The castle
On the hilltop.
Ввласенко — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Asiomou — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Asiomou — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ввласенко — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ввласенко — CC BY-SA 3.0 · G-Lignum — CC0 · Asiomou — CC BY-SA 4.0
Chora is the main town of Astypalea, a butterfly-shaped Greek island between the Cyclades and the Dodecanese in the Aegean Sea. Its white houses spill down a hill from a castle on the summit to the old harbour of Pera Gialos, and a row of windmills lines the shoulder of the hill. The Venetian Querini family built the castle on the hilltop in the 15th century, and for centuries people lived inside its walls, whose outer face was formed by the houses themselves. Parts of the walls and the vaulted gateway still stand, with wide views over the island and its bays. Many scholars see the island's character as closer to the Cyclades than to the Dodecanese. Visitors wander narrow white lanes and stairways between houses with colourful wooden balconies, climb to the castle and then walk down to the harbour cafés and small beach. In the evening, when the lights come on, the town seems to glow above the bay. Exploring the town and castle is free. Astypalea is reached by ferry from Piraeus or the Dodecanese islands, or by plane from Athens, and the island is quiet away from the August peak.
On the hilltop.
On the hillside.
Cafés and beach.
Chora, Astypalea, Greece
By ferry from Piraeus or by plane from Athens.
June and September.