Donoussa, Greece: Island Guide, Beaches, Villages & Hotels
Donoussa is a small, quiet island in the Small Cyclades, east of Naxos and the most isolated of the group, with its port and main village at Stavros (Agios Stavros). Few ferries call here, so the island stays calm and largely undesigned for tourism. Life gathers around the harbour of Stavros, with its big sandy beach, a supermarket, a bakery and a handful of tavernas; the settlements of Mersini and Kalotaritissa lie inland and to the north. Donoussa suits walkers and quiet-holiday travellers: the beaches are reached on foot, many are mixed or naturist, and the coast-and-mountain walk is one of the finest in the Cyclades.
- Group
- Small Cyclades
- Nearest island
- Naxos
- Main village
- Stavros
- Getting around
- On foot
The island of Donoussa
Donoussa is one of the smaller islands that lie around Naxos, the group known as the Small Cyclades, which also takes in Koufonissia, Heraklia and Schinoussa. It sits on the east side of Naxos and is the most isolated and quiet of the group, little visited by ferries; when the boats strike, as they did during our visit, the island can feel very small indeed. It is not an island built for tourism, and most people here speak little English. Yet Donoussa has real charm: the sunsets over the mountains of Naxos are among the best I have seen, and the walking is superb. We once walked three hours along the coast and back two hours over the mountains without meeting anyone except a few people in a tiny village we passed, and found a small dream-beach with rocks in the water looking out on the islet of Skoulonissi in clear turquoise sea. Donoussa is good for a day or two of walking, and some travellers who love the quiet stay for weeks.
Stavros and the villages
Donoussa keeps almost all of its life in the port village of Stavros (Agios Stavros), where the ferry arrives. The rest of the island holds only the small inland settlement of Mersini and the northern hamlet of Kalotaritissa, linked by the island road and by footpaths. There are no buses, so you walk or, at most, drive the ring road.
Stavros (Agios Stavros)
Stavros, also called Agios Stavros, is the harbour and the main village of Donoussa, where the ferry sails in. It looks inviting, set behind a big, quiet sandy beach in the centre of the village, though the sand is rather hard. The village keeps a supermarket, a bakery beside the harbour restaurant, a few tavernas and the ferry ticket office, and a spring in the village gives fresh drinking water. It is a small, plain place rather than a resort, and most of the island's rooms and studios stand here by the sea. Where to stay is set out in the Donoussa hotels & villas guide.
Mersini
Mersini is a small settlement inland from Stavros, reached by the island road in about an hour and a half on foot, or by the old goat path. It sits on the way to the beach of Livadi, which is reached by the path from Mersini in about fifteen minutes. Mersini is a place to pass through on a walk rather than a resort, with no tourist facilities of its own.
Kalotaritissa
Kalotaritissa is a tiny hamlet in the north of Donoussa, just a few houses and a church, reached on foot or by the road. It is the walk we made and remember best. Below it lie the beaches of Sapounohoma, Mesa Amos and Tripiti, and a small dream-beach nearby looks out on the islet of Skoulonissi in clear turquoise water. The beaches around Kalotaritissa are set out in the Donoussa beaches guide.
The beaches of Donoussa
Donoussa has a handful of quiet, sandy beaches, most reached on foot. The harbour beach at Stavros is central and clean; Kedros, about a kilometre and a twenty-minute walk south, is the largest beach, with green water, a small bar nearby and the remains of a Second World War German shipwreck on the seabed. Livadi lies further south, reached by the daily launch from Stavros or by the path via Mersini, and the beaches of Sapounohoma, Mesa Amos and Tripiti gather around Kalotaritissa in the north. Many beaches are mixed or naturist: Kedros is a swimwear-optional beach regarded as one of the best naturist beaches in Greece, and Livadi is largely naturist too. The full run is set out in the Donoussa beaches guide.
Sights of Donoussa
The sights of Donoussa are its landscape and its walks rather than monuments. The great one is the coast-and-mountain circuit, a long walk over the empty island that passes the hamlet of Kalotaritissa and a dream-beach looking out on the islet of Skoulonissi. The sunsets over the mountains of Naxos are the island's other set piece, best watched from the harbour at Stavros. The Second World War German shipwreck off Kedros beach and the village church at Kalotaritissa add a little more to see. These are gathered in the Donoussa sights guide.
Where to stay
Accommodation on Donoussa is limited and gathers in and around Stavros, in self-catering studios, rooms and apartments rather than large hotels. Makares Apartments and Aposperitis sit by the main beach, Firoa and Markouli Studios stand in the village, and Iliovasilema and Prassinos add rooms with sea views and a taverna. There is little accommodation on the island, so in high season it is better to book ahead. Compare the options in the Donoussa hotels & villas guide.
Where to eat
Donoussa serves its food in the tavernas of the Stavros harbour. Aposperitis and Iliovasilema cook home-made Greek meals with a sea view over the port, the bakery stands beside the harbour restaurant, and a small bar sits a couple of minutes from Kedros beach. The choice was once very small, with two restaurants and one supermarket, but more tavernas have opened since. Where to eat by area is set out in the Donoussa restaurants guide.
Getting to Donoussa
Donoussa is reached only by ferry, and few boats call, which is part of why it stays so quiet. The small Express Skopelitis has long served the Small Cyclades, calling at Koufonissia, Donoussa, Heraklia and Schinoussa and ending at Amorgos, while Blue Star Ferries and other lines run from Piraeus, Paros, Naxos and Amorgos at least once a week, more often in summer. Schedules change from year to year and the owner of your rooms often knows the arrivals best. There is no airport on Donoussa; the nearest airport is on Naxos, for domestic flights, and most visitors fly to Athens or Santorini and continue by boat.
