Is Nisyros Worth Visiting?

Nisyros formed, according to Greek myth, when Poseidon tore a chunk from the island of Kos and hurled it at a fleeing giant, and the island that resulted sits on one of the youngest active volcanoes in the Mediterranean, still steaming at its center some 160,000 years later.

Nisyros belongs to the Dodecanese, a short ferry ride from Kos, and its main draw sits at the Stefanos crater in the middle of the island, a caldera nearly four kilometers wide that visitors can walk directly into. The volcano hasn't erupted since 1888, but steam vents still release sulfurous fumes and the ground gives off real heat underfoot, an experience unlike anywhere else in Greece.

The hilltop village of Nikia sits directly above the crater with panoramic views, and its cobblestoned Porta square has been recognized as one of the best traditional squares in Europe. The Volcanological Museum nearby lays out the island's geology in detail. Mandraki, the port and largest village, centers on the Monastery of Panagia Spiliani, built partly into a cave overlooking the harbor, and the narrow lanes around it are lined with houses built from volcanic rock and insulated with pumice.

Fewer than 1,000 year-round residents keep the island light on tourist infrastructure, and local specialties reflect the volcanic soil directly, honey with an unusual flavor from the wild herbs that grow in it, and souma, a fig-based spirit distilled nowhere else in Greece. The fishing village of Pali on the north coast serves fresh catch along its harbor, and the ruins of Paleokastro, an ancient acropolis built from some of the hardest rock in the world, sit just outside Mandraki.

Nisyros has no airport, but ferries connect regularly from Kos, about an hour away, along with links to Rhodes, Tilos, Symi, and Piraeus. It suits travelers who want a real volcanic landscape and quiet island life, and at least two to three days let you take in the crater, villages, and coastline without rushing.