The most important sight on the island is the famous crater "Stefanos", the active volcano that emerged from two large underwater eruptions 25,000 and 15,000 years ago. Discover this mysterious landscape, with the strong smell of sulfur, as you walk around and inside the crater with its white and yellow colors and the bubbling holes under your feet.
Visit the picturesque Mandraki, the capital of the island, with its cobbled streets, pebbled squares and white houses with colorful windows. Spend some time at the Ilikiomeni square (‘Square of the Elderly’) with its characteristic ficus trees, and admire the two-storey neoclassical building of the Town Hall, built in 1931 by craftsmen who came from neighboring Symi.
Nisyros is famous for its thermal springs, which are ideal for therapeutic hydrotherapy. 1.5 km away from the island’s capital you’ll find the renovated Municipal Baths of Mandraki, where the waters of the hot spring reach a temperature of 46° C.
Walk up to the Monastery of Panagia Spiliani (17th century), which stands on a 30-meter-high rock of the Venetian Castle of the Knights in Mandraki. The 270 steps leading to the sacred Cave of the church will reward you, as this is where you’ll see the ornate wood-carved iconostasis dating back to 1725 and the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary.
In the village of Nikia, admire the Porta Square, known for its ellipsoid shape, with ornate pebbled decorations dating back to 1923 (built by the famous local craftsman Paschalis Paschalakis). A few meters above the square stands the impressive church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary. Nikia is also home to the only Volcanological Museum in Greece.
Don’t miss a visit to the picturesque mountain village of Emporio, distinctively built with houses made of volcanic stone, as well as two-storey neoclassical buildings with impressive lintels. From here you can visit the medieval Castle of Pantoniki with the church of Taxiarches (13th century) to admire the Aegean Sea and the caldera of the volcano.
In Paleokastro you’ll find the exceptionally well-preserved, 2,600-years old acropolis of Nisyros, one of the most magnificent fortifications in the Aegean, built of robust black trachyte.
Nisyros is ideal for hiking trails that will guide you through the island’s natural landscapes, walking along dry-stone walls (vastadia), cottages (spiladia), old distilleries and chapels. An easy, one-hour walk that will reward you with a unique view of the Aegean Sea, starts from the monastery of Evangelistria and reaches the highest point of the island (698 meters), at Prophitis Elias.