Anafi travel guide

The encouraging thing about peripheral Greece is that the local populace is friendly and famous for its hospitality. Young and old alike look you straight in the eye and greet you with a smile as you wander through the narrow streets of the capital Chora (pronounced Hora) which is above on the top of the hill overlooking the port of Agios Nikolaos. A municipal bus goes from the port to the capital six times a day on a half hour trip.

There are two village squares at Hora, a large and small one, the smallest of the two has a magical view of the sea especially at dusk and the larger one is nearer the centre of the village where one will find a few places to eat and drink the local fare. There are a total of 12 places to dine on the island. Hora itself is built in the traditional style of the Cyclades which means roads are very narrow; vehicles cannot be driven in the village centre so walking is the norm. This was done for two main reasons throughout the Cyclades, a/ it was easier to defend against pirates and b/ it offers safe haven from the high winds on the islands. Apart from the taverns, there is a post office, a medical centre with the doctor’s office, a couple of mini-markets, a baker, a grocer, a few cafes and the ever present souvenir shops.