Apollon Village Hotel
Anafi - Klisidi
Perched on a hill, just 250 metres from Klisidi Beach in Anafi, the Cycladic-syle Apollon Village Hotel features a snack bar with panoramic views over the Aegean Sea.
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Just 19 km from the world-famous – and super touristy – Santorini, the small island of Anafi is the ideal destination for a Greek holiday away from the hectic pace of modern life.
On this sparsely populated island (if you add up the inhabitants of all the local settlements on Anafi, the local population is no more than 300), the pace of life is still slow and here and there you can see traditional old farmhouses and romantic little churches overlooking the sea.
As in all the Cyclades, the landscapes are breathtakingly beautiful, with the blue sea washing over long stretches of fine sand or small bays nestled between striking rocky promontories.
Afani is a paradise not only for those who love swimming in transparent waters, but also for trekking enthusiasts, who can spend their holidays exploring the island on foot, thanks to a well-organised network of hiking trails.
With its balanced mix of tourist development and tranquillity, Anafi is a place where it is still possible to dream of being romantic explorers from days gone by while enjoying all the modern comforts of tourist services.
The largest inhabited settlement on the island is Chora, a small village of medieval origin with just 270 inhabitants. Perched at a height of 260 metres above sea level, the town is shaped like an amphitheatre, with narrow cobbled streets leading to the fortress built by the Venetians, the heart of the town.
The centre is closed to traffic, so you can wander freely around the town, admiring its beautiful churches (Agios Nikolaos, Kimissi or Church of the Assumption, Agios Charalambos, Christos tou Stavrou or Christ of the Cross, Aghioi Anargyroi and Agios Georgios) or the remains of ancient Anafi in the town’s Archaeological Museum.
The small coastal settlement Agiou Nikolaou, which the locals more frequently call Yalos, is only inhabited in the summer months. There are no monuments or tourist attractions to visit, but the town with its small harbour is the main access point to the island.
One of Anafi’s most famous attractions is the impressive Mount Kalamos, a gigantic limestone monolith connected to the island by an isthmus of land. At 460 metres high, it is one of the largest in the Mediterranean, second only to Gibraltar.
On its peak, in a striking panoramic position overlooking the sea, stands the monastery of Panagia Kalamiotissa, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, while at the north end of the mountain is Drakontospilo (the cave of dragons), a cave with an impressive entrance more than 10 metres high, which can only be reached on foot along a rugged path.
Of all the churches in Anafi, the most famous is the Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi (or Panagia Kalamiotissa) where the most important religious festival on the island is held on 7 and 8 September each year.
Built on the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to the god Apollo Aeglitis, the monastery has been a place of pilgrimage since the time of Turkish rule.
During your holiday in Anafi, take some time to explore the fascinating and mysterious hinterland of the island, where the traditional ‘katikies‘, the old country houses that formed the basis of the local agricultural economy for centuries, can still be seen scattered here and there.
Each katikies generally consisted of eight structures (house, kneading room, oven, stable, chicken coop, sheepfold, threshing area and xomantra or outer enclosure) and was a self-contained, self-sufficient entity, with the ground floor structures beautifully integrated with the surrounding landscape.
The remaining katikies are fascinating reminders of a peasant world of the past and make for very impressive photographic subjects. Some have been declared protected buildings; a couple are still inhabited.
Exploring the hinterland, you are sure to come across charming little churches, perhaps set in a panoramic position, and small areas planted with olive trees, vineyards, fig trees and prickly pears that create a stark contrast to the arid surrounding landscape, almost like oases in the desert.
Best beaches on the island of Anafi are in the south, where the coastline is sandy and beautiful bays and fine sandy shores open up at every kilometre, protected from the north winds and the insidious meltemi.
Here are five beaches you should not miss during a holiday in Anafi:
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
Anafi is a particularly suitable island for walkers: there are several marked hiking trails on the island, totalling more than 18 km of paths.
This network of hiking trails is designed so that you can explore the entire island on foot and reach the most interesting historical and natural points of interest.
These itineraries are extremely fascinating, with breathtaking views and suggestive panoramas, but be careful of the temperatures: always protect yourself from the sun with cream and a hat, take plenty of water with you and plan your routes so that you do not have to walk during the hottest hours of the day.
Due to its old-world charm, Anafi has in recent years attracted a neo-hippy type of traveller, who can find several beaches where naturism can be practised; free camping is still tolerated on some beaches.
There is not a lot of accommodation on the island, so it is advisable to book accommodation well in advance. Chora is definitely the resort of your choice, as it is the only real village on the island that offers services to tourists; alternatively, choose accommodation around the harbour and the beach of Klisidi.
We offer a selection of hotels at Anafi to suit all categories of travellers. The most booked by tourists are the sea-facing hotels, often right on the beach. If you want to play it safe, choose one of the following: they are among the most booked hotels in Anafi, sorted by number of reviews.
If you prefer space, privacy and the ability to prepare your own meals to a hotel holiday, book a holiday home at Anafi. We recommend a few below, but in this case we advise you to book early because houses and apartments for rent at Anafi are in high demand.
There is no airport on the island of Anafi so it can only be reached by sea. There are ferries departing from the islands of Santorini, Paros, Ios or the port of Piraeus.
Be careful because the ferries are not daily. It is advisable to plan your holiday in advance, booking both the outward and the return ferry.
Once on the island, we recommend hiring a car as it is not very easy to get around by internal buses and many of the most beautiful beaches cannot be reached by public transport.
All the ferries to AnafiWhat's the weather at Anafi? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Anafi for the next few days.
The island of Anafi is part of the Cyclades archipelago, just east of the island of Santorini.
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