Astypalea Chora

Chora is the main village of Astypalea, a butterfly-shaped island in the western Dodecanese, in Greece. The whitewashed houses cascade down the slope beneath a hilltop Venetian castle, the Querini fortress, built in the fifteenth century. A row of windmills stands on the ridge below the castle, and the whole composition is one of the most distinctive village views in the Aegean. The settlement is a tangle of narrow lanes, steps and small squares, with blue doors, bright flowers and traditional houses with wooden balconies. A path climbs from the lower square through the village to the castle gate, where the Church of Panagia Portaitissa sits within the walls, with a carved wooden iconostasis and a notable interior. From the castle terraces, visitors look down on the harbour of Pera Gialos and across the bay. Photographers have a few favoured vantage points. The opposite hillside, reached by a short walk or drive along the road from Pera Gialos, gives the whole village layered beneath the castle, which is at its best at blue hour when the lights come on. The castle terrace offers sunset views over the Aegean, and the windmills make good foreground subjects in the late afternoon. Morning light on the white walls is soft and clear. The village is quiet for most of the year. July and August bring more visitors, and the lanes become busy in the evening, when tavernas and bars open. Spring and early autumn have milder weather and a calmer atmosphere. The wind can be strong in summer, which helps for clear air but makes tripods unsteady. The walk through the village to the castle takes around thirty minutes, with extra time for photography. Ferries link Astypalea with Piraeus, Kos, and other Dodecanese islands, and a small airport offers flights from Athens. The village is free to visit.