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Nisyros: The volcanic island of Dodecanese

Nisyros: The volcanic island of Dodecanese

Between Rhodes and Kos, Nisyros stands up and offers images, experiences and lunar landscapes.

If you are looking for cosmopolitan holidays, then Nisyros is not the ideal place for you. In this volcanic island someone will find tranquility, serenity and seclusion, that are missing from everyday life.

Authentic villages, cafes, churches in the cliffs, squares for ouzo and snack, stone walls, thermal baths and nature trails, all this, together with the eerie volcanic beauty.

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The volcano

25,000 and 15,000 years ago, two explosions gave 'birth' to the current caldera. As you walk to the huge crater, feel like you're on another planet: yellow and white colors, bubbling holes, huge cracks, the strong smell of sulfur...

Nisyros is the youngest of the major volcanic centers in Greece and included (along with Methana, Milos and Santorini) in the active volcanoes in the country. The oldest rocks are age of 160,000 years, while the youngest (prehistoric) of 15,000 years, covering the entire island. The largest part of the island of Nisyros is mountainous, volcanic and very fertile. The island is made by volcanic rocks, with peaks created from past activities of the volcano. The different types of rocks (basalts, andesites, dacites, rhyolites, etc..) have been used to construct various buildings such as Paleokastro and Belfry of St. John the Theologian, outside Nikia.

The beaches

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Enjoy swimming in the beaches White Beach, Pahia Ammos, Pali, Lies, Agios Savvas, Katsouni, Avlaki, Agia Irini and Chochlaka, with impressive black pebbles, ideal for windsurfing and diving.

There are beautiful beaches also in the neighboring islands Gyali and Agios Antonios, which you can visit as a day trip by boat. There are also daily tours to the islands Pyrgousa, Pahia and Strogili and you can also tour around the island.

Don't leave the island if you do not visit:

• The Volcanological Museum, the only one of its kind in Greece, but also in the eastern Mediterranean. Housed in a former elementary school in Nikia, is modern and interactive and open all year. You'll learn all about volcanoes in Greece, you will see the birth of Nisyros and admire volcanic rocks with unusual names and colors.
• The Paleokastro, very close to Mandraki, the ancient citadel of Nisyros with dark cyclopean walls.
• The hiking paths that connect the capital to the interior of the island. Best season for hiking is spring, when the wildflowers in the fields and hillsides are blooming.