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| Map of Anafi |
A
ninety-minute boat ride to the east of Santorini, Anafi, the 16th bigger island
of the Cyclades with 271 population and 38,636km2 extension, is the last stop for
ferries. It was so for the Argonauts who prayed to Apollo for some land to
rest. He let the island emerge from the sea for their repose. Tourists visit
Anafi for weeks in midsummer to enjoy exactly that: its seclusion. Although
idyllic geographically, Anafi is a harsh place, its mixed granite and limestone
core overlaid by volcanic rock spewed out by Santorini's eruptions. Apart from
the few olive trees and vines grown in the valleys, the only plant that seem to
thrive are prickly pears. The quiet, unassuming capital, Hora, provides a daring
dash of white in a treeless, shrub-strewn hillock, its narrow, winding streets
offering protection from the occasionally squally gharbis wind that comes unencumbered from the southwest.
