DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Greek Islands by DK Travel

Author:DK Travel [DK]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780241358368
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Ltd

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Kastellórizo

Καστελλόριζο

~ 3 km (2 miles) S of Kastellórizo town g Kastellórizo town n 500 m (1,640 ft) N of port; 22460 49269

Remote Kastellórizo is the most far-flung Greek island, just two nautical miles from Kaş in Turkey but over 70 nautical miles from Rhodes. Known locally as Megísti (the biggest), it is the largest of 14 islets. It was isolated until the airport opened up tourism in 1987. Kastellórizo has no beaches, but its clear seas, full of marine life, are excellent for snor kelling. The local population has declined from 12,000 in the 19th century to just under 500 today. It was shelled from Anatolia during World War I (when the French held the island), enjoyed a brief 1930s revival as a seaplane stop on routes to the Middle East. It was evacuated during World War II and devastated by looting and a July 1944 fuel dump explosion. Fortunes only really revived in 1991 after Kastellórizo served as the location for Oscar-winning film Mediterraneo, attracting numerous visitors. Now the quay of this backwater bustles with tavernas and impromptu celebrations.

Kastellórizo town (including little Mandráki suburb) is the island’s only settlement, with reputedly the best natural harbour between Mílos and Beirut. Above the town, the half-ruined Knights’ castle (completed during the 15th century) enjoys spectacular views over nearby islets and the Turkish coast. It was nicknamed the Red Castle (Kastello Rosso) due to its reddish masonry, and the moniker quickly got applied to the entire island. Today, the museum inside the castle displays lighthouse parts, frescoes and pottery.

A rubber-raft trip southeast from Kastellórizo town to the spectacular Perastá Cave should not be missed; the large cave is famed for its stalactites and the eerie and strange light effects on the water. On a tour, you can sometimes hear (but not see) monk seals in an adjacent, but inaccessible grotto.

t A unique tomb cut into the rock at Kastellórizo

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