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Chora Castle

Castles

Chora Castle

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Chora Castle

Name: Chora Castle
Rating: 2

Recommended by 6 hikers

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Location: Attica, Greece

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Best Hikes to Chora Castle

5.0

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1. Chora Castle loop from Kythera

5.08km

01:35

180m

Intermediate hike. Great for any fitness level. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Intermediate

5.0

(5)

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2. Chora Castle loop from Kapsali

6.10km

01:52

200m

Intermediate hike. Great for any fitness level. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Intermediate

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3. Chora Castle loop from Kythera

2.04km

00:35

50m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

Tips

Peter

October 19, 2025

The island's most characteristic monument is the Castle of Chora! The castle, or "Fortezza," was built in the 13th century when Kythera was ruled by the Venetians. The "Eye of Crete," as it was also called due to its strategic location, allowing ships to observe three seas simultaneously—the Ionian, the Aegean, and the Cretan—was built at various stages of the island's history, but the largest and most important part, including the facade, was built in 1503 by the Venetians, who subsequently repaired and reconstructed it. At the entrance to the castle, you can see the tunnel, or "fossa"! On this front wall, the Venetian coat of arms of the Lion of St. Mark once stood, but it was destroyed by the French in 1797, along with the book of nobility and the coats of arms. To the left of the castle entrance, you can see the prison, and a little further up, on the right side of the southwestern part, the huge Venetian reservoir with domes and arches.

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Peter

October 19, 2025

In the center of the castle, you'll notice some dilapidated two-story houses. 200 years ago, 200 inhabitants lived in the castle, the last of whom remained during the occupation, when the conquerors seized the buildings. After another 30 meters of walking, you'll reach the gunpowder magazine, a building with walls more than a meter thick, and right next to it, the Church of Pantokratoras, filled with ancient wall paintings. In front of the church is the old seat of the castle; the building now houses the Historical Archives of Kythera. Crossing the large tunnel under the main seat, you'll reach the main seat square with the large 16th-century church—originally the Catholic "Our Lady of the Latins." In 1806, the church was consecrated as an Orthodox church, commemorating Mirtidiotissa. Next to it is the Church of Panaghia Orfani, where the icon and relics of the Agarathos Monastery in Heraklion were kept for 300 years while Crete was under Turkish rule. The Church of Mirtidiotissa retained the icon of the same name even during periods of pirate attacks until 1842, when the icon was returned to the Mirtidia Monastery, and a copy from 1844 was left in the castle.

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Peter

October 19, 2025

Outside the fortress, to the north, there is a second wall surrounding Klistos Vourgos, with its many churches and houses. The castle contains several cannons from the Venetian, Russo-Turkish, and English periods. Two of Mirtidiotissa's miracles are connected to the castle and can be seen at the bottom of the icon. One of them relates to the ship that was transporting the precious metal for the icon's dress from Crete and was threatened by pirates. The second refers to the lightning that struck the castle in 1829, passing in front of the image and the adjacent gunpowder magazine without causing any damage.

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Details

Informations

Elevation 170 m

Weather

Today

Monday 10 November

22°C

19°C

70 %

If you start your activity now...

Max wind speed: 36.0 km/h

See hikes here

Take Me There

Location: Attica, Greece

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Chora Castle

1. Chora Castle loop from Kythera

2. Chora Castle loop from Kapsali

3. Chora Castle loop from Kythera

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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