Psara

Psara is a small island with a great history, and it moves visitors in a way few places do. The ferry from Chios lands at the little harbour, where the white houses of the port climb the hillside. The island is bare and golden, with a few hundred inhabitants, a handful of villages, and coasts that are almost entirely empty. The paths above the sea are walked, the quiet coves swum, and the monuments that remember the island's tragedy visited — for Psara was one of the great maritime powers of the Greek War of Independence, and in 1824 the Ottomans burned the island and killed or enslaved most of its people. The island's museum tells the story of its fire ships, its heroes, and its fall, and the small cemetery and the memorial above the harbour keep the memory alive. Psara is a place of pride and of memory — quiet, beautiful, and full of meaning.

Psara has been inhabited since antiquity, when it was a small island of farmers and sailors in the sea between Chios and the mainland. In the 18th and early 19th centuries the island became one of the great maritime powers of the Aegean: its sailors and merchants built a fleet of fast, heavily armed ships, and the island grew rich on trade and on the transport of grain and goods. When the Greek War of Independence broke out in 1821, Psara became one of the most effective naval powers of the revolution, and its famous 'fire ships' — small vessels loaded with gunpowder, sailed into the Ottoman fleet and set alight — destroyed several Ottoman warships, including the flagship of the Ottoman admiral in the great battle of 1822. In revenge, in June 1824, a large Ottoman fleet attacked Psara, and the islanders, rather than surrender, blew up their own ships and their powder magazines; the island was burned, and most of its population was killed or enslaved. The disaster of Psara is one of the great tragedies of the Greek revolution. The survivors returned and rebuilt the island, and today Psara is a small, quiet, proud place that remembers its history in its monuments, its museum, and its name.

The name is recorded by Stephanus of Byzantium in the sixth century AD. His Ethnica is not a book of stories but a dictionary of Greek place-names, and for this one it says: "The name is taken contemptuously, because the island is very cheap/base". (Ethnica, s.v. Ψύρα).

That is the whole of what an ancient source has to say about how the place got its name. It is a shorter answer than the guidebooks give, and it is the only one with a source behind it.

Psara is not an island of long beaches, but its coast is beautiful and almost entirely empty. The coves and small beaches of the east and south coasts are reached by paths, and the swimming is in clear, clean water with the island's bare hills rising behind. The beach of Lazarou, near the village, is the island's principal beach: a small bay with pebbles and clear water. The coves of the north and west are wild and empty. Bring water, a mask, and a book, and expect to have the coast to yourself — the emptiness of Psara is part of its beauty.

Psara food is the simple cooking of a small island. The island produces its own vegetables, its own wine, and its own cheese, and the sea gives the daily catch. The tavernas of the port serve grilled fish and the island's own dishes with a quiet, proud warmth. The island is too small for a grand cuisine, but the food is honest and good: fresh fish, island bread, and the local wine, eaten by the harbour as the sun sets over the sea.

The best time to visit Psara is in late spring and early autumn, when the weather is warm and the sea is calm, and in summer, when the island is at its most welcoming. July and August are the liveliest months, but even then the island is quiet. The island is bare and windswept, and its beauty is in its light, its history, and its emptiness. Whenever you come, plan to stay at least a couple of nights — the island's peace and its memory both deserve time.

Psara is reached by ferry from Chios, a crossing of about two hours with several sailings a week, and by seasonal boats from the other islands. There is no airport, and because the crossings are infrequent, the sailing times are worth checking before you set out.

The island is small and there is no airport; you can walk everywhere or use the island's few taxis. Visit the museum and the memorial — they are essential to understanding the island — and walk to the beaches and coves of the coast. Bring everything you need, including cash, water, and food for the beaches. And take time to sit by the harbour, where the island's great history is remembered in every quiet evening.