It was, to be honest, a rough start to the scouting trip. I had been in Portugal to help start our Fishermen’s Trail trip there and was in Lisbon to catch a midnight flight to Athens. I was flying Aegean Air for the first time and had sprung for Business Class (only a handful of euros more than economy on this flight) – looking forward to the prospect of catching a zzz or two on the overnight flight. Imagine my disappointment when, going to check in, I learned that my flight at left at 12:30 the morning before – I had purchased the ticket for the wrong midnight. Several hundred euros and an hour or so later, I was on the flight, but my Business Class dreams were just that. And any actual dreams were non-existent on the otherwise perfectly pleasant flight.

So I was tired and chastened when we arrived in a still-dark Athens, glistening in a pre-dawn rain. I caught a taxi from the airport to the port of Rafina driven by a fellow straight out of central casting for the character of, “gruff, dirty-sweater-wearing, chain-smoking, night-time Athenian taxi driver…” At the port, the enormous ferry loomed above and my expectations were – after the night I had just had – minimal. But things started turning around almost immediately and as Andros loomed out of the mist as we crossed the sea from Rafina, the shipboard spanakopita and Greek coffee I had on the back deck served as delicious harbingers of the week to come.

I hesitate to put in print for fear that the secret will get out, but Andros is a jewel and I couldn’t be more excited about the prospect of running Parallel trips there. It’s every bit as beautiful in real life – indeed, much more so when you are standing in the sunshine and the breeze is sending you intoxicating wafts of wildflowers, wild mint and oregano, and the sea itself, seemingly around every corner. Here are a handful of pictures from my scouting trip. Εβίβα!

Getting on the enormous ferry in the pre-dawn darkness. Little did I know that inside I would find escalators, marble floors, and boutiques selling sundresses…

The paradigm-shifting spanakopita and Greek coffee on the ferry.

Selfie high above the beautiful little town of Korthi Bay. In case you’re wondering, it started pouring about ten minutes later.

The trails on Andros are incredibly well-marked, maintained, and organized by hard-working volunteers. Anyone interested should check out the non-profit Andros Routes (www.androsroutes.gr) and consider supporting their work to bring sustainable tourism to their island.

Much of the hiking is along ancient stenis – the island’s ancient “roads,” rudimentarily paved with enormous flagstones. You will be amazed by the evidence of thousands and thousands of years of human cultivation on the island. There are miles and miles of dry-stone walls and incredible terraces that were used by civilization after civilization for farming and livestock.

You’ve gotta love a place where the “litter” includes hundreds of crushed pomegranates…

The iconic lighthouse at the head of the harbor in Andros’ main town, Chora.

Harbor art in Chora.

A brief anecdote: at a cafe in the village of Menites, in the island’s central hills, I was the only person eating dinner. The moussaka, was without question, the best I’ve ever had. After I used Google Translate to awkwardly ask for water, the friendly proprietor handed me an empty pitcher and simply pointed to the flowing spring across the lane. 

Batsi in the morning. We’ll spend our last night together celebrating in Batsi.

Olive trees, the Aegean, and thee. Good heavens.

Cute lil’fella in Gavrio harbor. Our trip starts and ends with the ferries to and from Gavrio.

Even in late fall, there were wildflowers everywhere. Andros is the “greenest” of the Cyclades as it’s microclimate attracts much more rain year-round than many of the other bone-dry islands nearby.

Yes, they were delicious.

And, yes, Mr. Big Eyes here wanted some of the sardines, above.

Saying goodbye to Andros, for now, on the way back to Rafina and Athens. 

If you’re interested in joining our October trip, write us at info@parallel-adventures.com anytime!