Andros is once again enjoying a moment in the international spotlight, thanks to a new series of articles and audiovisual features by Euronews exploring the northernmost Cycladic island well beyond its beaches and crystal-clear waters.

The international news network turns its attention to Andros’ local produce, extensive network of walking trails and rich religious and cultural heritage, presenting the island as a destination whose appeal extends well beyond the familiar formula of “sun and sea.”

“Golden” Products

Among the highlights is a journey through the fertile Livadia valley, where Euronews traces the story of the island’s famous lemons, often described as the “gold of Andros.” An important export from the 17th century until the mid-20th, Andros lemons once traveled to markets across the Mediterranean and as far as the Black Sea.

Today, the fragrant fruit remains an essential part of the island’s culinary identity. “We make lemonades, spoon sweets and lemon blossom, which is very delicious and unique,” says Despina Petta, president of the Mainites Cultural Association. The island even has its own annual celebration, the Andros Lemon Festival.

Wine is another important part of the story. Euronews visits the island’s vineyards and modern wineries, where a new generation of producers is helping revive Andros’ winemaking traditions. Stone-built agricultural terraces 100m above the sea, known locally as “aimasies,” combine with schist soils, strong Meltemi winds and the brisk sea air to create a distinctive growing terroir.

Increasingly, local producers are also inviting visitors into the experience through winery tours and tastings. “Our goal is to become known worldwide and for people to come here to taste our ‘mavrotragano’ and ‘potamisi’ wines, produced at a more professional level,” says oenologist Vasso Chaviaraki.

Andros’ dairy and cheesemaking tradition also features prominently, with local varieties including volaki, ladotyri, krasotyri, petroti and Bournias cheese reflecting the close relationship between the island’s agricultural landscape, livestock farming and local gastronomy.

Yet the sector also faces a familiar island challenge: dairy producers say that finding workers is becoming increasingly difficult as younger generations leave for opportunities on the mainland. “There are no hands, there is no workforce to help any kind of business,” opines assistant cheesemaker Maria Doli.

Taken together, the features present Andros’ exceptional local products as valuable elements of its “history, economy and contemporary tourism identity.”

Walking Trails

But perhaps no aspect of Andros has done more to reshape the island’s cultural and tourism identity than its remarkable network of walking trails.

The Euronews series follows the work of Andros Routes, whose volunteers have helped restore, maintain and promote a network of paths connecting traditional villages, lush ravines, springs, rural landscapes and historic monasteries.

Today, the network stretches for almost 240 km, and Andros became the first Greek island to receive the prestigious European “Leading Quality Trails – Best of Europe” certification.

As Euronews notes, the trails have helped establish a distinctive form of thematic tourism, attracting environmentally conscious visitors seeking “nature, culture and an authentic encounter with the place.”

That approach has also helped make Andros something of a model for sustainable, year-round tourism. Walkers arrive in particular during spring and autumn, helping extend the season and bringing visitors and economic activity to villages and communities beyond the island’s better-known coastal areas.

Spiritual Heritage

Euronews also turns its attention to Andros’ religious heritage and its five historic monasteries, including the Holy Monastery of Panachrantos and Saint Panteleimon, the oldest in the Aegean, where centuries of spiritual tradition meet dramatic landscapes and, increasingly, contemporary cultural activity.

Works by leading Greek artists have helped turn a restored tower of the monastery into an “Art Reliquary” – a setting where history, faith, art and contemporary culture meet. “It may seem like something unconventional or even daring,” Father Philaretos told Euronews. “In reality, the Church has always been willing to embrace the language of each era in order to communicate the Gospel’s message of love. Art and religion have always been closely connected. Throughout history, faith traditions have used the artistic expressions of their time.”

Among its many treasures, the monastery houses the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, believed to have been painted by Saint Luke the Evangelist, as well as the holy skull relic of Saint Panteleimon.

Long associated with its maritime heritage and elegant main town, it is abundantly clear that Andros still has plenty more to reveal. From a lemon grove to a mountain monastery, a stone-paved path to a vineyard, the island offers a landscape shaped by generations of island life – and, as Euronews’ new series suggests, one well worth exploring at a slower pace.

Source: Euronews