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2026 Travel Guide to Nisyros, Greece
- Jul 28
- 10 min read
Nisyros is a very pleasant and unspoilt Greek island with attractive open scenery and views to neighbouring islands. It's definitely worth spending a couple of nights on Nisyros to appreciate the island.
Contents
1. Ferries to Nisyros
We wanted to go by ferry from Symi to Nisyros at the end of May 2026. It was difficult to arrange as details of sailings were posted fairly late. There were only 2 Blue Star ferries a week sailing from Symi to Nisyros and I had to change our accommodation dates so we could take the ferry.
These Blue Star ferries are large and stop at many islands on the way to Athens. We weren't happy that a few days beforehand they changed the sailing time. As a result we only reached Nisyros at midnight.
From Nisyros.we wanted to go to the island of Kos. Initially I couldn't find a way of getting from Nisyros to Kos as in the offseason here are very few ferry lines that serve this route. Then I discovered that several boats take day trippers from Kardamena to Nisyros. Kardamena is a 40 minute drive from Kos Town.
These day boats are mainly operated by SailAway Kos and Enetikon Travel. One way tickets can be purchased through Ferry Hopper for about USD 10. I was concerned that SailAway wouldn't allow suitcases but they did.
During peak season a ferry seems to sail most days between Kos Town and Nisyros and there are even more day trip boats between Kardamena and Nisyros. The easiest way to reach Nisyros is from Kos island.
2. Length of Stay on Nisyros
Nisyros is a very pleasant and unspoilt Greek island if you avoid the tour groups that come from Kos for day tours. It's possible to avoid the tour groups if you have a full day on Nisyros which means spending 2 nights on Nisyros. Some visitors like Nisyros so much that they stay longer.
We spent 2 nights on Nisyros and as our ferry left in the early afternoon we had one and a half days to explore the island. We could have seen all the sights in one full day but the additional half day meant it was a more relaxing visit.
3. Getting around Nisyros
There is a limited bus service but it would be difficult to see Nisyros by bus. It's better to rent a car and as Nysiros is a very small island a car is only required for one day. Car rental is much cheaper than on other Greek islands and we paid EUR 25 for the day.
The main car rental company is Manos but I rented a car with Diakomichalis as they have an online reservation system. Both Manos and Diakomichalis are located at Mandraki's port. Diakomichalis delivered the car to my hotel in the morning and I returned the car to their office in the evening.
There is only one petrol station on Nisyros and it's located near Loutra which is a few kilometres east of Mandraki. We only used about EUR 15 of fuel.
4.How to avoid Day Trippers from Kos
Most of the day trips from Kos leave Kardamena at 09.30 and return from Nisyros at 15.30. SailAway also offer a day trip that departs Kardamena at 12.00 and returns at 18.30. This later day trip doesn't run on Wednesdays and the weekend.
The day boats take one hour to reach Nisyros and most passengers then take a tour for the day. Tours usually follow the same schedule but on Nisyros they sensibly have different schedules.
Some tours immediately walk into Mandraki and by 11.00 Mandraki is busy with tour groups. The other tours start by going to the Volcanic Crater and the village of Nikia.
It's therefore best to visit Mandraki before 11.00 or after 15.00. On days when SailAway offer a later boat trip there may still be day trippers in Mandraki up to 18.00. The Ancient Acropolis near Mandraki can be visited any time because tour groups don't go there.
It's essential to visit Nikia village when there aren't any tour groups as Nikia is small and has one narrow street. Therefore it's best to visit Nikia before 11.30 or at the end of the day. Nikia should be free of tour groups by 14.30 if there aren't any later sailings from Kos island.
The main volcanic crater is large and can absorb many visitors. However, the path down to the crater is a bit narrow and can become congested. There shouldn't be any tour groups at the crater before 11.15.
When there aren't any later day boats from Kos the tour groups will have left the volcanic crater by 14.45. On days when there are later day boats there may be tour groups at the crater up to 17.45.
