BALADES A ANAFI

With its 18 km of signposted footpaths, the island of Anafi lends itself particularly well to hiking, and welcomes those who make the effort to discover it on foot. A trail guide is available on the island, with descriptions of the six most beautiful hikes. Excellent applications such as Alltrails allow you to find your way around with your Smartphone.

A must-do is the coastal path leading to the monastery of Zoodochos Pigi, offering excellent swimming opportunities. You can walk from Chora to Klisidi, then down to the beach (4 km, 1h 25). The walk between the Agii Anargiri Chapel and the Zoodochos Pigi Monastery (3.5 km, 1h) is a pleasant one. Alternatively, the path up to Kalamos Rock, the Gibraltar of the Aegean, is also a must. You can also discover the wilder north of the island by taking trail no. 5, which passes Anafi's highest point at Vigla, before descending to Simiakos Bay, home to a few Mediterranean seals.

Panaghia Dokari, Kastelli (2-hour walk). Outside the church is a Roman sarcophagus and the trunk of a statue from the same period. The lid of the sarcophagus is embedded in the façade of the church. All the island's beaches have fine sand. Everywhere, the sea is shallow, giving it a bright color reminiscent of the lagoons of the Pacific.

On the other beaches in the south, you don't need a vine leaf, as long as there are no houses near your towel. You can reach the most beautiful beaches by caique in 15 minutes, or after a 1-hour walk: Anafi, Mikros and Megalos Roukounas, 1 km long and with a taverna.

By boat, you can also reach Monastiri (30 minutes). From Roukounas, it's another 30-minute walk to Katelimatsa, a series of small sandy coves (taverna).

Continuingeastwards, you reach the gigantic deserted beach of Kalamos. Never go there without enough food and water, as you won't find anything for miles around, and the sun is beating down hard. Allow a good 2 hours to reach the port on foot. From the beach, a path leads to the monastery of Pano Kalamiotissa.

In season, small caiques cruise up and down the coast from the port to the beaches. Just hail them like cabs. Fares vary according to the number of passengers, your kindness and the distance covered. Very few caiques, however, go as far as Kalamos beach.