees, there’s no shade.
Several pristine pebble-and-sand beaches stretch along Psara’s jagged edges. The closest (except for the two town beaches) from town are the west-coast Agios Dimitrios Beach and Tourlia Beach. There’s good swimming in similarly clear waters at Kato Gialos Beach (opposite the cliff, beneath Restaurant Ilionas Ilema) and the more secluded Kavos Beach, beyond the harbour’s far side.
If in Psara on the last Sunday in June, attend the religious commemoration of the 1824 Ottoman massacre. It occurs on the jagged hill opposite the port, and is followed by folk dancing and other cultural activities in town.
Sleeping
Psara Town has domatia and even hotels; just show up, or arrange from Chios with Masticulture Ecotourism Activities in Mesta. Escapists can enjoy free camping on remote beaches (providing you can get there and can bring your own supplies).
Domatia Fotis Xaxoulis ( 22740 61180; studios from €40) Cheery islander Fotis rents 15 well-equipped studio apartments in town, lined by palms.
Kato Gialos Apartments ( 22740 61178, 6945755321; s/d/apt 40/50/70) Just up from Restaurant Ilionas Ilema, Spiros Giannakis rents out clean, bright rooms and self-catering apartments overlooking Kato Gialos Beach.
Eating & Drinking
Udrohoos ( 22740 61182; waterfront; 8am-midnight) Right on the waterfront, this old cafe also does light breakfasts.
Kafe-Bar Baka Marianna ( 22740 61295; waterfront; 7am-1am) This whimsical kafeneio with tables just above the bobbing caïques of Psara is a relaxing place for a Greek coffee or espresso.
Restaurant Ilionas Ilema ( 22740 61121; mains €5-8; Kato Gialos Beach; 6am-2am) Excellent island specialities like stuffed goat and octopus with aubergines are served at this friendly restaurant with tables overlooking Kato Gialos Beach.
Spitalia (Katsounis Beach; mains €5-9; 9am-1am) Formerly an Ottoman hospital, this restaurant on Katsounis Beach, beyond the far side of the waterfront, is atmospheric and serves nourishing Greek dishes.
Ta Delfinia ( 22740 61352; fish €7-12; 6am-1am) With a proud 20-year tradition behind him, Manolis Thirianos offers some of Psara’s best seafood at this psarotaverna (fish taverna) on the central waterfront.
Petrino (waterfront; 7pm-late) This handsomely restored, wood-and-stone bar on the harbour’s far side has become Psara’s hotspot for young people. Petrino’s waterfront terrace is nice for an evening coffee, and on summer nights it gets packed with local and visiting partiers.
Getting There & Away
For ferry information, Island Hopping. Get tickets from the port agent of Limenas Mesta in Chios, Masticulture Ecotourism Activities. Chios Town travel agencies can also provide tickets for boats departing from there.
Getting Around
Good luck! With neither car nor motorbike hire offered at the time of writing, you’ll have to walk, unless you can enlist an islander to give you a lift. While hitchhiking is generally safe, don’t count on it, as Psara’s remote back roads see little traffic.
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LESVOS (MYTILINI) ΛΕΣΒΟΣ (ΜΥΤΙΛΗΝΗ)
pop 93,430 / area 1637 sq km
Greece’s third-largest island, after Crete and Evia, Lesvos (Mytilini) is also one of its most breathtaking, marked by constantly changing landscapes. Long sweeps of rugged, desert-like western plains give way to sandy beaches and salt marshes in the elliptical centre, leading to thickly forested mountains and dense olive groves (some 11 million olive trees are cultivated here) further east. The island’s port and capital, Mytilini Town, is