Mikro Chorio (Tilos)

Perched on a hillside on the small Dodecanese island of Tilos, Mikro Chorio ("Small Village" in Greek) sits between the harbor town of Livadia and the island's modern capital, Megalo Chorio. Long before either of those settlements grew into importance, Mikro Chorio was Tilos's principal village, built inland and away from the coast for protection from the pirate raids that once plagued the Aegean.

The village was first settled in the 15th century, when the Knights of the Order of St John held sway over much of the Dodecanese, and it grew into a cluster of stone houses and narrow lanes typical of the period. As piracy receded as a threat, islanders gradually resettled toward the coast during the 1930s, and by 1960 Mikro Chorio had been completely abandoned. Today its roofless stone houses, weathered church walls, and quiet, overgrown streets remain much as they were left, offering a rare, unfiltered glimpse of a vanished Aegean way of life.

The village can be reached on foot from Livadia via a scenic hillside trail, or by a short drive toward Megalo Chorio, making it a memorable detour for anyone moored nearby. Tilos itself has become a popular stop for gulet charter guests exploring Greece, thanks to its sheltered harbor at Livadia and its slower, more untouched pace of island life.