Patitiri: The bay and village
Patitiri means wine press, relating to the time when the island of Alonissos was a major grape growing centre. A blight wiped out the wine trade, but all is not lost; if you’re visiting in June, do try the locally grown apricots.
The village was once just the harbour for the island’s capital, Chora, a couple of miles inland. However, an earthquake in 1965, resulted in many inhabitants moving down the hill to the port. (I suspect the lure of the tourist dollar may also have had an effect)!
Chora has been sensitively rebuilt but Patitiri is now the capital of the island. Although Alonissos is a bit off the main tourist trail, Patitiri’s main income now stems from its visitors.
Patitiri
There’s all you’d expect of a small tourist town and a good place for yacht charterers to restock. There are plenty of bars and tavernas, the better eateries being in town rather than on the sea front. The bars can be noisy in the evenings so bareboats may prefer to anchor in Rousoumi bay, to the north, than in Patitiri harbour itself.
As wells as plenty of shops, a bank, ATM, pharmacies, a healthcare centre and dentist, there’s an excellent Folklore museum, a private venture by a Dutch couple. Also worth a visit is the MOM visitors centre, the local organisation dedicated to the shy Monk seals found locally. There is also a beach but it’s small and unremarkable.
Chora
If you want to visit the old capital, there’s a bus service that will take you there in a few minutes. or for the energetic, it’s walkable. The town has a history museum.