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Andros is located on the north end of the Cycladic Complex and it is the 2nd larger island after Naxos in the Aegean Sea. In total, is about 374 km² wide and its coastline is about 177km. On the east side, the Kafireas Channel separates it from the long island of Evia. Although in general and especially on the west side the coast is quite steep and rocky, there are plenty of wonderful beaches with sand or pebbles and clear blue cold waters that can impress any visitor. Winds are extremely strong on this side of the Cyclades (Andros, Tinos, Mykonos) and the most protected coast is on the west side of the island where is located the main port of Andros, Gavrio. There arrive daily all the boats from Rafina Port from the mainland and from the neighbor islands like Syros, Tinos and Myconos. The ferry trip from Rafina lasts maximum 2,5h without in between stops.

Andros is a mountainous island, but mostly has plenty of lower hills instead of one tall mountain like the other Cycladic Islands have. On the north is the area of Aghii Saranta (716m. altitude) in the center and westward towards the coast is Mt. Petalo with the highest peak at 994m. On the south is the area of Gerakones (736m. altitude), which in the old times was known as Katafighi and further south is the crown of Profitis Elias, 682m height. The north and especially the south part of the island are basically infertile and barren. The north part of Mt. Petalo is a valley with rich vegetation and plenty of natural water springs. Further north we find the valley of Ateni. The south slopes of Petalo are also rich with underground waters and small streams. That is why the villages around this area are thriving. Since the ancient times, the hardworking Andrian inhabitants cultivated the land and produced lemons, onions, fruits, figs, olives and olive oil, grapes, vegetables and other products. Lemons and onions were even exported. The breeding of cattle, sheep and goats and the agriculture had been the main source of income till a lot of the inhabitants went to the big cities to find more opportunities. Today only few people are professional farmers.

Andros is known for three characteristics. On the island we see a lot of unexploited forestland and although we don't see rivers, we do see plenty of streams, small beautiful waterfalls and plenty of natural sources, because Andros is maybe the only Cycladic islands with such a rich with water underground. Well known is the spring of Sarissa, with water rich in metallic and therapeutic elements. It's not without reason that one of Andros ancient names was Hydrousa (watery). The second fact that makes Andros known is its sensitivity towards the winds. All year long, on the island blow north winds, especially strong during the summer, in August (Meltemi). This on the one hand helps against the heat, but on the other hand, when the winds blow extremely strong, can be unpleasant. The third characteristic of Andros is the maritime development. Andrians had adjusted very fast to the changes of nautical technology and used the steam engines even before 1880, managing this way not only to stay competitive, but also to be in the first place in Greece for years. In the beginning, Andros had 56 sailboats. In 1978 had been registered, only on the island, 92 ships of 100 kore (1 kore = 2,86 cubic meters) and many other ships had been registered in other ports or sailed under foreign flags all over the world. The maritime activities of Andrians provided always a substantial income for them and still do.