NISYROS

Nisyros is an island in the Dodecanese, situated northwest of Rhodes in the Southern Aegean. According to mythology, Poseidon created the island while following Zeus’ orders to kill the Giant Polybotes; more specifically, he cut off a piece of Kos with his trident and threw it at the giant to prevent his escape. That piece of land became the island of Nisyros. Nisyros is famous for its active volcano, the island’s most popular landmark. The caldera is one of the few places in the world where visitors have the opportunity to walk inside an active volcano. The local landscape is surreal and other-worldly, with the intense smell of sulphur filling the air. Visiting it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The island’s main settlement is the picturesque town of Mandraki, with its winding stone-paved alleyways and colourful windows, Ilikiomeni Square and the striking Panagia Styliani Monastery just to the west. The Archaeological Museum of Nisyros can also be found here. The island has a number of other picturesque settlements, such as Nikia, near the caldera, with the Nisyros Volcanological Museum, Emporios, Pali, and Loutra with their hot springs. Nisyros also boasts striking beaches, such as Pachia Ammos, Lyes and Chochlaki. Also worth visiting is the nearby islet of Gialy, with its exotic beaches, accessible by boat.

Cuisine

Even though it is a volcanic island, Nisyros is nevertheless immensely fertile and produces all manner of local goods. Legumes, such as chickpeas and barley, not to mention uniquely flavourful capers, are just some of the island’s local products. Nisyros is also home to herds of goats and sheep which, apart from figuring in meat dishes, are also milked to produce the local cheeses, such as kopanisti. One of the island’s most distinctive cheeses is tis trygias, a goat milk cheese dipped in red wine, and sakouliasti, eaten primarily as a spread. While there are extensive vineyards on Nisyros, wine is still made on a household scale. The same is true for the local refreshment soumada, made from bitter almond. Some of the island’s standout dishes include kapamas (goat stuffed with rice and offal), chickpea fritters (revithokeftedes), boukounies (pork cooked in its own fat), and bogana (lamb slow-cooked in a Dutch oven with potatoes and plenty of garlic). As for local sweets, Nisyros offers excellent halva with almonds, known locally as ‘halouvas’, xerotigana, and pastelaries (figs stuffed with almond slivers and sesame).

How to get there

Nisyros is an island in the Dodecanese and is accessible by ferry from Piraeus. It is also serviced by ferry from adjacent islands, such as Kos and Rhodes.