The picturesque bay of Vathy

Vathy is a small village at the end of a unique fjord of Kalymnos, it is located north east of the capital of the island. The settlement appears before ones eyes at the end of a trajectory through arid mountainous, waterless land.

A vivid contrast to the austerity of the route, the arrival is a greeting in green, a true oasis at the end of a fecund valley, sparsely build with small houses comfortably scattered around until the picture becomes denser with several more houses built at the other extremity, where the valley gives way to a delightful bight, protected enough to resemble a fjord.

This valley – reaching as far as Stimenia – is known to have been inhabited since the Neolithic Age, a fact further corroborated by the vestiges of an ancient shrine and a citadel. Settlement activities were obviously pursued well into the Byzantine era. That was the time of the settlement of Rina, extending over the slopes of the hills, near the port and reputedly destroyed on an Easter evening, sometime in early 15th century, at a corsair raid.

Where the imposing cathedral of Saint Irene once stood currently raises a humble church dedicated to the same saint, after which the entire settlement was named.

At a 13 km distance from the port of Pothia, Vathy is currently inhabited by 600 people.

The coast road heading east out of Pothia winds along the coast past ugly cement factories, oil terminals and gasworks before heading up into the hills where the views improve dramatically.

After four kilometres a concrete track plunges down the hillside to the small bay at Akti and a delightful shingle beach with a couple of large tamarisk trees for shade.

Vathy has some restaurants and cafes and a peaceful rest from the turmoil of Pothia, although boat trippers can fill the place quickly during the high season.

Beyond Akti, about 10 kilometres out of Pothia, the short, fertile valley of Vathi snakes down to the sea covered in groves of olive, tangerine and lemon.

On the shore lies the pretty port of Rina where a clutch of big tavernas take care of the visiting tourists and boats line the long narrow inlet with hills rising sharply each side.

Boat excursions leave here for the stalagmite encrusted Dhaskilio cave, set in the cliff along the gorge and there are tiny beaches at Almyres and Dhrasonda, accessible only by boat.

The valley behind, looks beautiful from a distance, but closer inspection reveals series of moribund, flyblown hamlets of old houses set behind high brick walls.