Introduction

It can't get much quieter than this: Iraclea is a tiny island with only 150 inhabitants, and here you will find total peace and calm. If you have trouble sleeping in noisy places you have definately come to the right island: there is basically no traffic at all, no discos and generally, not a lot of people either. The only thing that might keep you awake at night is the occasional donkey or dog, but that applies to every Greek island anyway.

You have to like walking if you want to explore this island, since there are almost no means of transport. There are a few things to see, and the beaches are quite lovely. It might be a little hard to communicate with the locals, since they are not very used to tourists and therefore do not speak much English or any other language.

History

The island is so small that it probably never really suffered under any kind of oppressive power except pirates, which, of course, was bad enough.

Iraclea was probably a Cretan - Minoan settlement in the 2nd Millenium BC, since there is a city of the same name on Crete. It could also have had some sort of worship of Heracles, since that is what the name of the island means.

Taxes were collected from both the Venetian and Turkish rulers, but apart from that, the island was pretty much left to it self. The Kastro does indicate though that people lived here under Ventian rule.

The island also belonged to the monastery of the Virgin Mary (Panagia) Chozoviotissa on Amorgos during the Middle Ages.

What to See

Iraclea has a few caves and churches of interest, but you'll have to walk to all of them.

The best known cave is the cave of St John (Ag Ioannis). Legend has it that he stayed here for a while, and that the altar in the cave is the very same he would pray at. It takes about two hours to walk here.

Chora, is the capital, and the locals call it the Virgin Mary: Panagia. Here, time stands still, and you migt just as well have stepped into the 19th century if it weren't for the mini markets.

What to Do

Read, paint, sunbathe, walk, relax. That's about it. There are also organised excursions to Naxos which is a nice break from the quiet.

Beaches

There ara a few beaches, more or less easy to reach. Livadi is a nice sandy beach, and the harbour Ag Georgios also has a small beach.

Nightlife

Apart from a few taverns, there is none!

Food

The food served here is good, traditional Greek food. There are a few taverns in Ag Georgios. Try some of the local youghurt and cheese.

Shopping

Almost nothing, except some postcards and souvenirs in Ag Georgios.

Getting Around

There are no buses, taxis or cars. If you are lucky, you might be able to rent a moped during high season.

Getting There

There are daily ferryboats from Naxos, and a couple of boats a week from Piraeus, so take a direct flight from Athens Greece there and sail over. Be careful on the day of departure, though, since there is only one boat a day!