Kantouni, Panormos and Myrties
The main road to the north, now a tree-lined avenue, descends after passing the church of Christ of Jerusalem to a junction (4.5 km from Pothia), where a left branch-road leads to Linaria and Kantouni, two contiguous villages with attractive houses and gardens overlooking an intimate west-facing bay with sandy beaches. From Kantouni there are footpaths leading to the panoramic monastery of Stavrou, and further west (40 minutes) to the more remote monastery of Aghia Photini­. ‘Panormos’—which also has an attractive beach, Platis Yialos—refers more to an area than a particular centre, and covers the scattered community of houses and gardens on the lower west-facing slopes of Mount Prophiis Eli­as, which rises to the island’s highest peak (676m) behind. Before the main road begins to descend steeply to the coast at Myrties, with striking views across to Telendos, a sign indicates a left turn to the Early Christian basilica of Aghios Ioannis at Melitsacha: it possibly occupies what was the panoramic site of a temple of Poseidon. Once again it is the fine mosaics—clear, confident and well ordered in design, and with a dedicatory inscription of a certain ‘Anatolios’—which are the site’s greatest joy. By comparison with the other Palaeochristian buildings on the island, this is of smaller scale: the marble pillars of the nave with their carved panels closing off the north aisle are still in place at points, and the base of the templon screen, the synthronon and marble floor of the sanctuary are all clearly visible; their colour contrasts with the black volcanic threshold-stone of the west doorway. A modern funerary chapel occupies the southeast corner, and there are the remains of an 11th century chapel to the south. From here, the road descends steeply to Myrties, the harbour both for the regular shuttle-boats to Telendos (see next section), and for the daily ferry, which sails through the dramatic bay of Arginonta, and round the northern point of the island to Xerokambos on Leros.

Kalymnos Island is part of the Dodecanese Island group
Chorio and the North of the island. Kantouni, Panormos and Myrties.


Random information you might what to know about Kalymnos Island
Kalymnos sponges
Hellenistic fortress of Kastri

 

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