Drive around Nisyros

There is a road that goes all around Nisyros. One must only attempt this in a high clearance vehicle. Preferably one with 4WD. There are a few parts with many loose rocks. These 4wd vehicles are readily available on the Island as rentals. The road starts out at the Volcano. At you approach the main volcano crater turn left down a dirt road just prior to approaching the entrance gate for the volcano. This road goes around the volcano to the left and up an sloped road behind the volcano with a great view of the Stephanos Crater. From here to the end there are spectacular views as you wind up and down the unpaved road. This road is flat on a side to side basis. In other words the vehicle is never leaning at all. The road is also wide enough for 2 vehicles. This makes it feel very safe. As a person who has done a lot of off-roading I would classify this trip at a very low difficulty level. One must simply put the vehicle in first gear and slowly proceed up and down the hills keeping the vehicle as far to the uphill side of the road as possible. There are great views of some small islands around Nisyros. There are also several caves and buildings along the way. Towards the end of the trip there is a rock quarry that could have been used to obtain the large blocks used in the castle. After the quarry one comes to a helicopter landing pad used regularly for medical emergencies. After that one comes to the Old Castle that overlooks Mandraki. That is all. It is a nice trip taking just over an hour or so depending on how many stops are made.

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