Travel Guide Pothea

With its contrasting landscape and ochre-colored houses with multicolored shutters, the capital of Kalymnos catches the eye as soon as you arrive by boat. The town lives to the rhythm of its residents and its fishing port, home to the largest fleet of fishing boats in the entire region. The town's heart is not in tourism, and you'll find plenty of authentic situations and local events, whether in the harbor cafés, at the fish market along the quayside, or in the back alleys. Take a stroll and admire the neoclassical houses of the 19th-century captains who became wealthy, or the ancient treasures in the archaeological museum. You'll be amazed by the heterogeneous central square, between the 1930 town hall, headquarters of the Italians during the Fascist occupation, and the Saint-Sauveur cathedral (1861) with its magnificent pebble mosaic floors and sculpted marble templon. Climb the mountains that encircle the port, on the heights of Horio, and take in the view from the fortress of Megalo Kastro. Relax on the small, hidden beach of Vlychadia, where you can dine in one of the island's best tavernas..