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Modern Description: Agathonísi (Ancient Tragia) rises quite high from the water, with commanding views towards Samos, Mount Mycale and the Meander estuary in Turkey, and towards the long island of Pharmakonísi. The harbour is of a deep horse-shoe shape, sheltering the neat and attractive port of Aghios Giorgios and a couple of very protected coves with shingle beaches to the west of it—first Spiliás, and, slightly further round, Gaidourávlakos. From the latter, a rough foot-path up the streambed and then the western side of the ravine will lead to Mikró Chorió—as its name implies, the smaller of the two older settlements on the island. This tiny village of mostly abandoned stone houses occupies a hidden and relatively fertile saddle between an escarpment of volcanic rock to the north and the peak crowned by the chapel of Aghios Panteleimon to the south. The few houses still inhabited, grouped around the Plateía 25 Martiou (which commemorates the independence insurgence of March 1821 against Turkish dominion) are well-kept, surrounded by flowers and whitewashed in a stark contrast with the ruins around. Mikró Chorió is more easily reached in a 15-minute walk up the concrete road from the harbour (800m).
The steep ascent from the harbour climbs past the church of Aghios Giorgios, divides briefly to accommodate a venerable carob tree, and gains Megaló Chorió at the summit of the ridge. Beyond the small plateía, at the southeastern end of the village are the joined churches of SS Raphael and John the Theologian. They are new constructions; but visible to the south east on the saddle below, in a stand of eucalyptus trees, is another double church of SS Irini and John the Baptist, where an Early Christian column in the courtyard in front suggests the presence of an earlier place of worship.
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agathonisi
Wikidata ID: Q391543

Info: McGilchrist's Greek Islands

(From McGilchrist’s Greek Islands, © Nigel McGilchrist 2010, excerpted with his gracious permission. Click for the books)

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