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Patitiri is the main port of Alonissos and also houses the bulk of the island's population. All ferries, hydrofoils and excursion boats arrive and depart from here. Many guide books on Greece dismiss Patitiri as an unattractive concrete sprawl which in our opinion does the town a grave injustice. This is an impression obtained by people who only visit Greek islands superficially and never get under the skin of anywhere. Greece is simply not only about attractive buildings and sandy beaches. The beauty of Patitiri and the Island of Alonissos lies with the people who live there and not simply the buildings they live in.
The warmth and friendliness of the local people is in stark contrast to the events of the past 50 years which has seen their vines decimated in 1956 by phylloxera followed by the disastrous earthquake of 1965 which destroyed the houses in the old town and led to the relocation of the population by the Greek Junta to Patitiri. If you wish to visit Patitiri simply avoid the last two weeks of July and the first two weeks of August which constitute the height of the tourist season on Alonissos. Outside these times there are generally rooms to be found and for lovers of sea food the fresh local fish in any of the tavernas will satisfy your craving. The image below shows an indication of the layout of the harbour-front in Patitiri. |
