If you are looking for untouched beauty, Astypalaia (also known as Astypalea) is your spot. Referred to as the “butterfly island” 🦋 mainly for its shape, Astypalaia is a peace-seekers dream. There are hardly any tourists on this island, and you can spend your days hiking down cliffs and driving on roads where you are the person for miles. The top thing to do on the island is rent a motorbike and drive the main road from the Chora all the way to the other side of the island. I don’t think we’ve ever seen more untouched natural beauty anywhere in the world. 🤩
Most international tourists have never heard of Astypalaia. And for good reason. Astypalaia is at the very edge of the Dodecanese Island chain, about halfway between Kos (Dodecanese) and Naxos (Cyclades). We stopped on this small, lightly-inhabited Greek island for a few days as it was the natural stopping point to get to Naxos on our way from Kos.
Read on for our guide to visiting this tiny Greek island paradise! ⬇️
🇬🇷 Also, checkout out our Greece Island Hopping Itinerary for the Cyclades!
Things to Do in Astypalaia
Here are our top things to do in Astypalaia. If you’re looking to get lost in nature without the tourists – this is DEFINITELY the place for you.
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1 – Rent a motorbike and drive across the island
Our favorite thing that we did in Astypalaia was rent a motorbike in the Chora (port town) and drive over to Analipsi. It’s not even about what’s in Analipsi, but what you’ll see on the way there. The drive is a beautiful and peaceful drive with the sea on both sides of you as you wind through the mountains. To this day, this is the most beautiful drive I’ve ever done in my life. We recommend a motorbike for this drive as you just get to experience it more authentically, with the (high) winds on your face. The road is newly paved and perfect for anything. There will be almost no other cars on the road and you will really be able to appreciate the island’s stunning beauty.
READ 👉 The Perfect Northern Greece Road Trip Itinerary 🚗
In the map below you’ll see two pins. One on the port town, and one on Analipsi. The way the road winds through the mountains on this stretch of the island is amazing.
2 – Watch the Sunset atop the castle
The castle above the Chora is a beautiful place to be as the sun is setting. The castle atop the hill in Astypalaia is a Venetian Castle built around the year 1300. You’ll find plenty of windy streets and cats on your way up! (free to enter)
Astypalaia has been fought over by the Ottomans and Byzantines for hundreds of years, as it has a very strategic location right in between the Cyclades and the Dodecanese.
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3 – Visit the Windmills
These are right below the castle and are the iconic spot on the island. It seems like everyone from the town comes to hang out in this area at sunset. There are a few good restaurants and shops in this area. But really, most just take a seat on a bench or sidewalk and enjoy the views looking down on Chora and the water.
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4 – Boat Trip to Red Cliff
The color of the rock from inside the cave at “Red Cliff” has a red tint to it. You can also hike to Red Cliff, here is a link to the hike on Wikiloc. If you’re not up for the hike, there are plenty of boats willing to take you here. I did this hike and it took me about 1.5 hours to walk down, and a bit longer up. If you have the energy, the hike is absolutely stunning.
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5 – Visit the “Blue Harbor”
This place is beautiful. A lot of people on Google say this is the most beautiful beach on the island. We were the only ones here when we came here in the afternoon on Wednesday May 22, 2024. I’ve read this place gets crowded during the day in the summer, so maybe you want to come early if you’re visiting in August which is when almost all tourists come to the island.
We can confirm that the water here is a beautiful blue. We think everyone should do this when you come to Astypalaia. This is a must-do. If you’re not feeling adventurous on Asty, we’d say at a minimum you should still come to the Blue Harbor. It’s easy to get to as you can pretty much drive right up to the top in your motorbike or car.
🏨 Book your stay in Asty here!
6 – Visit the Beaches
If you drive from Astypalea to Analipsi, you’ll find tons of beaches to pull off at. We were driving to the “Blue Harbor” and found plenty of beautiful, secluded beaches to stop at along the way.
However – Agios Konstantinos, Vatses, and Kaminakia (hard to reach without 4×4) are some of the popular ones if you’re looking for a plan.
