Nisyros

Nisyros

Nisyros is a small, almost perfectly round volcanic island in the Dodecanese between Kos and Tilos, 41 square kilometres dominated by a huge caldera that still steams, hisses and bubbles with sulphur. Its main town Mandraki with its black-pebble Hofi, white houses and the Monastery of Panagia Spiliani perched in a cave, sits on the northwest coast, while tiny villages Nikia and Emporio cling to the caldera rim looking straight down into the moonscape.

The island is famous for the crater of Stefanos, one of the largest hydrothermal craters in the world, 300 metres wide and 25 metres deep, where you can walk on bubbling mud and yellow sulphur crystals. Nisyros is still active, with hot springs at Loutra and Palloi, black lava beaches, and a strong tradition of almond souma, but tourism is low-key, focused on volcano walks, quiet squares, and the feeling of a living volcano underfoot.

Dodecanese volcano island with a walk-in crater

Nisyros is one of the smallest islands in the Dodecanese, located northwest of Rhodes between Kos, Tilos and Astypalea, very close to the coasts of Turkey. It is an almost square-shaped island with an area of 41.6 square kilometres and a diameter of 8 kilometres, and the entire island geopark covers 481 square kilometres including islets Pachia, Strongyli, Pergousa and Kandeliousa.

The first striking characteristic is of course its active volcano, currently active but not erupting, with a caldera about 4 kilometres wide — 3.8 kilometres in one study — that is a must-visit site. It is one of the youngest active volcanoes in Greece and has seen at least thirteen phreatic eruptions in historical times, most recently in 1888, with considerable hydrothermal activity today. You can walk inside the Stefanos crater and see bubbling mud pools and steam geysers, while other peaks like Agios Georgios 519m, Nifios 541m and Mali 433m ring the island. The landscape resembles the moon, covered in sulphur giving a golden slate impression, with black sand beaches and volcanic rock formations.

The capital is Mandraki on the northwest, while other villages are Emporios, Paloi, Nikia — best viewpoint over the crater — and Loutra with hot springs. The villages have an undisturbed atmosphere and the island offers untouched beaches, quaint tavernas and a volcanological museum.

This is for you if you want to stand inside a living volcano and then swim from quiet coves with a laid-back Dodecanese feel. It is not for party resorts or long sandy strips.

How to get there & around

Nisyros is reached by ferry from Kos. Ferries depart from Port of Kos to Nisyros port with an average duration of around 1 hour 15 minutes and cheapest tickets from €5 to €10. ANEM Ferries and Blue Star Ferries run with timings like 08:30 arriving 10:00 for 1h30, or 07:10PM arriving 08:15PM for 1h05. There are about 4 weekly car ferries and daily returns in summer from Nisyros to Kos or to Kardamena at 15:30. The distance is 47 kilometres. You can fly to Kos airport KGS, drive or taxi to Kos port, then take the ferry. On Nisyros you need a car, scooter or local bus to reach the volcano interior — the caldera is in the centre of the island up a narrow road from Mandraki.

Sources

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Last Updated on August 30, 2026 by admin