The volcanic craters aren't fenced off so they can be visited any time. When we were there the ticket office closed at 15.00, just after the last tour group had departed. If the ticket office is closed you can enter without paying the EUR 5 entrance fee!
5. Accommodation, Restaurants & Shops on Nisyros
The Porfyris Hotel is the best hotel on Nysiros and it's located in the centre of Mandraki. There is limited car parking by the hotel and it's a 10 minute walk from the port. The Porfyris hotel is owned and run by a father and his very helpful son.
I paid a bit extra for a sea view room to ensure we had a room on the top floor. Our room had a balcony and fridge. We really enjoyed our stay even though the room was compact and had a small shower. There is a nice pool area and after checking out we were allowed to use the pool until our ferry departed at 15.30.
There are many restaurants in Mandraki that cater for the tour groups and as a result the standard isn't the best.
We had dinner at the Captain's House, which is only 100 metres away from the Porfyris Hotel. It's a small restaurant serving traditional Greek food and the lady serving us was very helpful in recommending dishes. The Captain's House isn't frequented by tour groups and it receives excellent reviews.
We were surprised by how many shops there were in Mandraki. When we arrived at midnight from Symi one small supermarket was still open!
6. The Volcanic Craters
The volcanic craters are the main attraction of Nisyros and they are a 25 minute drive from Mandraki. The craters are very impressive and definitely worth visiting.
In summer time it's best to visit either in the early morning or from late afternoon as the main crater can be very hot. When we visited blowing dust was a problem and we were glad to be wearing sun glasses. Visitors without sun glasses were struggling.
The ticket office is only manned when the tour groups from Kos are visiting Nisyros and the entry fee is EUR 5. The volcanic craters can still be visited when the ticket office is closed. In fact it's best to do so as it means there are no tour groups and it's free! However, the cafe and the toilets would probably be closed.
The main crater is known as Stefanos and most groups only visit this crater. There is a path down the crater's steep wall to the floor of the crater.
It's possible to walk around the crater's floor except for the areas that are roped off due to the floor's thin crust. The roped off area in the centre of the crater floor has fumaroles emitting boiling mud and steam.
The second crater is called Polyvotis and is a 10 minute walk up a small hill behind the cafe. Most visitors don't walk up to see it. Polyvotis is a double crater and is worth seeing although it's not as impressive as Stefanos. You can't walk down to the crater floor of Polyvotis.
We spent 1 hour 15 minutes at the craters. Tour groups spend 45 minutes at the Stefanos crater and most of their reviews indicate that was sufficient for them.
7. Nikia Village & Prophet Elias Church
There is a free car park at the entrance to Nikia village. The main street runs from the car park to Porta square and then on to a viewpoint with distant views of the volcanic crater.
Nikia is a pretty village but it's very small and the main thoroughfare is narrow at times. The plaza is pleasant and has 2 tavernas. I think the plaza would be busy at lunch time and hot in summer. Having dinner in the evening would be much nicer.
The Volcanological Museum is located by Nikia's car park. The entrance fee is EUR 4 and the museum is open from 09.00 to 19.00, except on Sundays when it closes at 14.00. We didn't visit the museum but it receives good reviews. A visit of the small museum takes about 30 minutes.
From Nikia's car park there are 350 steps leading up to the beautiful blue and white Church of Prophet Elias . An easier option is to drive up the paved road! The turn off for the church isn't well sign posted and it's about 1 kilometre before Nikia village
The Prophet Elias church was built in 2010 but looks traditional. There are good views towards the volcanic crater.
I think Nikia could easily be swamped by tour groups so it's essential to avoid them. If a tour bus is at Nikia when you arrive it's better to visit the Prophet Elias church first. I don't think that tour buses drive up to the church.
8. Paleokastro - Nysiros' Ancient Acropolis
How to access the Paleokastro
The Paleokastro can be reached by car or on foot. It's a 15 minute uphill walk along a rocky path from the monastery in Mandraki. The road to the Paleokastro is tarred and there is plenty of space to park.
