Twenty years ago it was very slow getting to Anghistri. The direct way was to catch the Manaras Express at 8.00am from Piraeus. This was a 2 hour sail from Piraeus and it called first at Scala before travelling further along to its terminus in the tiny port of Mandraki for Mylos or, to give the village its proper name, Megalohori. The one good thing was that the bus from the former Athens Airport took 20 minutes to reach Piraeus port. But there was still a long wait for the ferry.
Since then the Manaras Express has been sold. There was a pair of commercial catamarans that sailed from Scala to Piraeus and back but we needed transport to Mylos, a mile along the coast from Scala. By this time it was preferable to take a hydrofoil (Flying Dolphin) to the island of Aegina and then wait a couple of hours for the next sailing of the ferry to Anghistri.
But today all has changed again. The port of Mandraki has been enlarged. It took about 15 years from start to finish as money kept running out. I remember the first visit of the crane on a barge towed by a tug as the work began one September. Two years ago we used the enlarged port for the first time, a couple of months after the Orthodox Church priests had blessed it. The last catamaran was tied up, waiting for repairs which were carried out whilst we were there.
This year we could take a "Flying Dolphin" from Piraeus. This was operated by Hellenic Seaways who provide just two sailings each day via Aegina. But we had the pleasure of arriving at our own port for the first time. It was great!
Visitors to Anghistri flying from Manchester can take a direct flight (at night) three days a week by Olympic Airlines. The flight duration is just three hours forty five minutes, leaving Manchester at 10.15pm. Of course, Greek time being two hours ahead of GMT the local arrival time is 4.00am.
Your best bet now is, having collected your luggage, go for an early breakfast in the airport before boarding the all night express bus to Piraeus (X96) which takes just under an hour at that time. Walk out of the departure exit and turn right. Go along the pavement until you reach a small cabin where you can purchase your Piraeus ticket for 3.20 euros. Now you can get on the bus but do not forget to validate your ticket in the red machine on the bus.
We took the 5.30am express bus. You can check the time of the next bus inside the airport. Just look for a display similar to the check-in boards but smaller. Be sure to alight at the port because the new terminus is some distance away. In our case the driver called out when we reached the port. You can see lots of ships on the left of the bus. Cross the road to the port gate and turn left. Along here you will come to the ticket offices. Both Hellenic Seaways and Aegean Flying Dolphins have offices. Simply check who sails first and book with them. If money is an issue choose Aegean Flying Dolphins who charge 1 euro less for the sail.
Most visitors will be staying in Scala, so the island bus (a new big one!)meets each arrival to take passengers to the small resort. It could not be simpler. This year saw a road train introduced and if the bus is out of service the road train does the Scala run.
If you want a holiday where you do absolutely nothing at all then take rooms in Mylos. If you crave a slightly livelier time then you will be well looked after in Scala. More of the accommodation in a later blog.
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