Alonissos Villages: Patitiri, Chora, Votsi, Steni Vala & Kalamakia

Alonissos has 5 settlements worth knowing: the port town of Patitiri, the old capital Chora on the hill above it, and the fishing villages of Votsi, Steni Vala and Kalamakia. Patitiri is the largest village and the island's harbour, Chora is the traffic-free old town 3 km up the hill, and the three smaller villages keep their working fishing harbours and fish tavernas. Several of these places are also swimming spots, covered separately in the Alonissos beaches guide.

Main town

Patitiri

Old capital

Chora

Patitiri to Chora

3 km

Island group

Sporades

Patitiri, the port and main town

Patitiri is the port and main town of Alonissos, in the south-east of the island, and the first village you see on arrival. It is the largest settlement, with about 1,600 inhabitants. The name Patitiri means "wine press", after the wine for which the island has been known since ancient times. The harbour is small and cosy, lined with trees and flowers, with quiet terraces, good food and little traffic. Along the streets are shops, supermarkets and a bakery, and the town has ATMs and a health centre. Excursion boats leave the harbour for the Alonissos coastline, the Blue Cave, the Marine Park and nearby islands. A small pebble beach lies on the right side of town, and the beaches of Roussom Gialos and Votsi sit a short way north; these are described in the Alonissos beaches guide.

Chora (Palia Alonissos), the Old Town

Chora, also called Palia Alonissos, is the old capital of the island, 3 km up the hill above Patitiri. It was the island's capital until a 1965 earthquake destroyed most of its buildings, after which many residents moved down to Patitiri by the sea. The houses were rebuilt and repaired, and the village has since become a place where foreigners buy second homes and where artists and writers have settled, giving it a cosmopolitan feel. It stands high enough for wide views over the island and is a good place to watch the sunset. Most of Chora is free of traffic, its cobbled streets linked by steps, and its white houses carry light blue shutters and doors with pots of flowers outside. The village has small shops, galleries, several tavernas and restaurants, two cocktail bars, two mini-markets, an Italian ice cream shop and a bakery. On the hilltop stand the remains of a fortress first built around 2800 BC, restored in Byzantine times and repaired by the Venetians between 1204 and 1274, of which little survives today. Three small churches remain, the largest being the 12th-century Byzantine Church of Christ with frescoes inside. You reach Chora on foot in about 25 minutes from Patitiri, or by bus or taxi.

Votsi

Votsi is a small harbour village in a bay 1 km north of Patitiri, about a 20-minute walk from the port. Its little fishing harbour is picturesque, with a couple of traditional fish tavernas and small fishing boats moored at the quay. The bay is ringed by marble formations streaked with red, dropping into clear emerald water. The village has a few hotels, apartments and studios and some rooms for rent, along with shops and fish tavernas, and Chora lies about 2 km away. Its small shingle beach, reached by stone steps from the road, is covered in the Alonissos beaches guide.

Steni Vala

Steni Vala is a fishing village on the north-east coast of Alonissos, about 12 km from Patitiri, and was once a hideaway for pirates. It faces the island of Peristera across the water. Although it has grown into a small tourist resort, most of its inhabitants still live traditionally from fishery. The village has a couple of taverns and cafes and some accommodation for rent, with luxury villas in the wider area. A small hut on the beach houses the Monk Seal Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre. In the harbour, the To Fanari restaurant specialises in seafood. Its beach, Glyfa, is described in the Alonissos beaches guide.