PÓTHIA (sometimes pronounced Pothiá), without being obviously picturesque, is colourful and authentically Greek, its houses marching up the valley inland or arrayed in tiers up the sides of the mountains framing it. Your first and overwhelming impression will be of the phenomenal amount of noise engendered by motorbike traffic and the cranked-up sound systems of the half-dozen waterfront cafés. This is not entirely surprising, since with nearly 16,000 inhabitants, Póthia recently overtook Kós Town as the second-largest municipality in the Dodecanese, after Ródhos Town.

 

Perhaps the most rewarding way to acquaint yourself with Póthia is by wandering the backstreets, where elegant Neoclassical houses are surrounded by surprisingly large gardens, and craftsmen ply their trade in a genuine workaday bazaar. The Pothians particularly excel in iron-working, and all but the humblest dwellings in the eastern Evangelístria district are adorned by superbly ornate banisters, balcony railings and fanlights. During the Italian occupation, many local houses were painted blue and white to irritate the colonial overlords, and though the custom has all but died out, the Greek national colours still appear amongst more traditional pink and ochre buildings.

Of the two local museums, priority should be given to the Municipal Nautical and Folklore Museum (Mon-Fri 8am-1.30pm, Sat-Sun 10am-12.30pm; ¬1.50), on the seaward side of Khristós cathedral. A large photo in the foyer shows Póthia as it was in the 1880s, with no quay, jetty, roads or sumptuous mansions, and with most of the population still up in Hóra, while other photos document sponge-fishing and the Allied liberation of 1945. Three-dimensional exhibits include horribly primitive divers' breath ing apparatuses, and "cages" designed to keep propellers from cutting air lines, a constant fear. The local archeological museum (Tues-Sun 10am-2pm; free guided tours only) is installed in a grand former residence of the Vouvallis family of sponge magnates. A rather eclectic collection, including a kitsch-furnished Second Empire parlour and small troves from the island's several caves, it's not exactly required viewing.