THINGS TO SEE – ANDROS ISLAND
Goulandris Museum of Contemporary Art
The Museum of Contemporary Art was inaugurated on 28 July 1979 in Chora on Andros, the birthplace of Basil P. Goulandris, and was the first Contemporary Art Museum in Greece.
The Museum was initially built to house the works of the renowned sculptor, Michalis Tombros, originating from Andros as well as works from Basil and Elise Goulandris’s private collection. The museum also has fine collection of works of renowned Greek artists as well as international artists.
In July 1986, the museum launched its new wing and over the years this new section has hosted numerous international art exhibitions and has successfully showcased the works of legendary artists of the stature of Picasso, Matisse, Kypka, Kandinsky, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Balthus, and Paul Klee.
To attract the attention of the art connoisseurs Greek, pieces of work from artists like Bouzianis and Galanis too have been on display at the museum. The Museum over the years has established a close working relationship with the renowned National Gallery of Athens so as to provide an unmatched art exhibition platform on the island of Andros.
The New Wing of the Museum houses a library, a museum shop, a projection room and spaces for international exhibitions.
The main aim of the Museum is to continue to offer its own creative contribution to contemporary artistic concerns and, within the framework of international artistic activities and aesthetic edification, contribute to the promotion of both Greek and international modern and contemporary art.
Opening Times:
Wednesday – Sunday
11:00-15:00 & 18:00-21:00
Monday
11:00-15:00
Tuesday
closed
Winter Season:
October – June
Tuesday – Saturday
10:00 – 14:00
Sunday, Monday
closed
Location:
Basil and Elise Goulandris str.
Chora Andros 845 00, Greece
Τ. +30 22820 22444
F. +30 22820 22490
Maritime/Nautical Museum
The Maritime Museum was founded in 1972 and the most important of its exhibits are the old freight contracts, insurance contracts, costumes, various nautical dairies, where the life of the Andriots on the seas before the 1821 War of Independence is described, lithographs of Andriots ships and the later first stream freighters of Greece. The museum, along with the square of the “Unknown Sailor”, were donated by Nikos I. Goulandris family.
The museum is located in Chora and is known as a Neoclassical mansion. Its location gives an excellent view to the Aegean Sea and may work symbolically to connect the sea, the museum and the long maritime tradition of the locals, who had always been connected to the sea as traders, fishermen or seamen.
The museum is perfect for anyone interested in learning more about the island’s rich history and it has a stunning view of the sea.
Location: At Chora, just before the “Unknown Sailor” square.
Opening Hours
Summer season: Daily (except Tuesday and August 15th), 11am-2pm & 6pm-8pm
Tel: (+30) 2282360234,
Fax: (+30) 22820 23166,
Tourlitis Lighthouse in Chora
The Tourlitis Lighthouse in Andros Town stands on an islet and ilminates the route of seamanship for more than 120 years. This lighthouse is the only in Europe that is built on a rock in the sea. The lighthouse was constructed in 1887 and first operated on 1st of January 1897. It has a height of 7 meters, a focal height of 36 meters with the luminescence of 11 nautical miles.
Tourlitis Lighthouse was of utmost importance for navigation purposes and it stands opposite the Venetian castle in the capital of Andros, Chora. After the Second World War bombings in September 1943 the lighthouse was destroyed and rebuilt in 1994 to its original form. Since then it has been operating again as automatic acetylene.
Tourlitis Lighthouse is seen as the most spectacular lighthouse in Greece and one of the most beautiful in the world.
Waterfalls
There are a few beautiful waterfalls that can be explored when visiting Andros. One of these is the waterfalls of Pytharas. It is found in the area of Apikia, 10 minutes from the main road through a smooth path full of vegetation and is called “the fairyland”. Pythara is used to irrigate fields from 1863 to 1936 and also used for the windmill at the village of Stenies.
Katakilos and Pano Katakilos are both beautiful villages and located on a ravine. Many waterfalls can be found here as there are many springs in the area. Remata waterfall is one of the most prominent ones. The road to the Remata waterfall has hairpin bends at every corner and it extends all the way to the hilltop from where a recently constructed highway leads all the way to Chora. Many visitors decide to spend time on the mountainous road rather than going downhill to Kalatakilos.
Springs of Maenad’s
The Maenad Springs can be found in the traditional settlement of Menites and is surrounded by walnut and plane trees. The water springs from the mouths of marble lions, in the small shady square with the taverns and cafes. Menites is one of Andros’s most beautiful villages which is very close to Chora.
The springs of Maenads are located under the sanctuary of Panagia Koumoulos. It is belived that the church is built on the site of an ancient temple. The springs are watering many estates of Menites and Messaria and they end up to Messa Chorio in Livadia! Legends say it is the ancient springs of the temple of Dionysus and that they flowed with wine during the day of his celebration.
