Often when we have dinner out in either Patitiri or the Old Village of Alonnisos we stop by the Italian Gelateria for a bit of dessert before heading back home. The location in Patitiri is situated perhaps just 50 meters from the harbor on the right side of the main road going up towards the Old Village, it was originally started by two wonderful and very friendly women from Italy, Jana, and Julianna, who brought with them their craft of making incredibly delicious Italian ice cream. Prior to the summer tourist season in 2007 they sold the business, but made sure to teach the new owners they needed to know about making the ice cream with the same level of quality and taste that customers had become accustomed to over the years. I can speak from personal experience that the ice cream they sell is simply fantastic in every way. It truly is the perfect dessert food to end any evening spent in Alonnisos.
The Gelateria location in the Old Village (pictured to your right) opened during 2008 and is really convenient for anyone staying up there. It’s located perhaps 60 meters from the bus stop in the Old Village as you walk up toward the main square (or in Greek, “plateia”) of the village.
When you do visit Alonnisos and find your sweet tooth calling you after dinner (or at any other time), rest assured that you can’t go wrong stopping by either location of the Gelateria locations.
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The rooms (see photo to your left) are located perhaps just 50 meters from the taverna, so you can walk out your door and then be seated and ordering a meal in just a couple of minutes or less. The distance to the beach itself at Megalos Mourtias is essentially the same, which makes it a great place to stay if you really enjoy spending time near the ocean.
Lefto Gialos Beach is located on a beautiful bay surrounded by rugged, hilly terrain, it’s undoubtedly one of the best beaches for swimming on the island. It’s also a fairly large beach and there are numerous beach chairs and umbrellas for rent.
Lefto Gialos is located perhaps eight kilometers from the port town of Patitiri, and 11 kilometers from the Old Village. Because of this distance, walking there would be quite challenging for most people, so that means you’ll most likely need to either rent a motorbike or a car to get there, or take a taxi. The drive offers some very nice scenery on the way, including a gorgeous view of another beach called Tzortzi Gialos (see photo to your right), and the road is paved and very smooth for the most part.
Eleonas is the restaurant on your right when you arrive at Lefto Gialos beach. The original estiatorio there, it’s located in the midst of an olive tree grove and in addition to the shade offered by the trees it offers thatched umbrellas to protect diners from the very hot Mediterranean sun. When we initially met Nikos and Magda in 1997, they treated us with very genuine filoxenia (Greek for hospitality), and each time we return we are treated like family. Nikos has also been very helpful to me in my feeble attempts at learning to speak Greek, often instructing me in the midst of serving our food! (photo to your left is of Nikos and me a few years ago). During the busiest part of the tourist season Eleonas is always filled with customers, but even so we usually are able to get a table fairly quickly. If by chance you do have to wait for a spell, rest assured that your meals will be well worth the wait.
anything they make in the oven to be very delicious. When artichokes are in season they include them along with potatoes in a couple of dishes using a wonderfully tasty sauce, and Eleonas also offers a full range of traditional Greek cuisine. There is usually an excellent selection of both fresh and frozen fish, and shellfish as well.
Over the years more often than not we tend to walk down to this beach since it only takes 15 – 20 minutes from the house we use. But, that’s the easy part of course, as based on your fitness level and the number of beers or cocktails you may have consumed at the taverna, the walk back up to the village can be quite challenging! The photo to your left gives you a clear idea of just how steep that walk back to the Old Village actually is, though it does overstate it a bit since both the road and the path provide a more gradual ascent.
The view of the sea from the Megalo Mourtia Taverna is unobstructed these days after changes were made to the configuration in the past couple of years. During the day it can get quite busy, but the crew there always does their best to make sure customers are served as promptly as possible. If you ever do experience a problem, the staff will be certain to take care of it with a smile.
Ostria Restaurant has an expansive menu, so large in fact that I’m amazed Eleni can make so many different types of food available on a daily basis! Lunch and dinner menus include hot and cold appetizers, numerous salads, and pizzas as well. As for the entrees, it is in this area that Eleni’s fantastic cooking skills are most apparent. Her oven-baked dishes, including some lamb and chicken entrees, are simply wonderful. She also prepares traditional Greek dishes such as Moussakas if you have a preference for those. In addition, once dinner is over there are various dessert options, and the Ostria Restaurant also has a wide selection of aperitifs, coffee and tea as well.
