Photos

When I became a TE-member about one-and-a-half year ago my original motivation was to upload a few summer shots from Astypalaia and nothing more. Unexpectedly this innocent initial purpose emerged into a serious love affair with photography. So here I’m again after a long break with some typical Greek postcard shots from that beautiful island.



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Astypalaia is one of the many small Islands of the Dodecanese. It is its westernmost island, located close to the Cyclades Group in the centre of the Aegean Sea. The closest islands are Amorgos in the West (Cyclades) and Kalymnos in the East (Dodecanese). Compared to other Greek Islands Astypalaia is quite isolated. No other island is visible, which is unusual in the Aegean.

Astypalaia has a very characteristic shape which reminds of a butterfly (coastline: 110 km / 69 miles). It consists of two bigger parts which are connected by a narrow band of land. Although it belongs to the Dodecanese architecture and landscape look strongly Cycladic. Houses are white and cubic and the harsh, steppe-like landscape is arid and mountainous. Fertile soils are limited to a few valleys.

Coasts are rocky with many good, but nothing special beaches. The crystal clear water is great though. Beaches are mostly small, pebbly and spread in many bays. If you search a little bit you will always find an uncrowded afield beach. Out of high season most likely you will have it for your own.

The population is small as the permanent residents count little more than 1000. Most Astypalians live in the capital village (Chora) and in the nearby Livadi, the biggest fertile valley. A few more small settlements are spread over the island.

Astypalaia is untouched from mass tourism and ideal for independent traveling. Although tourism is an important economical factor for the island, it is still limited. High season is very short; it lasts approximately from end of July until end of August. Except of the one month of high season the island is very quiet and tranquil. Most tourists are Greeks and some foreign nationals who possess houses.

The most important sources of income are tourism, governmental investments and subsidies, constructions, civil service, gastronomy, goat husbandry and fish farming. Like on most Greek islands agriculture and traditional fishing, which once where the primer economical activities, have lost gradually their importance.

For Astypalians social and material conditions have improved dramatically during the last three decades. Like on many Greek islands not long time ago most people lived in poverty and were enforced to emigrate to Athens or abroad, mostly to the USA and Australia. Now poverty doesn’t exist anymore and most islanders live well. In the last years the population stabilized and many young people, who in the past would have left, stay on the island.