Chora the capital of Kythnos

Chora of Kythnos, or Mesaria, is the capital of Kythnos. Chora began to take shape as a large settlement around the middle of the 16th century with the destruction of the castle of Oria (near Loutra) by the Turks, when the Frankish conquerors of the island moved their residences to Messaria. Chora Kythnos is a traditional non-coastal settlement that maintains strong Cycladic architecture.

Small squares, picturesque cobbled streets with traditional restaurants, coffee bars, patisseries and shops, white houses with colored doors and windows, steps, arches and roofs, churches and windmills make up a wonderful residential complex. Today most of the island’s public services are located in Chora (Town Hall, Police etc). At the entrance of the village there is a large parking lot to serve visitors as vehicles do not have access to the paved alleys.

It is worth visiting the remarkable churches of Chora, distinguished for their special architecture and their rich interior decoration. The church of Agios Savvas which dates from 1613 and has the coat of arms of A. Gozadinos, the church of Sotira with the iconostasis of the 17th century and the church of Agia Triada which is the oldest on the island stand out.

Also, do not miss to visit the monastery of Panagia tou Nikos, which is built in an amazing location. A hidden school operated in the basement of the monastery, while you will also see a beautiful epitaph of the Virgin Mary. On the north-eastern side of Chora you will see the Wind and Photovoltaic Park, in which electricity is produced from the power of the wind and the sun.

It is the first station that operated in Greece. To serve the tourists, there is a transport network with regular routes and taxis that start at the port of Merichas and go to Chora Kythnos and then to Loutra Kythnos. Very close to Chora is the island’s helipad. The village is not particularly big to walk around but one thing is for sure, you will be enchanted!!