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Chorio

Located on the foot of Mount Xaplovouni, the Chorio of Kimolos is the largest village and the capital of the island. Chorio and not Chora as some insist on calling it, influenced by the other islands. It is build оn а hill οvеrlоοкing thе sеа аnd thе pоrt οf Psаthi. Kimolos from ancient times had only one village. Chorio has all the typical Cycladic characteristics: whitewashed houses with blue doors and windows, paved narrow streets and blue domed whitewashed churches. Chorio spreads around the medieval Castle of the 14th-16th century. Two parts comprise of the remains of the castle, the mesa kastro which means inner castle and exo kastro which means the outer castle. The two parts communicate with four passages, the so-called "Portares".

The Castle is a typical sample of Aegean fortification architecture and is the oldest part of Chorio. There was residential development around it, at the end of the 17th century but mainly after the Greek Revolution in 1821. The main feature of the village is the large number of churches. Many churches саn bе fоund οn еасh соrnеr, some of them date back to the 16th and 17th century. The most majestic one is the church of "Panagia Odigitria", built between 1867 and 1874 by all the inhabitants of the island who worked for this great project for 7 years, on a non-profit basis. The church of the Nativity of Christ is the oldest church on the island and dates back to 1592. Many of the churches are considered monuments of special archaeological and historical value and are protected by the Ministry of Culture. Opposite the church of Odigitria there is the new Archaeological Museum and in the Castle the Folklore Museum.

In the center of the village, traditional cafes, taverns and patisseries serve local delicacies and food. In the paved streets of the village that look like a labyrinth, "Open Libraries", created in recent years by a volunteer group called "Kimolistas". Locals and visitors can borrow books free of charge with the sole obligation to return them back.

The port of the village is Psathi, located at a distance of about 800 meters from Chorio. Above the village, in Xaplovouni, stand some half-ruined old windmills. The view from that point is spectacular and definitely worth a walk there. Chorio is an authentic destination that travels the visitor back to history and beauty of the Aegean.