Arkoi

Arkoi

Native name: Αρκοί
The main town of Arkoi and its port
Arkoi Location in Greece
Geography
Coordinates	37.38°N 26.74°E / 37.38; 26.74
Archipelago	Dodecanese
Total islands	9
Area	6.697 km2 (2.586 sq mi)
Administration
Greece
Region	South Aegean
Regional unit	Kalymnos
Capital city	Arki (town)
Demographics
Population	44 (2011)
Additional information
Postal code	855 00
Area code(s)	22470
Vehicle registration	ΚΧ, ΡΟ, ΡΚ
Official website	www.arki-island.com

Arkoi (Greek: Αρκοί; also Arkioi (Αρκιοί)) is a small Greek island which is part of the Dodecanese archipelago. It is situated in the eastern Aegean Sea, close to the Turkish Aegean Coast. The island belongs to the municipality of Patmos, and had a population of 54 inhabitants at the 2001 census.

The small population means that there is no real capital, but most inhabitants live close to the main harbour with the rest living scattered around the island on higher ground. The majority of the population finds employment in fishing, goat herding or running one of the island's four tavernas.

Geography

The island is characterized by dry, rocky land with little in the way of vegetation apart from olive trees and some hardy shrubs. Fauna on the island mainly consists of livestock such as goats or donkeys, though herons can be spotted occasionally. The marine life in the bays around the island has not suffered as much as on other Greek islands with various species of grouper and nudibranch present.

Landmarks

Front, left to right: Arkoi, Leipsoi, Leros. Back, left to right: Agathonisi, Farmakonisi and the Turkey coastline.

On the hill overlooking the main harbour are situated the ruins of an acropolis. Although little remains of the structure, the stones used to build it make a good viewpoint at which to see the sun set over the Aegean. At one end of the island, towards the island of Lipsi is the best beach on the island, Tiganakia. This beach is small and somewhat rocky but provides crystal clear waters to swim in and the view across the bay to the nearby islets is idyllic. This beach can become swamped in high summer (July and August) as day trippers from nearby Lipsi visit the beach frequently. At the other end of the island, in the direction of Samos, is what is referred to as the 'Italian jail'. Villagers say it was used during World War II as a prison by the Italian army, since from 1912 to 1943 the island was part of the Italian Dodecanese. Also at this end of the island is a cave, which contains a number of stalactite and stalagmite formations. The cave is however difficult to find as the land around it is covered by olive trees and bushes.

Nearby islands

The closest inhabited island is that of Marathi, though the closest populations of any significant size are found on the islands of Lipsi and Patmos.

Transportation

There is ferry service that runs between Samos, Patmos, and Lipsi, that calls at the island, as well as occasional small ferries to other nearby islands such as Marathi.

External links

• Arki Webpage
• Arkoi at Greece.org
• Sailor and mooring information about Arki Archived 2016-04-08 at the Wayback Machine