Next to Koumoulos is the spring of “Fountana”, (fontana: spring, fountain) very close to the spring of Molivaria, the spring of Zanakis (Ano Menites), Koumaros and others. Until the war and later many mills and water mills were operating.
The mineral water that flows out of the lion head statues today is said to have therapeutic properties. In the antiquity, the water that used to flow from the crevices in the rocks was carefully collected. As it was a sacred liquid, it was used strictly for ritual purpose and not for any ordinary use.
The Valley of Dipotamata
Dipotamata is a beautiful natural area on the south-eastern coast of Andros and stretches for 7km between the villages of Syneti, Paleokastro and Kochylou. In the area you will find oaks and fig trees, blackberries, ivies, oleanders and all kinds of bushes. Animals like badgers, snakes and birds are also found here.
Throughout Dipotamata you will find an old cobbled road that connected Korthi village with Chora till the 1960’s. When the road meets the river, there is a lovely arched stone bridge and small paths leading to the villages.
You will also find as many as 22 windmills, chapels and stables in the Dipotamata area. Some windmills are still in working condition and others in ruins. A few of these mills had auxiliary buildings with storerooms or a room to rent for the night. Some of these rooms are still preserved today.
Today Dipotamata has been declared an official ecological site by the EU and can be crossed only on foot since cars are prohibited here.
Kairios Library
Kairios Library was founded by Dimitrios I. Polemis in 1987 as a non-profit legal entity. In the Library you can find around 60 000 volumes of rare publications, manuscripts, and extensive archives referenced to Andros shipping and courts. Art works, a collection of ancient pots and statuettes, objects of historical value and cultural items can also be found in the library.
In total there are around 85 000 books in the library. Kairios Library has a book lending service, children’s book department, modern bookbinding workshops as well as a maintenance workshop.
During summertime art exhibitions are organized in the new exhibition area of the library.
Opening Hours:
Monday – Friday 08:20 – 15:50
Saturday 08:30 – 13:30
Sunday – Closed
Address:
Chora Andros
Tel: +30228 2022 262
Panagia Thalassini
Panagis Thalassini is a small chapel built on a rock in the harbour of Chora. This church is the most typical church of Andros.
Panagia Theoskepasti
Panagia Theoskepasti is located on top of a hill in the quarter of Paraporti in Chora, just a few meters away from Kairi Square. Legend has it that in a dark night, the locals saw a dazzling light moving from the sea towards the coast. It was an icon of Virgin Mary that went directly into a cave by itself when it reached the coast. The locals transferred the icon to the church of Agios Athanasios, but the next morning the icon was miraculously found again into the cave. That is when people decided to build a church above this cave and place the icon in there.
When the church was built many locals contributed but due to limited funds, they could not complete the roof. It took a very long time before they finely built the roof. A second miracle happened when lots of logs were washed out one night from sea. These were used to cover the roof of the church. Many believe it was God who sent the logs, and therefore the church was named Theoskepasti, which means “roofed by God”.
The miraculous icon of Virgin Mary can today be seen in the iconostasis of the church. Except for the faces of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, the entire icon is later covered with silver. The iconostasis is golden, and it is decorated with reliefs, made by an artist from Chios in the 17th century. There are not many frescoes inside the church, but there are rare Byzantine icons on the walls.
The church has two tall bell-towers and is a three-aisled basilica. The church is also seen as the protector of the island and the sailors and they celebrate on the fifth Friday after Lent (Friday of the Akathist Hymn).
Today Panagia Theoskepasti is an Orthodox Church with a Christian congregation and welcomes anyone that would like to join.
Address:
Andros, Cyclades, Greece 84500
Phone: 22820 22433
Watermills and windmills
In the Cycladic islands, as well as Andros wind power is used, nowadays by the use of wind generators and formerly by the use of an extensive network of windmills.
A special type of windmill was designed in Korthi called tavlomylos. It had a wheel rotating horizontally and a vertical axis. These windmills can be found in the principal Municipality area along with classical style windmills which were functional until the last century.
In the Korthi area you can find more than 40 windmills, mostly in the Dipotamata area but also in Aidonia, Vouni and Piso Meria.
There is a serious water crisis in the Cyclades, apart from on Andros island. Here it was natural that the locals use the waterpower compared to wind, as it had the advantage of stability, durability and better control regardless of the weather conditions.
Ancient town of Paleopolis
Paleopolis lies 9km from Batsi on the west side of the island which had a submerged port and marketplace. It used to be the capital of Andros and its name means “old city”. It flourished from the Classical ages till the Roman times. The remains of the ancient wall show what the size of the city used to be. It shows that the city was well fortified, and it had a marketplace, theatre, altars and temples.
Today there is a modern village on the slopes of Mount Petalo and it is called Paleopolis. Here you will find a small museum that houses findings from archaeological excavations held in the area in 1956.
