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The
terrain of this fourth largest of the Dodecanese is mountainous, except
for two fertile valleys. It is along these valleys that its biggest villages
have sprouted Kalymnos or Pothia and Vathi.
Castles,
remnants of fortresses, archaeological finds, and old churches bear witness
to the continuous importance of Kalimnos in the history of the Aegean.
Its natural attractions - caves, lovely beaches, unspoilt scenery - make
it a mini earthly paradise. Kalimnos is widely known as the spongefishers'
island, since such a large portion of the population is engaged in this
age - old occupation.
Once
the island's capital was located at Horio, which benefited from
the protection offered by the castle of the Knights of St. John just above
it. Today's capital is pothia or Kalymnos, founded around
1850 by the inhabitants of Horio. Its brightly coloured houses surround
the port like the seats in an amphitheatre, arranged along the hillsides
down to the caiques and fishing boats bobbing below. Án old church dedicated
to Christ the Saviour adoms the waterfront. It is decorated with frescoes
and valuable icons, while its iconostasis is the work of the well known
sculptor, Õianïõlis Halepas.
Kalimnos
has other channing villages, like Vathi, set in a fertile valley
fuli of citrus tress, and Metohi, on the southeast side of the island.
The quiet hamlet of Emborios lies to the north.
Ôï
the west are Massouri, Mirties, Kamari and Panormos where
one can try sea-food delicades such as «fouskes» and «chtapokeftedes».
Ïn the road to Panormos, yïu will notice the remains of a three - aisled
basilica dedicated to Chéist of Jerusalem, which was erected around
the 6th century on the site of an ancient temple where Delian Áñollï was
worshipped.
Ôï
the north of the main town is Pera Kastro, also called the Castle
of the Golden Hands (Hrissoheria), because the chapel in its interior has
an icon of the Virgin whose hands are covered with gold leaf. Northeast
of Pothia, at the fïot ïf Flaska hill, is the cave of the Seven Virgins
or Nymphs (not to be visited).
Kalimnos
boasts two other caves, the richly decorated Skalies, about 100
metres from the village of Skalia in the north of the island (not to be
visited), and Kefalas or Trypas Kefalas to the south (which
can be visited and one can approach it by boat).
At
Therma,
only
one kilometre or so from Pothia, there are radioactive springs and therapeutic
bathing installations, rooms where visitors may spend the night, and specially
trained personnel to assist them.
Among
the lovely beaches on Kalimnos are Massouri, Mirties and Arginondas
along
the west coast and Vlyhadia in the south.
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