Yacht charter Sailboats & Catamaran charter from Rhodes and sail to Chalki

NISYROS - VISIT AN ACTIVE VOLCANO WITH A SAILINGYACHT

view from tha old Nisyros castle northwards to GIALI
and Kos in the distance

NISYROS


Nisyros is located about 10 nm south of Kos-Kardamena and about 15 nm from the Kos Marina.


The small harbor of Mandraki is served by ferries and day trip boats.
Once they are gone in the evening, peace returns to the volcanic island.

The small harbor of Pali on the northeast corner of Nisyros is more interesting for sailors.

NISYROS PALI MARINA

 

Pali is the name of a small collection of houses on the  northeast coast of Nisyros.

The small fishing port was dredged and enlarged a few years ago and the entrance was moved from N to E, which means that you can now easily enter and find shelter even in the very frequent northerly winds!

In Pali you anchor at approx. 3-4m.
There is water and electricity on extra charge.
The harbor master of the Port Police comes over from Mandraki in the evenings and then sits in his office next to the restaurants and occasionally collects harbor fees. 


Pali port omn Nisyros

Be aware of  the shallow waters at the entrance:

uncharted sandbank entrance Pali Marina and port
Paloi port and harbor Nisyros

NISYROS MANDRAKI


Nisyros has 2 villages by the sea in Chorio, the upper village, some houses are spread over 2 hamlets.

Mandraki is by the sea. The day trip boats dock here. The harbor is completely open and can only be used for yachts in calm weather.

Nisyros Mandraki fortress

Mandraki has a few small shops; a few nice bars for sunset and a fortress; which you can see: during the day, excursion boats bring tourists from Kos-Kardamena and buses take them to the crater. In the afternoon, when the boats are gone, it becomes quiet, almost deserted. You can then relax and enjoy the sunset with a drink!

Nisyros village of Mandraki


About 3 nm north of Pali and Mandraki, exactly halfway to Kos-Kardamena, lies the small island of Giyali. This has some good sheltered anchorages on the south side against strong north winds.


So if you unexpectedly can't find a place on Nisyros in Pali when the wind is strong, you can shelter in place here. The island is a quarry for pumice stone, and it is somewhat "industrial", so it is no more than a stopgap measure if you want or need to avoid the long journey to Kos and have time to wait out the headwind.


The restaurants in Nisyros - Pali are all basic Greek.
So there is classic Greek cuisine: the innkeepers are always very nice and helpful. All have WiFi.


At Captain's House you can also rent mopeds to take a trip to the volcano.

Nisyros Taverna Captain´s House

Nisyros island is a volcano that, according to the legend of Poseidon, was torn down by Kos in a fit of rage and thrown into the sea. In fact, today Nisyros is one of the volcanoes that is constantly monitored seismologically, because it lies on a ridge in the Aegean Sea that extends from the Western Aegean Sea via Santorini all the way back out to the Dardanelles.

Volcano valley of Nisyros
Nisyros the big crater

TRIP TO THE VOLCANO



In the eastern Dodecanese and on the Turkish coast there are repeated, sometimes violent, earthquakes, and the explosive volcanic eruption of Thira, Santorini, has destroyed half of the Mediterranean.


The best way to visit the crater and Chorio is to rent a moped from Captain's House.


Attention: the tank is empty and you have to go to the gas station first and fill up 2-3 liters. The gas station is about halfway towards Mandraki - there is only one coastal road.


You can then take a moped up the mountain and into the crater, even climbing down to the soft rock. It smells of sulfur there and it's a scary feeling. In addition to the large main crater, there are a total of 3 smaller craters, and smaller eruptions last occurred in the 1990s. Access is subject to a fee. The information boards there are highly recommended!


Then on the way back you visit the two small villages, called Chorio. The one on the left is very impressive because there is a tavern there that has a balcony into the crater and you can see everything again from above.