To get to ancient Paleopolis, you can follow a narrow path to the sea and step down 1039 steps to get to the ancient settlement, or you can drive there as well. Some remains can be found on the shore.
Monastery of Saint Eirini
The Monastery was found in 1780 by the Spiridou monk brothers at Archontas in the village of Apoika. It was a nunnery until 1833, when King Otto’s Royal Degree demanded the dissolution of the orthodox monasteries. There were around 1000 of them in Greece.
In 2006, Captain Eleftherios Polemis bought 13-acre fields which included the ruins of the monastery. He and his family started renovating the church and its buildings. It took them 10 years and they stayed true to its previous architectural form.
The monastery these days holds summer camps for children, many of whom are orphans. They also have various other exhibitions throughout the year like:
- History of writing (Kairis Collection)
- Traditional musical instruments
- Collection of stones, minerals & fossils (Spiros Mpellas collection)
- Elli Mandaraka – Stamatiadou & Flora of Andros
The church (dome basilica) is well worth viewing, it is made from slate with arches, the dome is based on triangular spheres and the walls are built of traditional stone. Especially notable are the floor with an eagle and the marble ‘iconostasis’ with its flower decoration, dating from 1806.
From the monastery you have a wonderful view of Andros city and the coastline of the sea.
Opening Times:
Monday – Sunday 10:00 – 17:00
Telephone Number:
6982 038281
Castle of Faneromeni
The castle is located north of Korthi at an altitude of 600 meters. The castle dates back to the Middle Ages and was built to ward of pirate attacks. It was the largest medieval city in Andros at the time with around 1000 inhabitants.
The castle of Faneromeni also gets referred to as the Castle of Gria (means old woman castle). The myth says the Turks were sieging the Castle, but they could not conquer it. They sent an old lady with her pregnant daughter to ask for help, which opened the gates at night, resulting in the slaughter of the inhabitants.
Others say, the old woman warned the inhabitants or tried to escape. Regardless of the truth she regretted and committed suicide by going up to a rock and jumping into the sea. So, her memory was engraved in the Castle of Gria and on the beautiful beach of Grias Pidima (old woman’s jump).
The interior of the Castle is well protected by impregnable walls and some portions of the wall are still in very good conditions. Visitors to the castle can view the vestiges and remnants of a number of structures that stood here. Legend has it that there exist a few tunnels which extended all the way to the coast of Melissa. The Castle is not in good condition today, but it is a frequent trekking destination on the island.
Every year on the 15th of August they celebrate a pilgrimage.
Address:
Kochylou, Andros, Greece
GPS:
37.799330717745, 24.948629171072
Geometric Settlement of Zagora
The Geometric Settlement of Zagora is located on a plateau of a steep headland and dates back to the 10th-8th centuries BC. The Settlement was discovered in the 19th century by the erstwhile Ephor of Antiquities Ant. Meliarakis. Excavations took place in 1960 under the stewardship of Ephor of Antiquities Nicholas Zaphiropoulos. In 1972 more extensive excavations took place under Prof Alexander Kambitoglou. Not a lot of renovation works have been done on the house walls. The settlement was protected by a 110 meters long wall.
Entry to the settlement was through a huge gate and the gate was renovated in the 6th century BC and at this time the temple came too. The temple was built during the 575-500 BC period with its magaron shape and blocked up porch and cella. Goddess Artemis was most likely the guardian deity of this temple.
The temple was functional till the 5th century BC in spite of the fact that it was abandoned in 700 BC.
Hellenistic Tower of St Peter
The cylindrical Tower of St Peter is 20m in height and overlooking the bay of Gavrio. The tower dates back to the 4th-3rd century BC. The tower’s diameter is about 9.4m and it made of local slate. It used to have five floors, connected to each other with a helical ladder.
It is known that the use of the tower was to control the land and the sea and to exchange signals with fire. They wanted to the protect themselves and their villages from pirates.
The area had copper mines which made them economically developed. Therefore, the tower was used to protect the mine workers.
At the source of St Peter there is an ancient reservoir. There are finds of an aqueduct system that supplied the Tower with water.
The tower can be reached from Gavrio town by car in 15minutes and then you will need to walk to the tower to enjoy the view from the top.
Our Address:
St. Peter, Andros, Greece
GPS:
37.894825390382, 24.759739382588
Cyclades Olive Museum
The Museum is located in the village of Ano Pitrofos, very close to Menites. The civil engineer Dimitris Helmis renovated the traditional building where the Olive Museum is housed. Dimitris originates from Pitrofos and is a personal guide in the Museum.
In the Museum you will find pre-historic equipment and technology of olive oil production facilities. The building dates back to 1857 and it has remarkable Cycladic architecture, from arches, stone boiler, tank and stone staircases.
