Kalo Taxidi - Donoussa - Spring 1993

Donoussa - Spring 1993
I went from Naxos on the Skopelitis (fare 913dr). I left Naxos at 3 p.m. and reached Donoussa at 8 p.m. The boat was carrying huge quantities of building materials (thin marble slabs, bags of cement, and large sheets of wire mesh) and the loading and unloading of these delayed us somewhat.

I had called in at Donoussa on many occasions, but this was the first time I had landed. The village was larger than I expected, and I had not realised that there were buildings on both sides of the beach. The beach then acted as a track between the two sides of the village.

I was half expecting accommodation on Donoussa to be primitive, but after my "luxury" find on Iraklia I also half suspected that standards could be good - and they are. More luxurious than Iraklia in fact. People with rooms met the boat and I chose a very pleasant lady who spoke just enough English for us to get by. She lives in a house through a stained wooden door off the beach just beyond the Taverna Aposperitis, but the rooms are not in there. My room was one of a block of three - across the beach, up the track to the left and about half way up the hill on the right hand side of the road - be warned that the hill is short but very steep, especially when carrying a rucksack and wobbly kneed after a long trip on the Skopelitis. Other rooms seemed to be under the same management.

I had a twin bedded room, with modern furniture and even wicker lamp shades and a lace curtain; private bathroom with WC, shower, and basin - again very clean and modern; constant hot water to the shower; and in the lobby area between the bedroom and bathroom a kitchen area with full size fridge, electric hotplates, and sink unit - plenty of crockery but only a frying pan to cook / boil water in - but at 2000dr a night I was more than satisfied. Particularly as outside there was a spacious terrace with sea views. It is easy to spot the building from outside - there is an open air shower (not needed) in the garden. Incidentally the water supply was brought to the cellar by a green hosepipe, and then pumped round the buildings. I don't know where the pipe came from and it may sound Heath Robinsonish, but there was no problem with the supply whilst I was there.

Another good point about my accommodation. I was to catch the Skop. at 7.30 p.m., and intended negotiating with my landlady for the use of the room during the day. On my last morning, before I had chance to ask, she said I could stay in the room until 5 p.m. without any extra payment, i.e. to give her chance to turn it round for new arrivals.

One sore point about Donoussa. A taverna in the middle of the beach. The taverna was just getting ready to open up for the season when I arrived, and the music (Greek) was belting and thumping out at what sounded like disco levels in my room (half a village away), and could be heard all over the village. It was on and off spasmodically throughout my stay, from breakfast to mid evening. I never ate at that taverna (I hadn't brought any ear plugs!).

A guide book had mentioned a 5 hour walk to Kalotaritissa - I walked halfway there (the uphill half) in about an hour and a half, with several camera and binocular stops. It was an easy route to find, and not too strenuous to walk, through attractive countryside. There were more buildings in Kalotaritissa than I expected to see but I did not see any signs of life (peering from above through binoculars!)

On my first night only To Kyma was serving food. To Meltemi had opened by the third night, there was movement and signs of the Blue Lagoon getting ready for opening, and there seemed to be another eating place between To Kyma and the Blue Lagoon. The General Store had a table and chair outside for drinking at, but the signboard showed that food was served, presumably in peak season only. Whatever used to be to the east of To Kyma has gone - there is a huge hole in the ground.

I liked the atmosphere at To Kyma. The couple running it were very pleasant as was young Maria, aged about 12, who may have been their daughter or grand-daughter - on my first night she had been helping my landlady tout for customers, was then waitressing as well as carrying boxes of supplies up from the harbour and re-arranging furniture, and when I left at around 11pm was doing the washing up. Quite a live wire! The local fishermen gathered there and they were very friendly and tolerant of the tourist intrusion - although there were only a handful on the island. Once I was bought a drink, and at lunchtime the fishermen shared food with me. The old boy in the General Store was also very friendly. I went in to buy some cans of drink to take on a walk and he would not let me leave until I had sat down and drunk another (which he would not let me pay for).

I was surprised at the range of food on sale at the store at To Kyma - small by e.g. Amorgos standards, but you would not starve if you were self-catering. Shoppers were staggering out with bags of aubergines, and the fishermen were joking that everyone would be having moussaka for dinner.

I didn't notice a bakery on the island, but throughout my stay I noticed people buying both long sticks of bread and small rolls - which suggested that it hadn't all come off the Skop.

I had an early dinner at Meltemi whilst waiting for the Skopelitis (which arrived promptly at 7.30 p.m. - the restaurant started serving at around 6.30 p.m.). There was quite a varied menu but a slight problem - all the "exotic" i.e. meat, items, were to be delivered by the Skopelitis which I was leaving on. I later saw Mr. "Meltemi" dragging away from the Skopelitis a huge cardboard box, presumably full of meat. I doubt if the Skop has refrigeration facilities for use during the 5 hour journey!

[2011 update - too large to travel on the new Express Skopelitis, but a prominent feature of the car park in Katapola are large refrigerated lorries - which are used to transport food on the larger ferries.]




An extract from my book about Greece, "Kalo Taxidi".