Nikia

Nikia sits at around four hundred metres on the eastern rim of the Nisyros caldera, so that from the edge of the village the whole volcanic bowl opens below with its pale hydrothermal craters at the bottom. The centre is the platia, an unusual round square paved in a black and white pebble mosaic, hoklakia, with the church of Agios Ioannis Theologos on one side and a low wall on the other giving onto the view. The lanes are whitewashed and steep, with painted doors and bougainvillea, and a small volcanological museum explains the island's geology. A footpath descends from the village into the caldera floor, about forty-five minutes down, joining the walk to the Stefanos crater.

What you actually see

• The round mosaic square - black and white pebble paving in a circular platia.
• The caldera view - the volcanic bowl and its craters directly below.
• The whitewashed lanes - steep painted streets with flowers.
• The volcanological museum - a small display on the island's geology.

When to go

Spring and autumn; summer is hot for the descent into the caldera and the village has little shade. Late afternoon light across the crater is the best photography, and the day-trip boats from Kos have left by then.

Honest expectations

The village is very small, walked in twenty minutes, with only a couple of places to eat. Buses are timed around the crater excursions rather than for staying. The descent path into the caldera is steep, loose and unshaded.

Nearby

The Stefanos crater lies on the caldera floor; Mandraki and Emborios are around the rim.