Many people ask which is my favourite island, which one out of the many I like and revisit  I prefer the most.  I’ve come to the conclusion that the answer is Nisyros. 

Nisyros is a volcano, far less well known than Santorini which has a worldwide reputation as ‘The Volcano Island’ in Greece, but with very dramatic and varied landscapes, history and archaeology.

Each time I come here I’m amazed how much of it I haven’t seen and which is so much different from everything else.  Seeing something new and dramatic every visit it’s easy to get almost blasé  about things which are now commonplace but, experienced for the first time, are jaw-dropping.

I’ve moved on now but before the blog moves on as well,  a last few images from Nisyros.

Sulphur encrusted fumarole in one of the caldera ‘hot spots’

Looking down to the Stephanos crater from high level path

Tree very cleverly trained to follow the line of the crater rim around Nikia

Lava pillars either side of a kalderimi

Just another of the lava pinnacles ringing the caldera

Intact 17th Century frescoes in the long abandoned Siones monastery

One of the rooms inside the Siones monastery

… opening into the tiny central ‘Avli’ or inner courtyard

Amazingly picturesque and peaceful main square in Nikia

On top of the world: the chapel of Profitis Ilias on the summit of Oros Diavatis

Line of sea-cut caves in pumice cliffs

Sea daffodils in the sand of the east coast, sign of the end of summer

…. close up of the delicate flowers

x