Everything starts here — and most evenings end here
Chora is a knot of white lanes, blue doors and bougainvillea built centuries ago to confuse raiders, and it still confuses visitors in the best way. The landmarks are close together: the Kato Mili windmills on the ridge, Little Venice's balconied houses hanging over the water below them, the Paraportiani church near the Old Port, and Matogianni street's boutiques threading through the middle.
It is also the practical centre of the island. Boats to Delos and most day cruises leave from the Old Port, the two KTEL bus stations that serve the beaches are at either end of town, and the sea bus to the new port at Tourlos leaves from the harbour. If you stay here you can do the whole trip without a car.
The trade-off is noise and crowds. From late June to early September the lanes are packed from late afternoon until well past midnight, and rooms near Little Venice hear the bars. Rooms on the upper edges of town, or just outside it toward Tagoo and Agios Stefanos, are quieter and still walkable.
Beach
The town beach at Megali Ammos is a short walk south and fine for a quick swim; proper beach days mean a bus or sea taxi to the south coast.
Nights
The densest nightlife on the island: sunset bars in Little Venice, cocktail bars in the lanes, and clubs that run until dawn in high season.
Getting around
Walkable and largely pedestrian. Buses to the southern beaches leave from the Fabrika station on the south edge of town; buses to Ano Mera, Elia and the east leave from the Old Port station. Sea buses connect the Old Port with the new port at Tourlos in season. Taxis are few — book transfers ahead.
Season
In winter and early spring many restaurants and bars close and the town is very quiet; from May to October it runs at full volume.
