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Schinoussa & Iraklia: Further Down The Line

September 22, 2021 /

Schinoussa

Whoever invented retsina deserves a medal. Whoever had the idea of drinking retsina to accompany fish was inspired, and deserves a medal. If the two were the same person, they should be made a saint.

A few short hours after arriving on Schinoussa we are not only doing both, but we are doing it in a sun drenched beach bar where the tamarisk trees border the sand, the sun glints on the surface of the water, and just a handful of people share our space. There can’t be too many better feelings than this.

Clear waters of Schinoussa

Not long ago when we were being windswept on Astypalea and needing sweatshirts to deal with the evening chill on Amorgos, it was as if the seasons were changing. Suddenly, first on Koufonissi and now more so here, Grecian summer has returned, with hot days and balmy evenings, cloudless skies and not a breath of the Meltemi wind which plagued us back then. Our ferry crossing to Schinoussa is on a mill pond of a sea.

Messaria village

Just like the first impression of Koufonissi was the colour of the sea, what hits us first on Schinoussa is the tranquility. With no Meltemi to pound the ears, this under populated, understated, under developed backwater island is a haven of peace. Our rural setting, on the edge of the chora, Panagia, up above the port, is a place of stillness and silence interrupted only by birdsong and an occasional distant jangling of goats’ bells. The motionless air is filled with the heady scent of scorched vegetation and hot pines.

Our temporary home on Schinoussa
  • Such a cute house
  • Chilling out
  • View from our terrace

To describe Schinoussa as low key would be an understatement, this place is as laid back as it gets even in Panagia where just a few tavernas host what chatter exists. It is a perfect retreat. How long it remains so would be interesting to monitor, because there are a lot of individual plots being developed on the island, not just around Panagia but also in prestige and remote seafront locations.

  • Panagia
  • Panagia
  • Panagia
  • Panagia

These developments are already changing the face of Schinoussa, and as we try to walk its footpaths we are continually thwarted by newly built walls, fences and other barricades with which new landowners have staked their claim to boundaries. The walking map kindly provided by our hosts is, to quote Douglas Adams, at worst apocryphal and at best wildly inaccurate. It’s impossible to walk what used to be the coast path.

But for now, Schinoussa is a tranquil, relaxing location which has a wonderfully calming effect on the spirit. If you are in need of a spiritual reboot, Schinoussa is your refuge, for now at least. Who knows what its future holds.

Looking across to our next Island

Iraklia

Schinoussa to our next destination Iraklia is our shortest ferry crossing yet, with our last trip on the Express Skopelitis being a matter of just 10 minutes port to port. We have in fact been able to clearly see Iraklia (aka Heraklia) and even its port from our Schinoussa house.

Agios Giorgos Village, Iraklia

The day we move on to Iraklia constitutes a milestone; this is Day 64 of our trip and thus becomes our longest adventure since we started travelling. We never envisaged that our retirement travels would see us spending so much time in one country and we always pictured crossing many borders on every trip, but it’s been our way of getting round the pandemic restrictions. Maybe our next trip will see a bit more freedom.

  • Agios Giorgos, Iraklia
  • Agios Giorgos, Iraklia
  • Agios Giorgos, Iraklia

Our base on Iraklia is the small port village of Agios Giorgos, from where a 30-minute walk brings us to the beach at Livadia (yet another Livadia), surprisingly undeveloped despite its huge stretch of golden sand and beautiful calm clear water.

Livadi, Iraklia

Ferry schedules dictate that our stay on Iraklia is just 44 hours, so with such limited time at our disposal we set ourselves just a single target: to hike to the cave of Agios Ioannis. The trail to the cave is fantastic in its own right, following loose stone donkey paths through the undulating hills with the gorgeous blue Aegean appearing both left and right as the panoramas shift.

Trekking to the cave, Iraklia
Path to the cave

The cave itself is startling. Stalactites and stalagmites reach into the darkness, moss grows and hangs in weird shapes. Rock formations loom out of the darkness sometimes like overbearing statues, sometimes like ghostly apparitions. As our eyes adjust to the dark, shapes take on forms… the pipes of a church organ, the ribs of a giant mammal, the face of an ancient deity.

Cave of Agios Ioannis
  • Phil leading the way
  • In the depths of the cave

Crystals in the rock formations glint in the light of our head torches like precious stones; the deeper we wander, the more we see. It’s so stimulating to wander deep into this cavern after crawling through the tiny entrance, completely alone, just the two of us in this mysterious dark world buried beneath the mountain. In the entire walk from Panagia to the cave and back, we don’t see a single person: the day, and the experience, is just ours.

  • Agios Ioannis
  • Agios Ioannis
  • Agios Ioannis
  • Agios Ioannis

Back at Livadi, we wash off the dust and the sweat in the cleansing seas, basking in the thoughts of just where we have been today.

Livadi, Iraklia

Darkness has fallen by the time we head out to a taverna we’d spotted earlier on the edge of Agios Giorgos where the grill is an outdoor wood fire. As we await our food, the terrace fills with more and more locals, tables pulled over and thrown together until over a dozen villagers sit chatting around the large makeshift table. 

An old guy pulls out his guitar and so starts the singing of what must be traditional Greek folk songs, the whole gang joining in and the ladies taking turns to dance. We are whipped up in the atmosphere, the guitarist engages us in the fun by playing a couple of Beatles songs for us to sing along. The barrel wine flows all too freely and we know as our evening unfolds that it’s just one of those brilliant travel nights that will live in the memory for ever.

We may have had just 44 hours on Iraklia, but it’s been eventful.

Iraklia countryside

Take a look at the 2 slideshows below

Schinoussa Slideshow

  • View from our house on Schinoussa
  • Panagia village oven built in 1885
  • Old water troughs

Iraklia Gallery

  • Sun-dried mackerel
  • Agios Giorgos beach, Iraklia
  • Agios Giorgos village hub
  • Iraklia
  • Altar inside Agios Ioannis cave
  • Leaving the cave

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