Exploring Vathy – Backstreets and Beyond

No sooner had we unpacked than we were out and ready to explore Vathy. We began by taking an alley one row behind the waterfront, lined with old stone houses. Brightly coloured rugs hung from balconies, gently airing in the breeze. There is just the right mixture of patina and decay, which, of course, adds to the charm.

At the bottom of the alley was a striking-looking bell tower and we continued walking, the rest of the church slowly revealed itself. The Metropolitan Church is dedicated to the presentation of the Virgin Mary. It was built in 1800 close to the site of an older church destroyed by the 1953 earthquake. The bell tower was added later.

Greek Orthodox churches are often seen with a separate bell tower, and there are several explanations for this. One practical reason is earthquake protection. In seismically active regions like Greece, a bell tower — being tall and narrow — is particularly vulnerable to collapse. By building it at a distance from the main church, any structural failure would be less likely to damage the church itself.

Historically, the emphasis in Greek Orthodox church design has been on the interior, rich with iconography and designed as a space for worship and reflection. Church bells were introduced to the Eastern Orthodox church in 856 AD, when the Doge of Venice gifted twelve bells to the Byzantine Emperor Michael III. These were installed in a tower near the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, marking the beginning of their use in Orthodox liturgy.

During the period of Venetian rule, particularly in the Ionian Islands, bell towers began to take on the tall, elegant style characteristic of Venice and wider Italy. However, during the Ottoman occupation, Christians often faced restrictions in expressing their faith. It was only after Greek independence — when the Orthodox Church reasserted its influence — that bell towers became more widespread, sometimes as additions to existing churches.

Today, the door to the Metropolitan Church is open. This spacious single-nave church houses a wooden icon created by Metsovite woodcarver Ioannis Paschoulitis. To the left is an ornate pulpit, and to the right a door with a brightly coloured stained glass fanlight. The church is worth visiting if you are passing.

Adjacent to the church is a small garden with a WW2 Memorial and a list of names of islanders who fell during the conflict. From here we weaved our way into the heart of the residential area of Vathy, passing the Church of Agios Nicholas and then past a smattering of small holdings. As we circled back towards the direction we came from, we stumbled across a memorial to the Church Panagoula tou Conte, which was destroyed in the 1853 earthquake. It took a minute to put two and two together to realise that this was the church that had been replaced by the Metropolitan Church.

This part of Vathy known as Linovrochos, roughly translates to “linen” and “noose or snare”. The latter could refer to the pool of brackish water that tended to pool nearby. Although there is no evidence of flax cultivation on the island, flax and linen could have been processed on a small domestic scale, and the brackish water could have been used as part of the flax softening process.

The significant icons that were recovered from the debris after the earthquake are now housed in the Metropolitan Church. The information on the memorial attributes the establishment of the church to Count Georgiou Delladetsima in 1714, during Venetian rule. The Delladetsimas were a family of local Greek landowners and benefactors active during the 17th–18th centuries, especially in Vathy.

Continuing around, we were soon back on the waterfront, where we stumbled across a couple of interesting landmarks. Firstly there was the striking Drakoulis Mansion. This beautiful neoclassical building was built in the 20th century by the ship-owning Drakoulis family. Plato Drakoulis was heavily involved in Greece’s socialist movement. What is most notable about the mansion is the artificial lake at the front fed by the sea through a channel under the road.

It’s still owned by the Drakoulis family and was once open to the public. It now looks a though it has been closed for some time.

Walking around the harbour, there are several Homer/Odysseus references. Firstly, a small modern statue of Penelope, wife of Odysseus and by the main square, statues of Homer and the legendary Odysseus himself.

Delving into the back alleys again, we found the Ithaca Maritime and Folklore Museum, where a statue of Poseidon strikes an imposing figure. Unfortunately, the museum was closed, but we will try again before we leave. In this area, there are a cluster of tavernas and tourist shops plus some interesting architectural features to admire (Just love a Greek door!). Regarding eateries, we are going to be absolutely spoiled for choice!

Speaking of eateries, it was now early evening, and all that walking had helped build up an appetite. How on earth to choose somewhere to eat when there is so much choice? To be honest, we weren’t swayed by the menus but by the pretty outward-looking view over the harbour at Restaurant Koholi – and we couldn’t have chosen better!

We started with Kohili Salad made with lettuce, carrot, beetroot, green apples and walnuts topped with a yoghurt sauce and also fava with warm, crusty bread. I had beef stifado, and Peter very unusually had village sausage, all washed down with Retsina.

Well, day one on Ithaca has passed very favourably!