Maltezana

I love to take pictures of some of the gorgeous yachts and sailboats that moor in the coves and harbors around Astypalaia. I took this shot from the sleepy fishing village of Maltezana. Isn't she a beauty! You can see the white houses of the main village, Chora, spilling down the hill in the background.



Legend has it that Maltezana is named for the Maltese pirates that held the area as a base from which they would do their marauding. Locals tell us that people lived in higher places on the island so that they could see invaders coming. The little valleys at higher elevations were good places for folks to hide from pirates. We saw a threshing circle way up in one of the mountain passes.



The white monument in the foreground is is remembrance dedicated to some French sailors who lost their ship and their lives battling with the pirates.



Now Maltezana is free of pirates, and has a really nice sandy beach for swimming.