Alonnisos

Population: 2,750 (2011)

 

ISLAND OVERVIEW

 

Alonnisos is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. After Skiathos and Skopelos it is the third member of the Northern Sporades.  Alonnisos is also the name of a village on the island, as well as the municipality that encompasses the island and the village. The village of Alonnisos is located on the southern part of the island. It is locally known as Chora and signposted as ‘The Old Village’. The main port on the island is located in the southeast and is called Patitiri. There are ferry services from Patitiri to Volos, Agios Konstantinos, and Thessaloniki on the mainland and to the islands of Skiathos, Skopelos and Skyros. 

Alonissos is long and thin and surrounded by scattered islets. These islets and the area around them are the Marine Park which is the last refuge of the Mediterranean seal Monachus-monachus. The ruins of an ancient city can be found on Psathoura and the famous cave of the Cyclops is a cave decorated with multi-hued stalactites and stalagmites.

Alonissos once had a wine industry, but in 1950 the vines were struck with a disease which robbed the islanders of their livelihood. The main agricultural products are almonds, grapes, figs and olives. Pine trees are abundant on the island. While fishing is a popular profession on the island, tourism is now the main industry.

Crete mountain goat

The Island & Its History

 

click image to view in Google Maps

In ancient times the island was known as Icus to the Ancient Greeks. Under that name, it is mentioned as having been colonised by Cnossians. The fleet of Attalus and the Rhodians sailed past Scyrus to Icus.  Phanodemus wrote an account of the island. This accounts for the small fortress on the island built to protect against invading pirates. 

In 1965, a disastrous earthquake left the island in ruins. This event prompted the Junta then ruling Greece to dictate that the remaining islanders live in the rebuilt port of Patitri.  In recent times the old village has been rebuilt with houses for tourism.

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