The island's main port and capital, Chora is the hot-spot for shopping, dining, and cultural pursuits. With its scenic cascade of white houses which dot the Venetian hilltop castle, windmills, museums, and a plethora of photo-ready locations, this is the epicentre of life on Astypalaia.

Comprised of a church, a convent, and a cloister, the Convent of the Jacobins houses the remains of its patron, St Thomas Aquinas. Its stunning walls and ceiling provide a beautiful backdrop for concerts and exhibitions that are regularly hosted in the building. If you only have time to visit one church in the city, this should be it.

This building is composed of a church, convent and university, all completed at different times. On the exterior, there are two striking renaissance doorways, featuring the founder's family coat of arms and the shield of the Dominican Order. The Baroque entrance to the University shows an allegorical figure representing wisdom. Human figures adorn the Baroque tower. Inside are two magnificent cloisters, the Renaissance one in the convent and the University own Baroque example. The church is a renaissance building with later Baroque additions. An interesting feature in the Renaissance doorway leading to the sacristy and refectory, dating from the late 16th Century with a fascinating base covered in Vatican tiling from the 18th Century.