Kasos

Map of Kasos

Kasos, the southrnmost Dodecanese island with 66km² and 1.100 inhabitants, less than 48km northeast of Crete, is very much off the beaten tourist track. Eever since 1824, when an Egyptian fleet punished Kasos for its active participation in the Greek revolution by slaughtering most of the 11.000 Kassiots, the island has remained barren and depopulated. Sheer gorges slash through lunar terrain relieved only by fenced smallholdings of midget olive trees. Spring grain crops briefly soften usually fallow terraces, and livestock somehow survives on a thin furze of scrub. The remaining population occupies five villages facing Karpathos, leaving most of the island uninhabited and uncultivated , with crumbling old houses poignantly recalling better days.

The capital of Kasos, Fry, is halfway along the island's north coast, with views towards northwest Karpathos. It's a low-key little place, with most of its appeal concentrated in the Bouka fishing port, protected by two crab-claws of breakwater and overlooked by Ayios Spyridhon cathedral. Inland, Fry is engagingly unpretentious, even down-at-heel in spots. There are few concessions to tourism, though some attempts have been made to prettify a scruffy little town that's quite desolate out of season.

Fry

There's no beach in Fry itself. What's generally regarded as the town beach is the sandy cove at Ammoua, a half-hour walk along the coastal track west, beyond the airstrip.

Determined swimmers also use the little patch of sand at Emborios, 15 minute-walk east from Fry, where there's also a more private pebble stretch off to the right. Once you've got this far, however, it's worth continuing ten minutes along the shore, first along an old track, then a path past the last house, for a final scramble to the base of the Pouthena ravine, which cradles another secluded pebble cove.

In high season, boat excursions head to far better beaches on two islets visible to the northwest, Armathia and Makra. Armathia has five white sand beaches to choose from, while Makra has just one large cove.

  

Armathia

Ayia Marina and around

Several villages are scattered around the edges of the agricultural plain inland from Fry, linked to each other by road. All can be toured on foot in a single day. Larger and yet more rural than Fry, Ayia Marina, 1500m inland and uphill, is best admired from the south, arrayed above olive groves. Its two belfried churches are the focus of lively festivals, on July 16-17 and September 13-14. Fifteen minutes beyond the hamlet of Kathistres, a further 500m southwest, the cave of Ellinokamara has a late Classical, polygonal wall blocking the entrance. It may have bee a cult shrine or tomb complex.

Ayioy Yeoryiou Handion

Between Ayia Marina and Arvanitohori, a paved road veers southwest towards the rural monastery of Ayioy Yeoryiou Handion. The entire route is 12km.

Transportation

Kasos

By air: The island's airport, 1km west of Fry, is connected to Karpathos(1-2 daily), Rhodes(1-2 daily) and Crete(Sitia)(1-2 daily).

By ferry: The island's port, Fry, is connected with: Anafi(2 weekly, 5-10 hr), Crete(2 weekly, Sitia 3 hr, Iraklion 6hr), Halki(2 weekly, 4hr), Karpathos(4 weekly, 1hr 30min), Milos(2 weekly, 12hr), Pireas(3 weekly, 15-20hr), Rhodes(4 weekly, 6hr), Santorini(2 weekly, 6-12hr).

In season excursion boats also run to Fry from tiny Finiki on Karpathos's west coast.

Getting Around

By bus: A Mercedes van connects all the island's villages several times daily in summer.

Useful Phone Numbers

Municipality of Kasos: 22450 41277

Police Station: 22450 41222

Port Authorities: 22450 41288

Post Office: 22450 41255

Airport: 22450 41444 

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