ALONNISOS-BLOG.PONDERCENTRAL.COM: Micros Mourtias Beach

The Alonnisos Insider Site

Micros Mourtias Beach

Micros Mourtias is a small beach that is accessible from the Old Village of Alonnisos via a walking path. This path was originally used for donkey traffic down to a port that was adjacent to the beach. This beach is also accessible by car, motorbike, and by foot via a dirt road that originates near the Old Village. There is a small parking area that is near the last portion of the path down to the beach. There are no services (i.e., restaurants, rest rooms/water closets) at this beach so it generally attracts a smaller amount of visitors, except during the month of August when it can become quite crowded. The photo to your right was taken at Micros Mourtias and the mountain out in the distance is on the island of Evia.

It’s my understanding that the port of Micros Mourtias was a hub of activity many years ago when it served as the primary arrival point for ships bringing both passengers and goods for the Old Village. While there is still a small cement pier located there, there is no longer any commercial shipping activity. Occasionally a speed boat arrives and moors at the pier, but generally it’s not used at all. Sail boats also show up now and then and anchor out in the small bay.

Like most beaches in Alonnisos, Micros Mourtias is comprised of stones as opposed to sand, with a good number of them being of the flat variety. That makes them great for skipping on the ocean, providing of course no one is out there swimming! For optimum comfort water socks are recommended, as is a beach mat and/or an air mattress (lie-low in the UK). Since there are no services, be prepared to bring your own food and beverages.

Getting to Micros Mourtias

The path to this beach from the Old Village is quite steep in parts, and over the years has served as my favorite place to hike on the island. The picture to your left shows the view of Micros Mourtias bay/beach from the point at which the walking path begins. Naturally, going down is quite easy; it’s the going up part that presents the challenge! Generally, if you’re in fairly good physical shape it should take you perhaps 20 minutes to walk down to Micros Mourtias from the Old Village; the return trip can take as little as 20 minutes (if you’re climbing aggressively) to as much as 30 minutes or more if you take more of a leisurely approach. In both directions the views are simply beautiful, and typically you rarely encounter anyone else during your walk. To see a very brief YouTube video that includes the types of views you’ll experience on the walking path and while visiting this beach, click here.

When I initially discovered and began hiking this path in 2000, it was very a very rough trail, but in 2007 it was widened and paved with stones in most places. I learned recently that even more improvements were made to it. Please note you also have the option of walking the road down to Micros Mourtias, but I don’t recommend it because it makes the trip much longer, and you run the risk of having to dodge a car or motorbike now and then. If you rent a motorbike or a car and want to visit this beach, follow the main tarmac road past the Old Village and just past the cemetery (on your right) make a left turn. From there just follow the road about a half a kilometer or less and then turn left again, then look for the first road you can turn left on and after several twists and turns you’ll end up at the parking area I referenced above. From there you need to walk down a small segment of the path to arrive at the beach.

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