Nisyros Island

Formed from volcano eruptions, Nisyros is a place of wild beauty.  According to mythology, during the period of the Gigantomachy (war of the Giants) Poseidon (the god of the sea) plucked a rock from Kos and in anger threw it at the giant Polyvotis with the intention of killing him. This rock, which crushed the giant, became Nisyros, and the half-dead giant shakes the earth every now and then with his groans, thus awakening the volcano.

The capital and harbour of the island is Mandraki, with its white houses spread out below the imposing rock containing the Monastery of the Panagia Spiliani, while dominating the harbour from a height of 150m is the Castle of Spiliani, a memento from the passing of the Knights. The view from here is unique as it hugs the harbour, adjacent shores with their black volcanic rocks and the islets of Gyali, Pergousa, Strongyli and Pachia in the background.

In the courtyard of the Castle we have the Monastery of the Panagia (Virgin Mary), the patron saint of the island, in the same site where around the 4th Century B.C. were the walls of the old city and the remains of temples and ancient cemeteries.

The buses that travel to the volcano start off from the waterfront. While traveling to mountainous picturesque village of Nikia, we meet the impressive volcano crater in the area of Lakki. The vegetation becomes less and less and the scenery more dry and wild as we approach the crater.

The centre of the island is the semi-active main crater that was formed by the volcano erupting 24,000 years ago, covering the sides of the island with a layer of pumice-stones 100 meters thick. One of the three craters of the volcano - with diameter of 260m and depth of 30m - opens before our feet, causing a feeling a awe to all those present. The path trails down to the crater-bed where sulphur steams out of little holes in the earth (which the locals call "xefisistres" or safety valve), thus scattering its pungent smell into the atmosphere.

You were probably warned by the travel agency that it would be preferable if you wore mountain boots or shoes with thick soles because the high temperatures that developed at the bottom of the crater were capable of melting rubber soles.

Without fail, your visit to Nisyros will remain an unforgettable experience.