Astypalaia

Astypalaia is shaped like a butterfly — two wings of land joined by a narrow waist — and its little port town, Skala, sits in the hinge. From the ferry it is seen first: the Chora rising on its hill, a crown of white houses and windmills beneath the great grey bulk of the Venetian castle. The climb to that hill in the first evening light, through alleys that could be from a Cycladic island, ends among the windmills as the light turns gold. The castle of the Querini family commands the summit, and from its walls the whole island unfolds below — two coasts, two seas, a line of blue to the horizon. Astypalaia belongs to the Dodecanese administratively, but its heart is Cycladic: whitewashed streets, blue shutters, and a calm that is rare in the islands. The days run to swimming at Livadi and at Agios Konstantinos, to grilled fish by the harbour at Skala, and to an afternoon watching the goats graze among the ruins of the ancient city near the castle. It is an island for slow days, long swims, and sunsets from the windmills — and it stays with anyone long after they leave.

Astypalaia has been inhabited since at least the Bronze Age, and its name is ancient — myth holds that it was named for Astypalaia, the daughter of Phoenix and the beloved of Poseidon, who gave her the island. In antiquity it was a trading island with the town of Astypalaia near today's Chora, and it later passed through the hands of Rhodes, Rome, and Byzantium. Its most distinctive chapter began in 1207, when the island was granted to the Venetian Querini family, who built the castle that still crowns the hill and ruled Astypalaia as a fief for nearly three centuries, until the Ottomans took it in the early 16th century. Under the Ottomans the island maintained a degree of autonomy, and it prospered from trade, sponge fishing, and shipping. In 1912 it came under Italian control with the rest of the Dodecanese and was united with Greece in 1948. Today Astypalaia is prized as one of the least touristed islands of the region — a place where the old Cycladic-Dodecanese way of life survives almost intact.

The name is recorded by Stephanus of Byzantium in the sixth century AD. His Ethnica is not a book of stories but a dictionary of Greek place-names, and for this one it says: "Then it was called 'the table of the gods' because of its flowering". "It was called after Astypalaia, mother of Ankaeos". (Ethnica, s.v. Ἀστυπάλαια).

That is the whole of what an ancient source has to say about how the place got its name. It is a shorter answer than the guidebooks give, and it is the only one with a source behind it.

Astypalaia's beaches are small, clear, and mostly unspoiled. Livadi, directly below the Chora, is the classic family beach: a long stretch of sand and pebbles with tamarisk shade and a couple of tavernas. Agios Konstantinos, around the corner to the west, is a beautiful organised beach backed by white cliffs. On the eastern wing of the butterfly, Maltezana and the long beach of Schinontas are the best — shallow, calm, and nearly always quiet. The most photogenic coves are on the north coast, where Kaminakia and Tzamaki offer perfect strips of sand between rocks, often empty even in August. And at the far ends of the island, Vatses and the little bays near the Vathy settlement feel like the Greek islands of fifty years ago. Bring water shoes and your own umbrella; Astypalaia is not a place of beach clubs, and that is precisely its charm.

Astypalaian food is honest island cooking with a touch of the Cyclades. The sea provides the daily catch — grilled fish, octopus, and the tiny fried shrimps that appear on every menu — and the island's kitchen makes the most of its own produce: goat and lamb from the hills, olive oil from the island's groves, and the local cheese, especially the firm tuloumi cheese that is made on the island and eaten fried or grilled. The wild capers that grow on the cliffs are pickled and served with everything, and the island's honey, dark and thyme-scented, is a favourite souvenir. The tavernas of Skala and Livadi serve the classic dishes of the Dodecanese — pitaridia pasta, seafood, and the local sweets — with a view of the harbour and the patience of an island that lives at its own pace.

May, June, and September are the best months on Astypalaia: warm, sunny, and wonderfully quiet, with the sea perfect for swimming. July and August are busier, but Astypalaia is off the main tourist routes and never feels crowded — the beaches stay calm and the Chora keeps its serenity. Spring brings green hills and wildflowers, and autumn lingers warm into October. The island is at its most beautiful in the golden light of late afternoon, when the windmills cast long shadows over the white houses.

Astypalaia is reached by ferry from Piraeus, a crossing of about nine hours, and by seasonal flights from Athens. In summer there are also ferry connections from Amorgos, Kalymnos, Kos and Rhodes, which suit an island-hopping itinerary.

The island has few cars, and a scooter is the perfect way to explore its two wings — the roads are quiet and the distances are short. Climb to the Querini Castle in the late afternoon for the light, and be at the windmills for sunset. Take a boat trip to the offshore islets of Kounoupoi and Ofidoussa if one is running, and to the remote coves of the north coast. Bring cash — the island's small tavernas and shops do not always accept cards — and allow yourself to slow down: Astypalaia is an island that gives nothing to hurry.