Astypalaia Island

By plane:

Astypalaia is connected to Athens via a direct flight (journey duration: 45min) daily, all week except for Sundays. It is also connected to Kalymnos, Leros, Kos and Rhodes 3 times a week (Monday-Wednesday-Friday) by means of a single route that starts from Rhodes and ends up, via Kos and Leros, in Astypalaia (and vice versa).

The duration of the flight is 20 minutes for Leros, 60 minutes for Kos and about one and a half hours for Rhodes.

Book now your flight tickets with a discount from travelplanet24!!!

For information and bookings visit www.olympicair.com or call +30 210 3550500.

By ferry:

There are 5 routes every week from Astypalaia to Piraeus (the journey duration ranges from 8 to10 hours depending on the stops made), except for Tuesdays and Fridays. There are in-between stops at the ports of Syros, Paros, Naxos, Donousa and Amorgos before reaching the port of Agios Andreas in Astypalaia.

For information and bookings visit www.bluestarferries.com or call +30 2243061224 (Astypalaia Travel Agency).

Also, there are ferry connections every week between Rhodes and Astypalaia (the journey duration is approx. 8 hours), with in-between stops at the ports of Kalymnos, Kos, Nisyros, Tilos, and even Kastelorizo.

For information and bookings visit www.bluestarferries.com or call +30 2108919800.

Finally, every Monday and Thursday there is a direct ferry (with no in-between stops) to Kalymnos, via a local route by ANEK from the port of Pera Gialos. For information and bookings call 0030-22430 61572 or visit www.anekalymnou.gr

As there are often cancellations of routes occurring it would be advisable to confirm that the route you are interested in is running as scheduled.

Through time various populations arrived on the island of Astypalaia and each one of them gave it a new name. Its current name, Astypalaia, was given by the Dorians during the geometric period, and it means old town (Asty:town + palaia:old).

It has also been named Astropalia (Astro:star + palia:old), Pyrra (Pyrra: fire, the Phoenicians named it that due to the fire red colour of its rocks), Pylaia, Stambalia, Bank of the Gods, Ichthyoessa (Lady of the Fishes, due to the abundance of fish in the island’s seas).

• MYTHOLOGY

According to Greek mythology, Astypalaia and Europe were the daughters of Phoenix and Perimedes. From the union of Astypalaia and Poseidon, Agaeos, the Argonaut, and Evrypylus, the king of Kos, were born.

• HISTORY

The island of Astypalaia was first inhabited during the pre-historic years by the Kares and the Minoans. After this the Leleges established themselves there as some findings of earlier type installations attest (for example the violin-shaped figurine exhibited in the Astypalaia museum, some obsidian blades and a counter-clockwise spiral on the surface of the rock in Vathy). Also, the universally unique archaeological monument of the cemetery of Kylindra, where approxim. 2500 infants are buried in clay vessels, is said to have been established in that period.

• HELLENISTIC AND ROMAN AGE

During the Hellenistic period Astypalaia was used as the main port of the Ptolemies of Egypt. It became widely known because of its rich fishery product.

During the roman occupation Astypalaia gained many privileges, because by using many of the island’s ports as attacking bases, the Romans were able to effectively fight against piracy, which nevertheless established itself again during the Byzantine period. At that time, the island population moved to the inner area, the sea-side settlements were abandoned and castles were built to protect the inhabitants from pirate raids.

After 1204, the island came under Venetian rule and by 1537 it had been handed over to the Querini family. Then it came under Turkish rule, up until 1912, when it became part of Italy, and in 1948 it became part of Greece, like all the islands of the Dodecanese.

It is worth pointing out that Astypalaia is the only Greek island in the earth of which, from antiquity till today, snakes and scorpions have never been able to survive. There is a relevant reference in a work by Aristotle, which says: ‘The earth of Astypalaia is the enemy of the snakes’. Various sources try to set-out an explanation: for some the island is a passage for storks that exterminate snakes and scorpions, for others it is the fact of its earth’s high sulfur content, while many connect this phenomenon with the legend regarding Saint Anthimos’s curse before his death. He had said: ‘may there be no snakes in this here island, may the men be the snakes’.

Edited by: Yallou

The island of Astypalaia was the birthplace of many personalities during antiquity, among them, Phalaris, the tyrant of Agrigentum of Sicily, Onesicretus, the student of philosopher Diogenis, and Olympic medalist, Cleomedes, a boxer who was deprived of his victory in a boxing match due to his having killed his opponent. As soon as he returned to Astypalaia, in a fit of madness, he pulled down a supporting pillar, thus killing 60 students. Pursued by the residents of Astypalaia he closed himself in a trunk in the temple of Athena. When the inhabitants opened the trunk and did not find him in there, they appealed to the priestess of Delphi, who then advised them to honour him as an immortal.

• ARGIRIS KAMBOURIS

Argiris Kambouris, born on 24 January 1962, is an ex basketball player and current trainer. He is an emblematic personality of Olympiakos of Piraeus, and the most significant moment of his career was the 1987 Eurobasket tournament, in the context of which he scored the two last free throws of the final against the Soviet Union, and gave the National Greek team the cup. Over the last years he has worked for the Olympiakos club as a technical consultant.

• ANTHIMOS KAPSIS

Anthimos Kapsis (3/09/1950- ) is an ex international footballer who used to play in the position of centre-back (sweeper). He is the father of Mihalis Kapsis, who is also an ex international footballer.

• GIANNIS ADARTIS

Giannis Adartis was born in Astypalaia on 25 December 1944, but from being a small child he has lived in Leros. He studied as a civil engineer in Italy, in the University of Napoli, and later on returned to Leros, where he was self-employed. From a young age he delved into Leros’ community issues and he has taken on the role of president in cultural, social and athletic unions of the island. He was also president of the Leros State Rehabilitative Sanatorium at some point, and he also served as mayor of Leros for three four-year terms. His social work was honoured with the Golden Cross of the Dodecanesian Church of the Ecumenical Throne by Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew, as well as by UNICEF, and by the ex president of the U.S.A. George Bush, who gave him the title of ‘honorary citizen of the state of Texas’. He also wrote the book ‘Links of Life‘.

• NIKITAS KASTRINOS 

Traditional musician Nikitas Kastrinos was born on the island of Astypalaia to a poor family. Raised in a family with musical knowledge, as his grand-father played the lyra and his father had knowledge of the lute, they often all went to Hydra together and, with their music, accompanied the mechanics on their embarkation. But Nikitas wanted to learn the violin and he went to Rhodes to take lessons. Being the heart and soul of the local fairs, to honour him, the Municipal Conservatory of Astypalaia was named after him.

• IORDANIS MARKONIOS

Self-taught lute player Iordanis was born and raised in Symi, but settled in Astypalaia. His regular job was that of sponge-merchant, but his heart’s desire was music. With his lute, he accompanied Nikitas Kastrinos at local fairs and festivities.

Edited by: Yallou