Open for lunch and dinner meals, the Akrogiali has a good-size menu that includes both hot and cold appetizers, and a full range of fresh salads as well. Their Skordalia (garlic spread) is always freshly prepared, as is their Meletzana Salata (eggplant spread), which is in our view the best on the island. As for entrees, Eleni makes fantastic oven-baked dishes such as Moussakas, Lemon Chicken, and Lamb Kleftiko. Pasxalis is also quite adept on the grill, making some of the best Souvlakia (kebobs) you’ll find, as well as tasty lamb chops and pork chops. It is in the seafood arena that Pasxalis really shines, as he always has a tremendous selection of both fresh and frozen fish, as well as a broad assortment of shellfish. My mother-in-law Elaine is particularly fond of the steamed Mussells in Wine dish, their Atharina (see photo to your left), and also their Shrimp Saganaki.
In my view there are three primary reasons for Kastro’s continued success over the years. First and foremost, the food is of excellent great quality (more about that in a moment), second, the atmosphere is vibrant, and third, the owner, Nectarios (pictured on the left with Andrea and me) is a true professional who is dedicated to making certain his customers are completely satisfied. Part of this is a commitment to ensuring that food orders are filled as promptly as possible.
Andrea and I originally met Nectarios back in 2003, and since that time have come to consider him as a very dear friend. Unlike some other restaurant owners in Greece we’ve met who we feel “feign” friendliness, it’s obvious that Nectarios really does like foreign visitors to the island, and is very grateful when they choose to eat at his restaurant. He truly embodies the spirit of the Greek term “filoxenia” (friendship and hospitality to foreigners).
As I indicated earlier, the ambiance of the place is very lively, and particularly so during the high tourist season. On the very busy nights there is a constant parade of people strolling through the village checking out the sites and looking for a spot to eat. There’s probably no better place for people watching at that time of night in Alonnisos. Because of the popularity of The Kastro, there are times when one has to wait for a while to get a table. One way to make sure you’ll get seated is to arrive prior to the big evening rush, which usually begins after about 8:30 p.m.
One other thing, sometimes later in the tourist season (late August/early September) when business slows down a bit, Nectarios will occasionally pick up his bouzouki (which he’s played since he was a boy) and play traditional Greek songs. To see a YouTube video showing parts of an impromptu concert we experienced many years ago please 
During the day the Old Village offers a wide range of eye-catching views as you wander through its labyrinth of walkways.
around and people watch. We always get a kick out of seeing the style-conscious young women with stiletto heels trying to navigate their way up one of the cobblestone paths in the village. It is very unusual for them to make it the full length of the path without almost tripping once or twice along the way. Ah, the things we do when we’re young!
As your hydrofoil boat arrives in Alonnisos you will typically disembark at one of two points directly in the harbor area. The picture at the left is one view of the Patitiri harbor that I took when arriving on a Flying Dolphin many years ago.
If you are staying somewhere near Patitiri harbor, depending upon how much luggage you have it may be practical for you to walk to your hotel. If, on the other hand, you are staying at a hotel or pension which is on the upper level of the town, you will probably want to take a taxi. When making your room reservations it’s of course a good idea to ask the hotel staff member for directions to the hotel from the port, and to inquire as to the best way to get there.
If you are staying at a hotel, pension, or private residence in the upper village of Alonnisos (the Old Village, or “Hora”), you have the option of hiring a taxi or taking the city bus from the port up to the village. One thing is certain, you will need some form of transportation because there’s no way you can walk to the village unless the only bag you have is a backpack! Please note that this bus only runs during the tourist season from early June until the end of September.
Once you’re off the boat if you would prefer to sit down for a spell to relax and have a meal and/or a beverage, there are several tavernas, restaurants, and cafes within walking distance of the quay. We typically stop at the Ostria Cafe. If you look at the photo with me in it above on the right, the Ostria Cafe is the second restaurant to the left of where the boat docks.
This home provides tremendous views of the Aegean Sea (see picture to your right), and is conveniently located on the slopes of the mountain upon which the Old Village of Alonnisos rests. Because it’s situated away from the very center of the old town, it’s generally a very quiet area. From this house it’s perhaps a seven minute walk to the bus stop in the Old Village, and about a five minute walk to the entrance of the donkey path that leads down to the port town of Patitiri.
You also can easily stroll down to the the nearby beach at Megalos Mourtias in about 20 minutes or so. The photo above left shows a view from a south-facing lower window facing the living room and kitchen, while the photo to your right is of one of the two updstairs bedrooms. Unlike many rental homes in Alonnisos, this home features a bathroom and shower on both the ground floor and upper level, so there’s no need to climb down and up stairs to visit a restroom.