Astypalaia: Morphology of the island (Part 3)

Astypalaia is the most western island of the Dodecanese, next to the Cyclades. It’s about 95 square kilometers and it is divided by a rocky isthmus the asphalted road has been made on. From this corner you can dominate both sides. The island has the peculiar shape of a butterfly whose isthmus is just the body.

The ground is mostly rocky and the western side reaches 500 meters height, whereas the eastern side is 300 meters high. The few flats areas are closed to the coast: Livadi, Maltezana, Mesa Vathy, Exo Vathy. Fig, orange, lemon and pomegranate trees, grapevines, growing aubergines, herbs, tomatoes, melons, water melons and so on grow here.

In the west the landscape spreads on reddish rocks, blackberry bush and bushes of aromatic herbs such as thymus, oregano and the soothing ‘flascomilio’ from which you can obtain camomile that cures intestinal disorders, stomachache, nervousness, insomnia; the flascomilio is also used in addition to the charcoal, leaving a delicious aroma on grilled meat.

Colors change in the east side. The rocks become whitish and the blackberry bush dyed of a dark green; the reddish ground is replaced by a golden area. Sheep and goats climb the rocks; they have at their neck the typical bells that ring with different sounds so that each owner may recognize them.

The coast is rugged formed by a rocky continuum interrupted only by the plenty deserted coves covered by little superfine stones. Aristotle declared: ‘Astypalaia foe of snakes’ because it is the only island in the Aegean where there aren’t any. This is due to the double yearly passage of storks, greedy of snake eggs; they travel to Africa in the autumn and come from Asia at the beginning of the spring.