Walking the Islands...

Only the southern third has been built on to any extent, and surrounded by marine park, Alonnisos is fairly immune to further encroachment by the tide of mass tourism. So if you choose this island, you have scope for a lot of uninterrupted walking.

Firstly the question of the name, including “how many ‘n’s and ‘s’s? I’ve based my spelling Alonnisos on the Greek spelling Αλοννεσος, as seen on the Topos map. The Diamanti Sampson guide book published in the 1970s spells it Halonesos, its ancient name was Ikos and Chelidromi, Cheliodromia or Liadromia have been mentioned too, deriving from Achilliodromia “Achilles’ Roads”. Halonesos was the name established by the Greek state in 1836, transferring the name from the next one up in the chain, now Kyra Panaghia.

With a hilltop Chorio and nearby port, Alonnisos differs from its neighbours, but shares its layout with many of the Cyclades and Dodecanese. The Chorio (Old Town) was destroyed by earthquakes in 1965 and for two decades the port of Patitiri was built in modern style. Patitiri is named after the wine presses that were based there, disused after the virus that destroyed the vines in the 1950s.

More recently, the ruins of Chorio have been reclaimed and now it feels like a village again, albeit largely populated by expatriot holiday homes. Around Patitiri is a scattering of small holiday venues and next to it the second harbour of Votsi Botsi.(possibly from βοτσαλια, pebbles) 10Km up the coast is Steni Vala (Στενη Βαλα) then the fishing and boat-building hamlet of Kalamakia (Καλαμακια) and, apart from the tiny hamlets of Dhiaselo (Διασελο), Meradhi (Μεραδι) and Vdhoneri (Βδονερι), a few scattered country villas and farms, that’s about it.

Although there is much less groundwater than on Skopelos, the island is far from parched and on your walks you will find some moist little valleys and farmed areas tucked in between the hills. The combination of farming activity, promotion by EU-aided projects and use by residents and visitors means that the paths are opening up again. Since my first visit around 1986, paths have been waymarked, tracks have become dirt roads, and dirt roads made up to tarmac, not as bad as it sounds as the roads are little used apart from high season, and at least taxis should be willing to rescue you from the north end of the island now it’s tarmac all the way.

So Alonnisos is a chain of wooded hills running 20Km south west to north east, varying between 350 and 450m with the two main summits Kouvouli (Κουβουλι) 475m and Geladhias (Γελαδιας) 456m, largely unpopulated, but farmed and grazed. Its natural delights are chapels, coves, islets, views and limestone crags, friendly and willing locals, open to moderate tourism, but opposed to over-exploitation, strongly reinforced by the marine conservation park which surrounds it. With its pine clad slopes, and plentiful water sources, it’s a reasonable prospect even for high-season island walkers, when the ferries, tavernas, rooms and day boats will all be providing a full service.