Chora on Kea – beautiful Ioulida

Chora on Kea (approximately 460 inhabitants), also known as Ioulida or Ioulis, is one of the most beautiful villages in the Cyclades. At least, that is what I think. Chora is quite different from the whitewashed villages usually associated with the Cyclades, and even from a distance you can see that this is something special.

Beautiful Chora on Kea.

The village is beautifully situated on the slopes, and the houses climb up and down the mountainsides.

Perhaps the best thing about Chora is its location. The village lies incredibly beautifully on the slopes high above the surrounding landscape, with houses climbing up and down the hillsides. The views over the valleys and mountains are sometimes breathtaking. It is the kind of village you can happily stand and admire for quite a while before you even enter it.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF CHORA

Chora lies inland, about six kilometres from the port of Korissia. That may be one reason why the village feels so different from many other main villages in the Cyclades. The architecture is not particularly typical of the Cyclades either. There are, of course, whitewashed houses, but there are also houses in other colours, tiled roofs, stone houses and buildings that are more reminiscent of a village on the Greek mainland than, for example, Chora on Amorgos or Chora on Folegandros. And I like that very much. Much of Chora is car-free, and the old part of the village is best explored on foot. Just start walking and see where you end up.

Chora seen from the other side.

ALLEYS, STEPS AND STONE ARCHES

There are plenty of villages in Greece where you can get lost in the alleys. Chora on Kea is definitely one of them. Here you will find narrow stone-paved lanes, long stairways, small squares, passages beneath houses and countless beautiful stone arches. One moment you are walking between closely packed houses, and the next the landscape opens up and you are rewarded with fantastic views across Kea.

One of many narrow, colorful, vaulted alleys in Chora.

It is these contrasts that make Chora so fascinating. My best advice is not to try to follow any particular route. Put away the map and simply go wherever the alleys take you. Chora is not so large that you will not eventually find your way back. And if you do get lost for a while, it does not matter. That is almost the whole point.

The entrance to Chora.

The main street in Chora in one direction.

The main street in Chora in the other direction.

THE SQUARE AND THE TOWN HALL

Sooner or later you will arrive at the square, the natural meeting place of Chora. There are tavernas and cafés here, as well as the impressive old Town Hall. The Town Hall was built at the beginning of the 20th century to designs by the famous German-Greek architect Ernst Ziller, who was responsible for many neoclassical buildings throughout Greece.

The square and the town hall in Chora.

Strangely enough, the building fits perfectly here and adds even more to the feeling that Chora on Kea is quite unlike any other Chora in the Cyclades. The square is, of course, also the perfect place to sit down after all those steps and alleys. When we were there, we were happy to sit for a long time, watching village life and enjoying the views over the valley. Not bad at all.

Rolandos Ouzeri is very good and is located by the town hall.

A VILLAGE WITH AN ANCIENT HISTORY

Chora is not only beautiful. The place also has a long history. Ancient Chora (Ioulis) was one of Kea’s four city-states, together with Karthaia, Korissos and Poiessa. Unlike the others, Ioulis was situated inland and in time developed into the island’s most important centre. Above present-day Chora stood the acropolis of the ancient city. A castle was later built on the same site, and the area is still known as Kastro.

Sometimes you have to think to avoid getting scalped.

There is no large castle to visit today, but it is still worth walking up into the higher parts of the village. If for no other reason than the views and the chance to wander through even more of Chora’s alleys. Kea’s Archaeological Museum is also located in Chora and contains finds from different periods of the island’s long history.

Chora consists of a maze of alleys, stairways, archways, and beautiful houses.

One of many beautiful houses in Chora.

THE WALK TO THE LION OF KEA

One of the most fascinating sights on the whole of Kea lies just outside Chora. I am, of course, talking about the famous Lion of Kea, carved directly into the rock and lying there with its mysterious smile for more than two thousand years.

The laughing lion on Kea. Chora is visible in the background.

The walk from Chora to the lion is very beautiful and is worth doing even if, for some unlikely reason, you are not interested in ancient smiling stone lions. Personally, I think the lion is one of the strangest and most fascinating sights in the Cyclades.

Read more about the smiling Lion of Kea here »

DO NOT MISS CHORA

Many visitors to Kea stay down by the sea and perhaps only make a short visit to Chora. I think that is a shame. Chora is not a village you should simply drive up to, take a few photos of and then leave. Give it time. Wander around without a plan, follow the alleys, stop at the viewpoints and sit down in the square for a while. Above all, I think you should try to see the village from different directions. Chora’s spectacular location is a large part of the experience, and from a little distance you can really appreciate how the houses are scattered across the slopes.

Chora seen from another angle.

Kastro is located on the hill to the right.

I have visited many beautiful villages in the Cyclades over the years. Chora on Kea is without doubt one of my favourites. It is a shame that more people have not discovered it.

HOTELS IN CHORA

I haven’t stayed in Chora, only in Korrisia, but next time I travel to Kea, I will definitely stay in Chora. I can imagine how amazing it must be there in the evenings and mornings. I’ll likely choose to book Serie, which looks absolutely fantastic.

Book Serie here »

Book andra hotel i Chora here »

Read more about Kea here »