The tiny Greek island where EVs take charge

The small, butterfly-shaped Greek island of Astypalea has all the ingredients for a relaxing vacation: countless beaches with crystal-clear waters, fantastic seafood, and a castle perched above a traditional whitewashed town with winding alleys and views across the Aegean Sea.

It’s also less developed than its larger neighbors like Rhodes and Kos, and with a population of just 1,400, Astypalea was a great holiday destination when I visited in June.

Some of the lanes in the island’s Chora – or capital – are so small that donkeys carry construction tools to hard-to-reach building sites, but the most visible mode of transport on Astypalea is a fleet of electric minibuses, part of a scheme called AstyBus – an unusual sight for the Greek islands.

It is worth starting your trip to the island with a visit to the remains of the 15th-century Venetian castle located above Chora, which was built on the site of other buildings including those from the Roman and Byzantine eras. From there, I headed towards the eight traditional red-roofed windmills in the city centre, which were originally built to grind grain in the 13th and 14th centuries. At the bottom of the hill is a small but picturesque island Archaeological Museumwith artifacts from the prehistoric period to the Middle Ages.

Initially, I used the bus to get from the bottom of Chora to the top when it was too hot to walk its winding streets, before exploring further.

My first stop was Maltezana, a 20-minute bus ride from Chora, and the second largest settlement in Astypalea. I got off the ship a stop or two to take a look inside Agios Dimitros, a small church across from the Maltizana grocery store. While the church is painted in the traditional blue and white style on the outside, it is ornately decorated on the inside, with blue and gold Bible scenes on its walls and ceiling.

A short walk from the church, a series of restaurants line a narrow beach. It was fun to wade in its clear, shallow waters after lying under one of the thorny trees on the sand.

Over the next few days, I visited more beaches using AstyBus: Chinonta, a quiet bay along Maltezana, and tree-lined Livadi, which is just up the hill from Chora and has a few restaurants right on the beach.

The bus initiative is part of a larger plan to transform Astypalea into a “smart and sustainable island” – a partnership between the Greek government and the Government of Greece. Volkswagen. He claims to be a The first initiative of its kind For the Greek islands, it aims to replace vehicles with traditional combustion engines with electric-powered cars, and to support a comprehensive transition to renewable energy.

The authorities want to keep the island unpolluted, focusing on sustainability and moderate development.

In addition to electric vehicles, a hybrid power plant is being built. In an interview with CNBC, Astypalea Mayor Nikolaos Kominias said the project would cover more than 50% of the island’s energy needs during the summer, with plans to generate wind power as well.

Comenias also wants to reduce the number of single-use plastic bottles by making tap water drinkable and having hotels and other accommodation providers offer reusable water bottles. “My dream is that by the end of 2027, or early 2028, all this new infrastructure will be on the island,” he said.

After safely returning to Chora, I enjoyed an al fresco dinner Navajoswhich has a modern Greek tapas-style menu that includes homemade sausages with baked potatoes and slow-cooked chickpeas with lemon sauce. For pastries or dessert, the café of choice was Glicia Café, located a short walk up the hill next to Chora Beach.

Even in June, Astypalea looked like a provincial island, with one long-time visitor describing it as “like Santorini 20 years ago.”

Excessive tourism poses a major problem for some Greek islands, as the mayor of Santorini (about 100 kilometers west of Astypalea) described the pressure on millions of visitors as having become “unbearable,” in a move… Interview with The Guardian last year.

Astypalea receives about 32,000 to 36,000 tourists annually, according to the city mayor’s office. On the other hand, Santorini, which is about three-quarters the size, welcomes more than 3 million visitors.

Astypalea takes a more balanced approach to tourism. The city mayor and local government rejected a proposal to build 200 villas on the island last year. “We don’t want a crowded island,” he said. “We don’t want to spoil the island at all. We want to preserve nature as it is.”