Alonissos Beaches: Kokkinokastro, Agios Dimitrios & Leftos Gialos
Most beaches on Alonissos are small pebble coves, with a few sandier exceptions at Kokkinokastro, Chrisi Milia and Vythisma. Many are unorganised, with no sunbeds or umbrellas, so pine trees supply the shade and it pays to carry your own water to the remoter coves. A large part of the island's roads are unpaved, and several beaches are easiest to reach by boat. Alonissos has no official nudist beach, but naturists gather at quiet spots such as Kokkinokastro, Vythisma and Agalou Lakka, mainly outside the high season.
- Beaches
- Mostly pebble
- Most popular
- Agios Dimitrios
- Sandiest
- Chrisi Milia
- Nudist beaches
- None official
Kokkinokastro
Kokkinokastro is a mixed pebble-and-sand beach with clear blue water, named after the red rocks that surround it. Kokkino means red in Greek. The beach sits on the site of the ancient capital Ikos, ringed by red cliffs and pine forest. It is said that if you swim out far enough you can see the ruins of an old town under the water. Opposite lies the islet of Vrachos, believed once to have been joined to Alonissos, and the neighbouring bay is called Vythisma, which means sunken. There is no tavern or bar, so bring a snack and something to drink. You reach it by boat in 20 minutes from the port, or by car about 6.5 km from Patitiri. The island has no official nudist beach, but you may find a few naturists here.
Agios Dimitrios
Agios Dimitrios is probably the most popular beach on Alonissos and one of the prettiest. It is a large triangular pebble beach in the north-east, facing the island of Peristera, 14 km from Patitiri. A beach bar built mainly from driftwood stands on the sand, though drinks are not served cold until July when visitor numbers rise. Sunbeds are for hire on the south side, where you should watch out for sea urchins. The north side is quieter but can gather some rubbish. Road access has improved recently over what was once a dirt track. The beach is named after a monastery, now destroyed, whose remains sit beside the main road.
Leftos Gialos
Leftos Gialos is usually a quiet white-pebble beach with clear blue water. Two taverns stay open until late at night, serving local dishes and drinks at reasonable prices. Some sunbeds on the beach are free if you buy a drink at the bar, though not all of them are. You drive there in about 10 minutes, 7.5 km from Patitiri, or arrive by boat in 40 minutes. Organised excursion boats bound for Skopelos and Skiathos sometimes stop here so their guests can swim, which makes the beach busier for a while.
Chrisi Milia
Chrisi Milia is a long sandy beach on the east side of Alonissos. The water stays shallow for the first 20 metres, so it is easy to wade in and ideal for small children. It lies next to Milia beach, which has more gravel. The beach is about 5 km north-east of Patitiri, reached by car, bike, on foot, or by boat in 15 minutes. The walk of 30 to 40 minutes runs partly through pine forest. A small taverna serves the beach, umbrellas and sunbeds are for rent, and the trees add shade. Water sports run here in high season.
Milia
Milia is a scenic beach of coloured pebbles and sand with clear blue water, on the way to Chrisi Milia. Pine forest and pretty rocks surround it, and the shallow water is safe for small children. It counts among the most scenic beaches on Alonissos. Milia lies about 5 km north-east of Patitiri, reached by car, bike, on foot, or by boat in 15 minutes. There are no sunbeds, umbrellas or other facilities. For shade, food or a drink, walk to neighbouring Chrisi Milia.
Votsi
Votsi is a small shingle bay in the settlement of the same name, 1 km north of Patitiri. The walk from Patitiri harbour takes about 20 minutes. Marble formations streaked with red descend into clear emerald water where a few fishing boats float. The little beach has room for only a handful of visitors, and there are no sunbeds or umbrellas, though the cliff and overhanging trees give some shade at certain hours. You reach it by stone steps down from the main road. Opposite lies a picturesque little harbour with traditional fish taverns and moored fishing boats.
Steni Vala
Steni Vala is a large, narrow pebble beach beside a small village on the north-east side, about 12 km from Patitiri. Its pebbles are quite large, and it looks across to the island of Peristera. Sunbeds and umbrellas are for rent in high season, and shrubs rather than trees surround most of the beach. A small hut on the shore houses the Monk Seal Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre. The village has taverns, cafés and rooms to rent, with luxury villas in the wider area. It has grown into a small resort, yet most residents still live from fishing.
