Visiting Alonissos 2025: Everything you need to know
Alonissos isn’t flashy. It doesn’t trade in grand landmarks or curated Instagram backdrops. What it offers is something harder to market but infinitely more valuable – a sense of place.
It’s a living island where people still fish before sunrise, olive trees still grow wild on crumbling terraces, and conversations with locals still happen without transactional intent. You don’t come here to be entertained — you come here to adjust your rhythm.
Geographically, it’s the farthest flung of the inhabited Sporades islands, and that distance has preserved it — not frozen in time, but allowed it to evolve without the forced choreography of mass tourism. You won’t find mega-resorts or cocktail menus printed in five languages. What you will find are pine-scented walking trails that lead to nowhere in particular, tavernas where the house wine actually is made by someone’s uncle and a port town that wakes up slowly, like everything else on the island.
Alonissos doesn’t cater to a checklist. Its best offerings aren’t packaged or posted — they’re experienced in motion: watching a monk seal dart beneath a boat, stumbling across a ruined chapel in the hills, or hearing cicadas echo through the empty lanes of the old village just after dusk. It’s a place that invites you to look longer, ask fewer questions, and leave without feeling the need to explain why it meant something to you.
Getting to Alonissos
There is no airport here—and that’s not an inconvenience; it’s an invitation to those who are willing to make the extra effort for a more unique experience. To many people, the trip to Alonissos is a transition, a deliberate slowing down. To a lot of people, though, it’s hot, sweaty and a bit of a pain.
Flying In
Most travellers land in Skiathos, which has a small but well-connected airport that serves direct flights from Athens and several European cities in the summer. From there, ferries leave daily for Alonissos, stopping at Skopelos along the way. The fastest ferry gets you there in under 90 minutes, but if you take the slower one, you’ll be rewarded with great views and expensive ferry coffee.
Alternatively, you can reach Volos, a port city on the mainland, from Athens (about four hours by KTEL bus), then take a ferry directly to Alonissos, but that is a much longer boat ride.
Ferries and island-hopping
During high season, ferries also run between Alonissos and other Sporades islands like Skyros, Skopelos, and Evia, making it ideal for a multi-island itinerary. Just keep in mind that timetables are seasonal (which means mind-numbingly inconsistent) — always double-check before committing to connections.
Getting Around: Car, walk or bus
Once you’re on the island, there are a few ways to get around — each shaping the experience in its own way.
• Make no mistake about it: car rentals are best. If you want to find the most remote beaches or climb into the hills. The roads are winding and occasionally rough, especially to off-grid spots like Vithisma Beach or Micros Mourtias, but that’s half the fun.
• Scooters and e-Bikes give a sense of freedom and are popular with younger travellers or those who want to avoid parking drama in August. But my god, it’s hard work.
• Local buses run frequently in high season, connecting Patitiri, Chora, Steni Vala, and some beaches. They’re about as reliable as you can expect for a small Greek island, so don’t expect Google Maps to have the schedules — just ask around or check the board in the port.
• Taxis are available, though limited in number.
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Villages with soul
Patitiri: The Port and the Pulse
The island’s entry point is functional but charming — a small harbour town with pastel buildings clinging to the cliffs, a decent selection of tavernas, and a couple of low-key cocktail bars that come alive after sunset. The Alonissos museum, housed in a massive stone building, is surprisingly eclectic — with everything from pirate relics to rare historical photos.
It’s certainly a bit more rough a ready and certainly not the most picturesque part of the island, but you’ll find good meze and a cold drink, that’s for sure.
Chora: All the charm
Up in the hills sits the Old Village (Chora), once abandoned after a 1965 earthquake but now lovingly restored. Cobbled alleys snake past traditional homes, wildflowers spill from doorsteps, and bougainvillaea riots on every corner. At night, this place glows — a few dimly lit tavernas and bars serve up fresh seafood, rosé, and sweeping views. For many, this is the soul of the island.
Make no mistake about it: the village is the place to be in the evening.
Steni Vala and Kalamakia: Life by the sea
These small fishing villages on the east coast are where time slows even more. Steni Vala is known for its seaside tavernas and proximity to the Marine Park, while Kalamakia is the place to go for lobster spaghetti and octopus drying on lines. Both offer understated, authentic Greek island life.
Wild Nature and the deep blue
The National Marine Park of Alonissos
This isn’t just any marine park — it’s the largest in Europe and home to the endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus). Boat tours can take you into the restricted zones around Kyra Panagia, Peristera, and other uninhabited islands, where you’ll spot dolphins, seabirds, and (if you’re very lucky) a seal or two sunning itself on a hidden beach.
Diving and snorkelling here is otherworldly — except for ancient amphorae, sunken vessels, and surreal visibility. The Peristera shipwreck recently opened to divers, is a 5th-century BC merchant ship lying on the seabed, complete with thousands of clay jars.
Beaches: Quiet, clear, unpretentious
• Agios Dimitrios: A long, curved pebble beach that looks like it was built for postcards. No beach bars, no loud music — just umbrellas, clarity, and calm.
• Chrisi Milia: One of the few sandy beaches, great for families or anyone wanting easier access and shallow waters. This beach also has one of the best tavernas on the island.
• Kokkinokastro: Translating to “Red Castle”, this dramatic beach beneath rust-coloured cliffs also hides ancient ruins. Great snorkeling spot.
• Leftos Gialos and Megalos Mourtias: Picture-perfect with a couple of chic beach tavernas that don’t kill the vibe.
Where to Stay: From chic to rustic
Boutique Hotels
• Marpunta Resort: Set in a former fishing village layout with its own beach and infinity views. Ideal for couples or families who want amenities without losing that Greek island charm.
• Althea Traditional Hotel: Tucked into the slopes of the Old Village, Althea strikes the perfect balance between simplicity and serenity. The rooms are light-filled, unpretentious, and finished in a minimalist Greek style. Some come with private terraces or plunge pools — but the real luxury is waking up to panoramic views over the Aegean, high above the sea’s morning haze. The walk into Chora’s winding alleys is just steep enough to feel earned.
• Aletri Boutique Swim Up Hotel: Just on the edge of Chora, Aletri is for travellers who want something secluded but not disconnected. The design is raw and elemental — stone, wood, neutral palettes — and each suite backs onto a lagoon-like pool that winds its way across the property. It’s understated but clever, luxurious without being loud. You’re close enough to wander into town, but far enough to feel like you’ve stepped sideways out of time.
Guesthouses & Villas
If you’re after intimacy and character, go for one of the traditional Chora guesthouses or seafront villas near Steni Vala. Many are run by locals who’ll point you toward hidden beaches or let you taste homemade tsipouro.
Things To Do
• Hiking: The island is laced with well-marked trails — from coastal walks to pine-forest climbs. The Alonissos Hiking Club has maps and tips for all levels.
• Festivals: From panigiria (religious feasts with dancing and free food) to low-key music nights in Chora, Alonissos does celebration quietly, but meaningfully.
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The Takeaway: Alonissos is for those who stay awhile
It’s not the place you go to “tick off” in a rush. Alonissos is for travellers, not tourists — for those who prefer real over flashy, quiet over loud, and wild over curated. If you stay long enough, the island opens up to you. It becomes a feeling you’ll want to chase long after you’ve left.