| About Arki
The best thing about this island is its complete
lack of tourists. For one month only (August),
the island buzzes with activity, and for the
remainder of the time, you can pretty much
have the island to yourself. The main square
next to the port is surrounded by tavernas,
which stay open all hours and all serve excellent
food. There are a few beaches, the largest
one being at Tiganakia, which has nearby small
islands that can be reached by swimming. Other
than that, the island has no natural water
and is rocky and barren.
Arki is probably one
of the least-visited islands in Greece, with
a permanent population of only 40 people.
The island population is so small that on
my last visit the school only had one pupil!
There is not so much to 'see' here, but the
atmosphere can be enticing. There are few
facilities on the island with only a handful
of rooms run by the local taveras Tripas &
Nikolaos and only one very small mini-market,
so don't expect the same type of treatment
you would get in the nearby resort islands.
The island has become something of a haven
for yahting types, resulting in a strange
mix of extremely wealthy foreigners and relatively
poor local fishermen.
The main 'cool' spot
on Arki is Manoli’s taverna. A little
shaded courtyard, withspeakers arranged randomly
in the trees - it’s a music and flower-filled
oasis onthis rocky little island. The owner
is most definitely "Mr Cool": Manoli
has lived foryears in Athens and Germany,
but chose to return to his home island for
the quiet life.Happily for us, he also brought
back with him a great love and collection
of music: it's notunusual for a spontaneous
evening of dancing to break out here!
A 15 minutes hike up
the hill to an tiny old church gives a breath-taking
view of the surroundingislands.
About Tiganakia Beach
On any other island, this beach would be overlooked;
however, this is Arki's one and only decent
beach. Although it is not hundreds of metres
long and sandy, it is pleasant in its own
way, and out of season, you are guaranteed
to have it all to yourself. The beach is in
a slight cove and separated into three parts
by rocky outcroppings. It is part pebbled,
part sandy. The main attraction to this beach,
however, is the swimming. It is easy to reach
the nearby small islands by swimming across
the bay, although you will have to watch out
for boats during high season.
Now for the bad part:
The beach is a good 45-minute walk from the
town, with no paths and only one sign to direct
you. To reach it, you should head away from
the town along the main road, passing a couple
of bays on your right, and when you reach
the end of the road, continue straight until
you reach a sign, do as it instructs, and
walk in the direction of the island you can
see in the distance. You should eventually
reach your destination. In summary, it is
not an essential trip, but worthwhile if you
fancy a dip in the sea.
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