The old oil mill consisted of two storeys, with the owner of the house lived on the upper floor. The old mill stopped operating in 1967 and was used as a storehouse until 1997.
Today visitors to the museum can view the traditional oil production method and learn more about the local culture. You can also enjoy a screened video in the museum showing an animal-powered olive oil production process.
Our Address:
Pitrofos, Andros, Greece
GPS:
37.816276174622, 24.87240442983
Telephone:
Archaeological Museum
The Museum can be found in Andros Town, at Theofilos Kairis Square, just in front of the Museum of Modern Art. It was founded in 1981 and funded by Vassilis & Elisa Goulandris Foundation. There you will find designs of the Greek American architect Stamos Papadakis.
There are 2 floors in the Museum which hosts finds from excavations on the island like marble statues, tools and pieces of weapons from the Archaic to the Roman era. You can also explore the history of the island from the Neolithic era to the Byzantine times.
In 1833 in Paleopolis the Hermes of Andros was found which is a Hellenistic copy of the homonymous statue of Praxitles. There is also a well-preserved copy of the map of Rigas Feraios, the headless Kouros and the torso of Artemis.
Opening Hours:
1st November – 31st March
Friday to Sunday 09:00-16:00
1st April – 31st October
Tuesday to Sunday 09:00-16:00
Persons entitled to reduced admission
Greek citizens as also as citizens of the other Member States of the European Union over the age of 65. Demonstrating their identity card or their passport to confirm their age and country of origin is necessary.
Students of universities and higher education institutes as also as Technological Education Institutions or similar schools outside the European Union countries. Showing their student ID is necessary.
Our Address:
Chora, Andros
GPS:
37.838219868687, 24.939769461353
Telephone:
Kydonieos Foundation
Kydonieos Foundation is a non-profit foundation aiming to operate as a cultural and intellectual centre in Andros. The foundation was established in 1994 by Petros and Marika Kydonieos. The main aim is to promote cultural events and exhibitions on the island and the rest of Greece. Since 1997, Kydonieos occasionally provides free pottery workshops for children, students and adults. In 1998 they started offering Free Musical Instruments classes to kids aged 7-18 years old.
Over the years Kydonieos became a cultural and spiritual centre focusing on visual arts, plastic arts, music, theatre, literature and dance. The Foundation is based on two pillars. One is to contribute to the people of the island during Winter and Fall and the second is to organise events during the Summertime.
The Foundation also offers a Scholarship program and since 1997 they have awarded more than 27 scholarships to students enrolling in entrance examinations at Senior and Higher Education Institutions.
Our Address:
Chora, Andros, Greece
GPS:
37.836497499071, 24.935573932583
Telephone:
Cave Foros
Being one of the first caves to be founded in Greece, Cave Foros is located in the Aladinou village, 4km from Andros. On the Hellenic Speleological Society, it is recorded as the 15th discovered cave. It was explored by John and Anna Petrochilos in 1937.
The cave covers an area of 500 sq meters and can be explored in groups of 6. At the entrance of the cave you will be given a helmet and a flashlight. It is also good to wear closed shoes and a long-sleeved blouse as the temperatures of the cave is around 16-17 degree Celsius throughout the year and a humidity at 75%.
The cave has lots to see like stalactites, stalagmites, water cavities and unique forms of life in the dark.
Our Address:
Aladinou, Andros, Greece
GPS:
37.807278599645, 24.897521914452
Telephone:
+306939696835 (Upon appointment)
Strofilas
Strofilas is the most ancient city in Europe and dates back to 4500-3300 BC. Strofilas was found almost intact in excavations and is the largest settlement in the Modern Neolithic Age, around 30 acres.
Strofilas reveals a social structure and organisation at an early age because the existence of the city presupposes a collective effort. A wall was discovered of about 100m in length, still standing up to 2m high and with a thickness of 1.6 to 2m. A 1.5m wide gate is protected by a precurser-shaped bastion and is 2000 years older that the known early Cycladic fortifications.
Important findings such as clay pots, stone tools, arrows, spikes, jewellery, statues and bronze objects makes this place very interesting.
Our Address:
Strofilas, Andros, Greece
GPS:
37.779482, 24.8551911
The Unknown Sailor
The Unknown Sailor is a trademark of Andros’s naval history. The statue stands in honour of fall seafarers who lost their lives in the sea. The statue was created by Michael Tompros with copper as the base material. It is donated by the Goulandris family.
The Unknown Sailor was unveiled on 5th November 1959, in a festive atmosphere and covered by state television. A concert took place at the Municipal Theatre by artists of the Greek Opera and a great party was held.
The statue was blown down by a powerful wind on 30 April 2001, but was repaired and put back into place.
Our Address:
Chora, Andros, Greece
GPS:
37.840247254813, 24.942945401163
