Nisyros
Photo: Jörg Hamel / Pexels
The Verdict
A whole island that is one volcano, with a crater you can walk into and a harbour town that has barely changed.
Why go
Nisyros is a volcano with a village on it: the whole island is the cone, and at the centre the Stefanos crater is about three hundred metres across, floored with pale ash, sulphur crusts and vents that steam continuously. You walk down into it, which makes it the most direct encounter with live geology in the Aegean. Around the rim are Mandraki and Nikia, the monastery of Panagia Spiliani, and a coastline of black-sand coves. The island is small enough to see properly in two days.
Understand the place
A small round volcanic island south of Kos, its centre a caldera with active fumaroles and a floor of grey ash and yellow sulphur.
Beyond the built
Outdoors & nature
Towns & villages
Easy to combine with
Logically reachable by transport. Confirm current ferry/flight schedules before booking.
Nearby
Related
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