Tis Grias To Pidima

The name means the old woman's jump, and the story attached to the place tells of a woman who, after guiding raiders to the local castle, threw herself from the cliff in shame and was turned to stone; the pillar standing offshore is said to be her. Geology explains it as a resistant stack left when the surrounding cliff eroded, but the legend is what gets told. The beach below is fine grey-gold sand and pebble in a small bay with very clear water, backed by steep slopes, and it faces the sea between Andros and Tinos. A path descends from a small parking area in about ten minutes. There are no facilities, and the bay is exposed to the meltemi.

The landscape

• The rock stack - a pale pillar standing alone in the shallow water.
• The bay - sand and pebble between steep eroded slopes.
• The clear water - shallow and transparent around the pillar.
• The descent path - a short walk down from the road above.

When to go

May to September for swimming, with mornings calmest; the meltemi in July and August can make the bay rough and the beach uncomfortable. The light is best in the early part of the day.

Practical notes

There are no facilities of any kind, no shade and no water, and the path down is steep with loose stone. Parking is a handful of spaces. In wind the bay is unusable and the walk down wasted.

Nearby

Korthi village and bay lie north; Chora of Andros with its museums is up the eastern coast.

Key facts