The Eastern side of Kalymnos is less inhabited than the West of the island; and a following short drive, only a few kilometers from Pothia, you arrive in the “second” Kalymnian valley.
With only 18% of Kalymnos’ land suitable for cultivation, agriculture has always been a minor part of the Kalymnian economy. One of the few places suitable for cultivation is Vathis (Βαθύς), which is famous for its vineyards and growing citrus fruits.
It is also from Vathis that a new road was built; meaning it is now possible to drive the whole way round the island and end up at Arginonda (Αργινώντα) on the West of Kalymnos, before heading back down to Pothia… it is also just as easy to do the same route in reverse.
In Vathis and its neighbouring villages, you will find a number of shops: both tourist ones and non-tourist ones. There is no “beach”, however the locals have sectioned off a section of the harbour to enable people to jump in from the rocks and swim safely. There are also steps in this area to enable you to get out safely!
I didn’t visit for very long; I only stopped for lunch one day – and it got busier after a boat load of tourists turned up. However, there are a number of tavernas and apartment blocks/hotels along the waterfront. If you head inland, you start to get towards locals’ houses and gardens, as well as farm land.
If you want tourist shops without the hassle of parking in Pothia then Vathis is the place to come. Parking is available.
The image used shows me, stood on the waterfront of Vathis’ harbour. It is licenced under a Creative Commons license. This means you are free to copy, distribute, display and perform the work on the conditions that you attribute it (with a link to this website) and do not use for commercial purposes. If you alter it, the work must be re-distributed under an identical or similar license.
