For centuries at the convergence of East and West, the spectacular island of Cythera will charm you with its natural springs and waterfalls, tiered olive-groves, sandy coasts, and ambrosial local treats. Rather unique, its diversity is cultivated thanks to years of influence by the Byzantine Empire, visits from the Venetians and the British. The island's architecture is an enigmatic medley of the deep-rooted and the foreign. Chora, the island's capital, is a village that echoes the architecture of the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. The main town is strategically set on a hill above its port of Kapsali, a common protective practice in the days of piracy. Spellbinding whitewashed alleys lead up to a Venetian castle with striking views of Hyrta, a sea-girt rock, and a source of inspiration for a myriad of legendary tales.