Tis Grias to Pidima beach on Andros

Andros has been gifted with a lot of lovely beaches. The beaches on Andros are, in my opinion, at least as nice as the ones on Naxos, and that is a very good rating. The most popular beaches are located in Batsi, and between Batsi and Gavrio.

Tis Grias to Pidima beach on eastern Andros.

My favourite beach is the one you see in the picture above. It is called Tis Grias to Pidima, located north of Ormos Korthi on eastern Andros. If you are staying in Batsi, you have about 30 kilometres to drive to this spectacular beach.

Tis Grias to Pidima beach with the spectacular cliff.

The reason I think Tis Grias to Pidima beach is the best on Andros is not that it is fantastic, it is the cliff that makes me just love this beach. Like so many other beaches on Andros, this is also a sandy beach. The only downside is that there is almost no shade and there is no taverna.

The beach is child-friendly, but the path leading down to the beach can be a little scary to walk.

You need a car to reach the beach as there are no bus connections. Of course you can go by taxi, but if you are staying in for example Batsi, it will be an expensive trip. There is a parking area above the beach. At the parking area there is a sign that shows the way to the narrow path that leads down to the beach. I know several people who think that the path is scary to walk, but I do not think so, even though I am afraid of heights.

The parking area above Tis Grias to Pidima beach. The sign shows the path leading down to the beach.

The path leading from the parking area to the beach runs high above the sea level.

Once down at the beach, just plunge into the tempting sea.

There are quite a lot of stories of how the beach and the cliff got its name. One version is that it was an old woman who jumped off the cliff after her husband died. Another legend says that an old woman jumped off the cliff to avoid being captured by the Turks, who then occupied Greece.

The woman who turned into the cliff Tis Grias to Pidima.

A third version is also about an old woman. She opened a gate to the inaccessible Castle of Faneromeni and let the Turks in. The Turks murdered everyone inside the castle. Then the old woman felt ashamed and committed suicide by jumping into the sea. Once in the sea, the woman turned into stone. The cliff that later came to be called Tis Grias to Pidima roughly means "The Old Lady's Jump". For that reason the beach is also called The Old Lady's Jump, and sometimes The Jumping Old Lady beach. I think the cliff looks more like an Egyptian Sphinx than an old woman. But what do I know. :-)

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