In short… Vorina Ktismata is a smartly appointed small hotel with lovely views and just a short walk into Chora, or the path to the Hozoviotissa monastery.
The vibe… We convinced Nikos, the owner of the lovely new-ish Vorina Ktismata in Chora (which means “town” in Greek, and is always the name of the main town on any given island), to make an exception and let us stay for just one night (most island hotels have a three-night or longer minimum in the summer). Nikos is from the island—and several years ago moved back from Athens to turn his family property into a small guesthouse. He has a great eye—gravitates to the minimalist aesthetic, with nice details like a vintage Olympic Cruise poster in the reception area.
The rooms… Minimalist and tasteful—the design doesn’t try to compete with the views.
The food and drink… They only serve breakfast, made with all local and homemade products–the delicious egg scramble was a highlight. Nikos has great restaurant/cafe/bar recs in town, and they are all within a 5 to 10 minute walk. One thing to note—if you’re planning to wake up early to make the hike to the scenic Hozoviotissa monastery, you’ll have to figure out how to arrange coffee in advance. We didn’t think it would be a problem, but there isn’t a coffee machine in the room, and there wasn’t anyone working in the kitchen at 7am to make us a coffee.
Be sure to… Take that hike up to the monastery—and say hi to our friend Constantine if he’s there! He wrote about his living there in our Summer 2023 issue of Yolo Journal. For more on the island, see our Dispatch on this area.
Date of stay… August 23, 2023
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