Nisyros

Nisyros announces itself from the sea: a grey volcanic cone rising alone out of the Aegean, its bare slopes streaked with ochre and red. The crossing from Kos is by small ferry, docking at the pretty harbour of Mandraki, from which the winding road climbs toward the rim of the crater. Then the descent into it begins on foot. The floor of the Stefanos crater is a great bowl of sulphur-yellow earth, cracked and steaming, with vents hissing out the breath of the volcano. It is possible to walk right across the middle of a live volcanic crater — a rare and humbling thing. Evenings belong to the white alleys of Mandraki, where the houses climb toward the castle of the Knights, and to grilled fish in a harbour taverna as the light turns pink. The island is small and quiet, wrapped around its sleeping giant, and its silence is part of its power. Nisyros is one of the great day trips of the Greek islands — and one of the great overnights too.

Nisyros is a young volcano, born of the sea by a series of eruptions; the last of its four recorded eruptions filled the caldera in 1888, and the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program classes it as active but not erupting. The ancient Greeks knew the island well — myth held that Poseidon had torn a piece of Kos and thrown it at the giant Polybotes, and the island was sacred to him. Nisyros was settled from the Neolithic, and in antiquity its towns — including the ancient city whose walls and acropolis crown the hill above Mandraki — prospered from trade and its famous volcanic stone. The island passed through Byzantine, Genoese, and Venetian hands, and the castle that dominates Mandraki was built by the Knights of Saint John in the 14th century. Under Ottoman rule Nisyros enjoyed a degree of autonomy, and it became a centre of sponge fishing and pottery. After Italian rule from 1912, the island was united with Greece in 1948. Today Nisyros is known above all for its volcano — one of the few places in the world where you can walk into a crater of an active volcano — and for its slow, traditional way of life.

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: "It was also called Porphyris because of the purple shells in it". (Ethnica, s.v. Νίσυρος).

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.

Nisyros is a volcanic island, and its beaches reflect it: mostly small, dark, and gathered in coves around the coast. Lientis, the main beach near Mandraki, has dark sand and a couple of tavernas. Chochlaki, near the village of the same name, is a fine pebble beach with crystal water. The coves of Avlaki, Agia Irini, and Pali are quiet and good for snorkelling. And the tiny beach of Agios Savvas, on the far side, is a hidden strip of black sand that few visitors find. The water around Nisyros is deep, clear, and often surprisingly warm — the volcanic rock absorbs the heat of the sun. Bring water shoes, and expect a beach experience that is wilder and more natural than the manicured sands of the big islands.

Nisyros has no large tourist infrastructure, and its food is accordingly honest and local. The island is known for its seafood — grilled fish and octopus caught in the deep, clear waters of the caldera coast — and for its goat dishes, slow-cooked in the volcanic earth's shadow with wine and wild herbs. The local cheeses, made from goat's and sheep's milk, are fresh and tangy, and the island's thyme honey is superb. The volcanic soil produces excellent wine, and the island's small tavernas in Mandraki and Nikia serve a fine local table: fish, greens, cheese, honey, and a glass of wine on a terrace above the sea. For a taste of Nisyros' volcanic terroir, ask for the local wine and the fried goat's cheese — and let the evening take its course.

May, June, and September are the best months on Nisyros: warm, quiet, and green, with the craters cool enough to walk and the sea perfect for swimming. July and August are hotter, but the island's height keeps it fresher than the low-lying neighbours, and the crowds are small. Spring covers the island in wildflowers, and the caldera, ringed with green, is at its most beautiful. Autumn lingers warm into October. Nisyros rewards those who stay overnight: by evening, when the day-trippers have gone back to Kos, the island returns to its silent, volcanic self.

Nisyros has no airport: the island is reached by ferry from Kos, a crossing of about an hour with several sailings a day in summer, and by smaller seasonal boats from the surrounding islands.

Most visitors come as a day trip from Kos, but staying overnight in Mandraki is highly recommended. A scooter or car makes exploring the craters and villages easy, though the road to Nikia is steep and winding. Walk down into the Stefanos crater (the path is easy, but wear sturdy shoes and carry water — the heat and sulphur are real), and remember that the ground can be hot under the sun. Visit the monastery of Panagia Spiliani for its views, and the castle for its history. The hot springs at Loutra, near Mandraki, are the island's final gift — a warm, mineral-rich soak by the sea.