About Agathonisi

Since Agathonisi is part of the monastic state of Patmos, its history is inextricably linked to Orthodoxy, to its traditions. The biggest feasts that are celebrated on the island are the Day of Saint Panteleimon on July 27 and the Day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on August 15, when everyone on the island is richly served with bread baked in a wood-burning oven, sweets and local meats.

The feast of Anafonisi is also celebrated splendidly on Koupala, when bonfires are lit in the village squares and everyone is invited to jump over the flames to be purified from filth. Other festivities are on the 9 Days of the Virgin Mary, August 23, in Megalo Horio, and the Feast of the Beheading of John Forerunner, August 29: on this day everyone eats grapes, fruits of opuntia and sea urchins.

Mythology and History

The island did not get its name until the beginning of the last century: before that it was called Tragea or Netusa, "agathos" in Greek means good, kind, and it was named by the priest who served on the island.

Agathonisi is an island of the Good Heart. Its geographical situation has played a role in its development, or rather its desolation: for a long time, both in the Roman and Byzantine periods, Agathonisi was a place of distant exile, a constant prey of pirates. Up until the 19th century there was no organized community at all. Until the 16th century, the island was ruled by the Turks, then they left the island. The Italians occupied the island in 1922 and left it during the German occupation during World War II.

Like the other Dodecanese islands, Agathonisi was reunited with Greece in 1948. Electricity and telephone service did not reach the island until 1980.

Attractions

The inhabitants of Agathonisi live in three and a half villages: the harbor village of Agios Georgios with 15 inhabitants, the "capital" of the island, Megalo Chorio (Big Village), where the main population of about 120 people is concentrated, Micro Chorio (Small Village) with 15 inhabitants and the almost abandoned village of Kafoliko, now a shelter for fishermen and acting as a fishing port.

It is noteworthy that the houses on the island are surrounded by a thick stone wall with a narrow door.

Beaches

Agathonisi is full of beautiful beaches with clean pebbles and emerald waters: Agios Iorgios, Spilia, Gaidouravlakos, Tsangali, Palos, Poros, Vathi, Pigadi, Hochlia, Kafoliko and many more.

Some of the beaches are accessed by country roads, others by narrow trails.

Entertainment

The main entertainment is scuba diving and snorkeling, which allows you to get acquainted with the wonderful and unique underwater world.

Shopping

Take away local ceramics, handmade woven goods, and local wine as souvenirs of the island of the Good Heart.

Cuisine

Agathonisi is famous for the freshest fish, which the local fishermen deliver in abundance. Typical Dodecanese cuisine with local cheese and wine, plus one specialty: dishes made from peas, which are prepared here in a special way.