What is there to do on Halki?

Halki is an island of peace and tranquillity. It has no night clubs or discos but does occasionally stage a beach party for the younger generation.
There is however a wide range of tavernas serving traditional and specialist foods.

Halki has three main beaches all within walking distance but also served by mini-bus; these are Ftenaya, Kania and Pontamos.

FTENAYA

PONTAMOS

KANIA

KIRISTANIS CRUISES
For bookings call Kiristanis Tel: 0030 6936 116229

The Kiristani has 18 Seats. The Captain is Kiristanis of the Nissos Halki family and the boat is moored next to the Nissos Halki berth.

THE ISLAND OF ALIMNIA

KIRISTANI BOAT

The Kiristani also goes to other beaches in Halki, not accessible by road; round the island and to Kamiros Scala (Rhodes) in 30 minutes. The additional trips to Kamiros mean it is possible for visitors to Halki to go to Rhodes at a time aside from the normal 06:00 am /14:30 pm time- frame. This means that small parties could arrange to visit Rhodes attractions such as the Butterfly Valley and the vineyards, quite a few of which offer free wine-tasting.
Evening fishing trips can also be booked direct with the Captain.

Walking opportunities

One attraction for visitors is the many walking opportunities. Ancient Roads were cleared to make new walks.

The Castle

Is now much more accessible as it is on the bus route. It takes about 45 minutes to walk there from Emporio and the peace and views make the effort very worthwhile.
It is situated above the largely abandoned village Horio. Some re-colonisation is now occurring because of the peace and tranquillity that is found there and it is cooler at the height of summer. The castle, in its most recent 15th Century form, was built by the Knights of St John whose crest is clearly visible on the wall above Horio.

A lot of the 15th Century walls are still intact.

Taking in the view from the castle wall overlooking Trachea. The ancient door is still intact.

The castle is steeped in history and romance; it is a place for falling in love, proposing marriage or just listening to the silence.

Below is an extract from the web-site www.livelifetravel.com/features/hiking_halki.html
“Horio is the former capital (of Halki), but is now abandoned. It thrived in the 18th and 19th centuries and is found four kilometers from Emborio. It lies in ruin. Halki‘s 15th century castle is situated on a classic site there and you can look for the Byzantine frescoes inside the old walls. Fragments of ceramics have been found in the area. The castle is a an hour‘s hike (one-way) or you can take the taxi. There is a card telephone if you want to contact the taxi for a ride back to civilization.

St. John‘s Monastery is a difficult 2 1/2-hour walk each way. The monastery is run by a caretaker, as the monks left back in the 1940s. Ask if you‘d like to stay in a cell (room) overnight”.

THE ROAD TO St JOHNS - Bus in the distance

THE MONASTERY OF ST JOHN

PROCESSION FROM THE CHURCH

TRADITIONAL DANCERS

Mini-bus service

One attraction in Halki is the bus service that has enabled local and visitor alike to more easily access the beaches, churches and monastery. The bus works on a 30 minute regular timetable doing a circuit of Ftenaya, The Hotel, Pontamos and central port. It goes to Kania twice a day and the monastery once. The bus is very comfortable and fully air conditioned although (Some would say the bus driver Nikos is an attraction in his own right).

NICKOLAS FERTEKLIS

5x5 Football

This beautiful pitch was completed in 2007 when the Halki FC was able to get in some serious training with a resulting improvement in their score lines. Visitors can be involved in games or training sessions.

THE PITCH!

Gym and Massage in the recently renovated Halki Hotel.

The gym is small and friendly with an emphasis on accessibility to everyone- any one from aged 14 upwards is welcome. The qualified trainer is English. 
What better way to relax than by having a massage- A perfect activity as part of a relaxed tranquil holiday.