THERE are plenty of beautiful islands around Greece, but you might not have heard of Andros.
It’s the second-largest island in the Cyclades and is considered to be one of the most beautiful, and underrated.
Andros has it all, with mountain landscapes, beaches with bright blue waters, lush greenery with waterfall trails, and a town classically painted in Greece‘s blue and white.
Visitors arriving by ferry will first come to Gavrio, on the northwest coast which historically was a fishing village.
Now it’s a lot busier and vibrant with plenty of tavernas, bars and hotels – however this isn’t the capital of the island.
An hour’s drive away from Gavrio is Chora, which literally means ‘main village’.
One visitor who blogged about their recent trip named Verde as a top place to grab a bite there.
Their top tip was to taste the Miss Pink cocktail, which is a mix of champagne, lime and grapefruit.
When it comes to drinks, on Andros, you can pick up a glass of wine from €3 (£2.60).
Along with its pretty village to explore, the real gems of this island are the beaches that are dotted along the coastline.
There are beautiful beaches too with white sands and bright blue seas.
One of the most popular north of Chora is called Zorkos Beach, which is also one of the island’s biggest.
One visitor said: “One of the best beaches I have visited in general in my life! Incredible waters, clear and a very quiet place even though it has a beach bar there!”
Another added: “Zorkos beach is just fantastic! Clean water and a very relaxed atmosphere. Perfect place to escape and enjoy the sea without a lot of people. We will definitely visit again.”
Other popular spots include Vitali Beach on the north eastern side of the island.
The beach is always fairly empty as it’s secluded and can only be accessed by a narrow dirt track – so it’s recommended to get there by motorbike or jeep.
Another spot which has crystal clear waters is Tis Grias to Pidima Beach, which has a huge rock stack off its shore.
The beach can be reached via a dirt road and steep trail, but lots of visitors say it’s worth a visit thanks to its beautiful views.
Heading inland, one popular activity for tourists on Andros is hiking to its waterfalls.
One of the easiest trails that takes around 10-minutes is to the Pithara Waterfalls, which is dubbed a ‘hidden paradise’ in Apikia.
Visitors say there’s enough water for a small swim, along with plenty of pretty viewing points from above the falls.
For those staying on the island, some hotels cost as little as £36 per night, which you can find on Booking.com.
The Ostria Hotel & Apartments has an outdoor pool, and is a few minutes walk away from Gavrio.
On Airbnb, pretty apartments start from £67 per night.
This one in Chora is within walking distance to the sea, as well as restaurants, bars, cafes, museums and art galleries.
When it comes to getting to the island, Brits will have to fly to Athens, which in May can be done for £25 with Ryanair.
From there, take a ferry across to the island which can be as quick as one hour with Seajets (with tickets from £30).
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