Andros

 

The second largest (380 sq. km.) and the northernmost island of the Cyclades of the Cyclades is 89 nautical miles from Piraeus. Andros, the sailors's island, is a peaceful holiday resort whithin easy reach of Athens.
Andros is an exception among the islands of the Cyclades. It is the only island that combines upland greenery with fine beaches, mountain villages with seaside resorts and natural springs. The touristic infrastructure and the roads on the island will help your visit and make your stay pleasant and comfortable.

The landscape is made up of adjoining mountain ranges with steep slopes and between them deep ravines, gullies and three verdant valleys where olives, figs, oranges, lemons and vines grow amid a plentiful supply of running water. Quite often the scenery here is anything but typical of the Cyclades.
The mountains frequently come to an abrupt end with a sheer cliff or rocky promontory, while the valleys open out into expanses of sandy beach.

History

According to mythology, Andros was named after the grandchild of Apollo, Andros. Until then the island was called, Gavros or Lasia.
The first inhabitants of Andros were the Carians, followed by the Phoenicians and later by the Minoans and Pelasgians. Around 1000 BC Ionian settlers arrived. The island flourished, and as early as 654 BC there are records of colonists in Macedonia, Thrace and Asia Minor.
In the times of Macedon and Rome Andros had the same fate as the other islands of the Cyclades. In 109 BC it was taken by Rome. The Romans compelled the islanders to emigrate to Delio (today called Dilesi) on the coast of Boeotia with only the clothes they stood up in.
Under Byzantium Andros was an intellectual center of note. The neoplatonist Proclus taught there in the 5th century AD and in the 9th century AD a philosophical academy was founded. Michael Psellus the Elder was among the teachers there. Despite frequent Saracen attacks Andros continued to flourish, particularly in the 11th and 12th centuries, thanks largerly to the silk-making business. In 1207 it was taken by Marco Dandolo, nephew of the Doge of Venice, and it remained in Venetian hands until the mid-16th century. Barbarossa took Andros from Turks in 1537. Under Turkish rule Andros retained many of its privileges and considerable numbers of Turks settled there.
On May 5 1821 the flag of freedom was raised by the local philosopher Theofilos Kairis, and during the War of Independence many of the islanders fought the Turks on land and at sea. In the last century Andros has developed into one of the country's most important maritime island, and its ship registry contains more vessels than any other Greek port except Piraeus.

Anchorages

Gavrion: Good shelter; Fuel & water in town; Taverns

Batsi: Good shelter; Fuel in town; Water on quay; Night life

Kastro: Poor shelter; Fuel & water in town; Taverns