If you have more than a day or two in Asty, you’ll probably want a 4×4 when you come to Astypalaia. This way you’ll be able to visit beaches that are hard to reach otherwise. Because of the steep cliffs and remote nature of the island, a lot of the roads off the main road are not in good condition.
🥼Travel Insurance 💌
Don’t forget Travel Insurance for your trip. Safety Wing covers emergency medical, dental, trip interruption, lost luggage, and more.
7 – Go Hiking
Asty is just a series of massive mountains, meaning anytime you step outside your hotel you’re going to be ‘hiking’, however, there are tons of remote and untouched hikes to be had on the island. It just depends on how ‘remote’ and difficult you want to go.
👉 This guide is an excellent resource for hiking on the island.
Agios Ioannis
I hiked from this church to Agios Ioannis Beach, which was absolutely beautiful. Crystal-clear blue water. However, this hike is not easy. There is a lot of loose gravel and you are walking down a steep hill. I wouldn’t bring your girlfriend/wife here. I also wouldn’t come alone, because if you get hurt you’re in serious trouble. However, if you’re with a group and looking for a challenge – this is a good option.
To get to the church where the hike starts, you have to walk through a man’s farm. You have to open the gate yourself, and close it so the goats can’t run away. There were some dogs and goats here that made a ton of noise when I walked through. The dogs were tied up though, thankfully. I don’t think anyone was home at the farm when I did this hike.
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Red Cliff
I also did a hike down to Red Cliff, which is a beautiful little bay with crystal clear water. I would recommend this hike over the one at Agios Ioannis, as this one is on a well defined trail and is definitely not dangerous. The one at Agios Ioannis felt a bit dangerous going down loose rocks on a very steep mountain side.
8 – Swim in Pera Gialos
Pera Gialos is the beach located at the port that has surprisingly clear water. If you’re looking for a convenient place to swim in the morning, this isn’t a bad option!
🚗 We recommend to rent a car through Discover Cars. Book your rental car here!
9 – Walk around the Chora
The Chora is where the famous windmills are located and a great place to grab a bite to eat or wander the white washed streets. There are a ton of cute boutique shops that have local goods. Park your car or bike at the bottom of the Chora then walk to the top of the castle or get lost in the white washed streets and say hi to the kitties!
How to Get Around Astypalea
This really depends on what you want to do on the island. For most, a motorbike or standard car will be fine. You’ll be able to drive the length of the island on the highway (good road), and you can walk from here to some of the cool spots that are more bumpy and rustic with dirt roads.
We paid 12 euros per day for our motorbike rental. 🛵
However, if you really want to experience all the island has to offer, you’re gonna want an ATV or a 4×4 car. Some of the top beaches require driving quite a ways on rocky and poorly-maintained roads. Unless you are an experienced motorbike driver, you’re probably not going to want to take your bike down some of these roads. A small Economy car might be good enough, but you’re going to be worried driving up and down these roads.
🏨 View all your accommodation options in Asty here!
How to Get to Astypalea
We originally came to Astypalea because we were trying to get from Kos in the Dodecanese to Naxos in the Cyclades, and Astypalea was the naturally stopping point. We knew nothing about the island before coming here, but were so glad that we came. This place is beautiful, and definitely worth the trip if you like peace, quiet, and breath-taking and untouched natural landscapes and pristine beaches.
To get to Astypalea, you can take a ferry, or fly directly to the island.
Fly ✈️
Sky Express flies to Asty from Athens every day in July and August. Flights are much less frequent outside of these 2 months. (the island is tiny)
Ferry 🚢
We took the ferry from Kos (near Turkey). But Asty can also be reached from Naxos by ferry in about 4 hours. Book your ferries with Ferryhopper here!
Conclusion – Astypalaia Greece Travel Guide
If you’ve read this far, it probably means you’re pretty set on coming to Asty. In which case, you will no doubt appreciate the natural and untouched beauty of this place. There are hardly any international tourists, which make this island a gem to visit and get a good look into authentic Greek life on a small island.
⚠️ It’s important to note that if you’re coming here outside of the months of July and August, a lot of the restaurants and businesses might not be open.
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Let us know how your trip to Asty goes! We’re happy to answer any questions you have about the island.
