Is Donoussa Worth Visiting?

Donoussa covers just 13 square kilometers and counts around 160 year-round residents, yet even a brief stop on the ferry between Naxos and Amorgos is enough to explain why this small stretch of the Aegean keeps pulling people back.

Donoussa sits in the Small Cyclades, between Naxos and Amorgos, and Greek mythology ties it to Dionysus, said to have hidden Ariadne here after Theseus left her on Naxos. Stavros, also called Kambos, is the island's only real village and port, a cluster of white and blue houses that holds every taverna, shop, and room for rent on the island, and the Church of Timios Stavros, built in 1902, anchors the waterfront.

Kedros beach, a short walk from Stavros, draws the most visitors for its calm water and beachside tavernas, while Livadi, reachable mainly by boat or a longer hike, stays undeveloped, popular with campers and known as a nudist-friendly stretch of sand. Off the northern coast, boat trips run to two sea caves, Fokospilia, once home to Mediterranean monk seals, and a second cave near Kalotaritissa lined with stalactites, and divers can explore the wreck of the Orion, a German warship sunk near Kedros during World War Two.

Five marked trails cross the island's mountainous interior, connecting Stavros to the villages of Mersini and Kalotaritissa through old farmhouses and rural chapels. There's no airport and little need for a car given the island's size, so the only way in is by ferry, either direct from Piraeus in around seven hours or the local Express Skopelitis boat connecting from Naxos or Amorgos in roughly one to two hours.

Donoussa suits travelers who want real quiet, hiking, and beaches without organized facilities or crowds attached. Two to three days covers its villages and trails comfortably, and its pace tends to hold onto people longer than they planned to stay.