Entrance to the Paleokastra is free and the site is never closed. We had the impressive acropolis to ourselves as very few people visit it. There are several information boards at the site. It's possible to climb stairs up to 2 sections of walls and there are good paths along the external walls.
Brief History of the Paleokastro
The Paleokastro was constructed between the 6th and 4th centuries BC and is an excellent example of classical and Hellenistic fortifications.
The Paleokastro's massive walls and towers were constructed from enormous black volcanic slabs which were precisely fitted together. Some slabs are up to 3.5 meters in width and weigh between 3 to 4 tons.
The Paleokastro had massive stairs leading to the walkways atop the walls. The walkways provided strategic vantage points for defenders and contributed to the fortress’s formidable defensive system. Gates were designed to allow defenders to fire upon attackers while remaining protected and there is one surviving gate.
During the Byzantine era the ancient walls were heavily relied upon to defend the Nisyros' inhabitants from pirate raids.
Restoration of the Paleokastro
Between 2003 and 2006 extensive restoration was carried out at the Paleokastro. Many of the fallen stone blocks were carefully reinserted to their original positions.
The acropolis has six well preserved towers on the southern side and a substantial 230 metre long wall. Two additional towers and 80 meters of wall remain on the eastern side. The walls were constructed to encircle the city within.
Toilets and a ticket office were built due the restoration. They are now in disuse as very few people visit the Paleokastro as the road isn't suitable for tour buses.
9. Mandraki
We really liked Mandraki as it hasn't been spoiled by tourism and it's a traditional small Greek town. It's best to just wander around as apart from the monastery and the Paleokastro there are no real sights to see.
10. Monastery of Panagia Spiliani
The monastery was built in 1600 and its small chapel was built in a cave two centuries earlier. It has been the religious centre of Nisyros since the 18th century and is famous for a miraculous icon that's located in the small chapel.
The monastery is open from 10.30 to 15.00 except on Saturdays. An entrance fee of EUR 2 is payable and it includes access to a museum. We didn't visit the museum.
It's a steep climb up 135 steps to the very small chapel which I don't think is worth visiting. The main feature of the chapel is a wooden altarpiece from 1725. There is nothing else to see at the monastery and I don't think it's worth visiting.
I am not sure if tour groups visit the monastery due to the steep climb but if they did visit it would be from 11.15 to 15.00. A tour group would make the chapel unbearably congested. If you visit the monastery it's best to go as soon as it opens or just before it closes.
Pali is a 10 minute drive east of Mandraki and there is parking along the seafront road. There isn't much to see in the straggling village. Many yachts moor at Pali.
About 1 kilometre east of Pali are the imposing derelict buildings of the Pantelidis Thermal Baths. It's worthwhile stopping and looking around these interesting buildings.
It was believed that the water at a nearby spring had therapeutic powers and this water was used by the Pantelidis Thermal Baths.They were built in three phases from 1895 to 1910 by doctor Hippocrates Pantelidis. The doctor died in 1928 and the baths continued to operate until the early 1930's. The luxurious facility had up to 300 beds.
The baths were abandoned after the 1930's and the buildings fell into disrepair. In the 1980's the doctor's grandson made an unsuccessful effort to restore them.
After the baths the tarred road runs southward along the coast. It's a 10 minute drive to Lies beach which has reddish volcanic sand. The road ends at Lies beach and from there it's a 15 minute walk to Pachia Ammos beach. The path requires caution as it's along a crumbling hillside.
Pachia Ammos Beach is a larger version of Lies beach. It has a wide stretch of coarse, reddish volcanic sand and can be used for free camping.
12. Village of Emporios
There is a free parking lot and toilets at the entrance to the lower section of Emporios. There isn't much to see in the lower part.
It's possible to walk up to the mainly ruined upper section of Emporios. There is also a paved road to the top but there are not many parking spaces. There is not much to see at the top of Emporios either.
I therefore don't recommend visiting at Emporios.
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