As a unique Cycladic island, Andros combines upland greenery with fine sandy beaches, organised or deserted, beautiful mountain villages and seaside ones as well as numerous water sources. An island waiting to be explored and offer unique moments of pleasure, to the visitor with its breathtaking beaches that make you think you are the first who discovered them, the sun, the crystal clear waters make it ideal place for peaceful vocations. Andros is a prosperous island, depicting the beauty of life, offering a high standard hospitality. Andros is a multifaceted island fascinating visitors with its unique natural beauty and its strong cultural character.
Today Batsi and Gavrio are almost joined together both physically and also in their interest to develop touristically. The proof of this is evident in the two small towns and in the 7 km. area between them where there are beautiful sandy beaches, small harbors and hidden coves. The villages of Andros are ideal for touring. The busiest of them are Andros town (Chora), which is the capital of the island, Gavrio, Batsi, Korthi, Apoikia and Paleopolis. Driving from one village to the other you will come across beautiful beaches with fine white sand and small pebbles. There are also remote beaches that can only be approached by caique.
The surrounding environment is characterized by the typical Cycladic beauty; the dovecotes, the wild flowers, the fragrance of the thyme, the sea and the whitewashed chapels give their own distinctive color to the scenery. It's such a wonderful place to visit, and when you can find hotel offers that will allow you to visit often, it's difficult not to be tempted in by the stunning environment that greets you as you arrive. As you drive from Gavrio to Batsi a landscape of exquisite beauty unfolds before your eyes. The green setting contrasting with the azure sea shimmering under the sun will tempt you to stop, take some pictures and jump into the crystal clear sea.
South of Gavrion, you will come across Batsi, the most cosmopolitan settlement on Andros Island. It has a full-service sandy beach with shallow waters ideal for small children. There are more beaches for you to see such as Kolona, Stivari, Delavogia and Agia Marina. If you love water sports, you will not be disappointed. You can hire windsurf boards, canoes, pedaloes, sea bikes, and water-skis at the beachfront sports centres. The most remote beaches such as Koutsi beach, Green beach and Paleopolis can be approached by caiques from Batsi or by foot if you happen to love challenges.
The coastline of Andros is particularly rugged creating many small, picturesque bays, which mostly have good sandy beaches. Some of the largest bays on the island which are worth
mentioning are Gavrio, Batsi, Hora and Korthion, all of which have organised harbours, Also is the bay of Fourni and in the north is the beach of Agios Petros, which is mentioned by
Lloyds as a safe haven for boats.
Andros is completely different to all other islands in the Cyclades. With its high and craggy mountains, deep, green and fertile valleys, its abundant running water, plateaus, terraced
farmlands, steep coasts and the many large and small golden sandy beaches, is one of constant contrasts and surprises. Its perfect for gentle strolling, hiking or driving and within a
few kilometres the landscape surroundings change dramatically.
Andros is on a major ferry route from Rafina to the Cyclades islands and the journey by boat takes about 2hrs, docking at Gavrio on the north coast. There are usually at least four ferries each day throughout the day. The main boats are the Super Ferry, The Penelope and the Athena Express.
The catamaran Haroula Supercat also makes a daily sailing. Other options include the Flying Dolphin and the Sea Jet catamaran. The faster ships do the journey in about one hour. There are regular connections to Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Syros, and Tinos.
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