Megali Ammos
Megali Ammos is the most isolated stretch of the north side and the name of a whole area of wild natural beauty, not a single beach. It is neither big nor sandy, but holds a few unspoiled coves. You reach it by jeep or motorbike because the road is rough, about 5 km from Patitiri. This north-western corner also takes in Tsakalia, Gialia, Vrisitsa and Mikros Mourtias, along with small private coves. Facilities are few, so bring your own water and food if you come to explore.
Marpounta
Marpounta lies at the extreme south of Alonissos, just below Vythisma, about 3 km from Patitiri and a 20-minute walk. It consists of two beaches of golden sand and small pebbles on either side of a small peninsula, both hemmed by a white cliff. The larger beach has sunbeds, umbrellas, water sports and several tavernas. It is also the site of the large Marpunta hotel and bungalow complex, which is popular with Italian visitors. Marpounta gets busy in July and August. For more peace, head to nearby Mikro Mourtias or Megalos Mourtias.
Tsoukalia
Tsoukalia is a pebbly beach on the western side of Alonissos, south of Megali Ammos, where swimmers occasionally find pieces of ancient pottery. The site once held ancient workshops that made amphorae for the wine trade, and some fragments here date from 400 B.C. A large part of the surroundings is now a protected archaeological site. The sand is greyish, mixed with white pebbles, and the water is clear. The beach sits in a bay ringed by pine trees, reached by car along a dirt path, and it is usually quiet. There are no sunbeds or taverns, and a four-storey old windmill stands right beside the beach.
Tzortzi Gialos
Tzortzi Gialos is the next beach along from Kokkinokastro, sharing its shallow water, gentle slope and blue-green colour. A tavern serves the beach, which you reach by boat or by car, 6.5 km from Patitiri, with the last stretch dropping through pine forest. It is popular in July and August. The long, narrow beach sits in a protected cove among cypress and olive trees, with no high waves, so it is good for snorkelling. The first 30 metres into the sea stay shallow, which suits families with small children. There are no umbrellas or sunbeds, but the trees give shade.
Roussom Gialos
Roussom Gialos is a small bay beside the Ikion hotel, between Patitiri and Votsi, and the nearest beach for a swim. A café and three taverns serve fresh fish and seafood around a pretty little harbour. The beach is not fully organised, though some sunbeds and umbrellas are for rent in season. It lies 1 km from Patitiri, with sand and small white pebbles and clear greenish water, sheltered from the wind so the waves never run high. In the Turkish period this was the port where Alonissos wine was traded and taxed, and the name Roussom comes from the Turkish word for tax.
Glyfa
Glyfa is the nearest swimming beach to Steni Vala and the local spot for water sports. It sits on the north side of Steni Vala, about 12 km from Patitiri, near a village with hotels, tavernas, mini markets and a camp site. The beach is fairly large, with sand and small pebbles and clear water. You reach it by car, with a large car park close by, or by bus from Patitiri in about 20 minutes. The green surroundings are not yet overcrowded, a couple of tavernas serve the beach, and sunbeds and umbrellas are for rent. In high season small boats run from here to other beaches and nearby islands.
Agios Petros
Agios Petros is a quiet beach on the east of Alonissos, a 15-minute walk (1 km) from the village of Steni Vala, which has a supermarket and several tavernas. From Patitiri, 10 km away, a bus runs to Steni Vala, and the beach is reachable on foot, by car or by boat. It sits in a protected bay surrounded by hills and a row of pine trees, a pleasant strand of pebbles with some patches of sand. There are no facilities on the beach itself, but the pines offer shade in the afternoon. It is named after a Byzantine church of Agios Petros, whose remains stand on the hill above.
Yialia
Yialia, also written Gialia, is a small beach of flat stones and dark sand on the north side of Alonissos. It lies in a bay near Vrisitsa beach and is flanked by a restored windmill where you can sometimes buy a refreshment. You reach it by car or on foot from Chora over what was an unpaved road, now surfaced with a new asphalt road, about 4 km from Chora and a 20 to 30 minute walk. There are some rocks in the sea, the north-side location can catch the wind, and a spring keeps the water quite cold. It is a picturesque beach to visit, though there are better choices for a long day of sunbathing.
Megalos Mourtias
Megalos Mourtias is a pebble beach with clear blue-green water in the south-west of Alonissos, next to Vithisma. You reach it by car or bike from the old village, about 6 km from Patitiri. Three taverns serve lunch and drinks. It is a busy beach, prized for its beauty, calm clear sea and its closeness to old Alonissos and Patitiri, and it is a favourite of Chora residents who can walk down to it. The shallow, sheltered water is easy to enter and safe for children. Umbrellas and sunbeds are for rent, olive trees add shade, and the beach is popular for snorkelling.