Kythira Amir Ali Springs

Location: Karavas

The springs of Amir Ali are located in the picturesque village of Karavas on the northern side of Kythira. The region is full of sense vegetation and the local kafeneio is the best place to enjoy a coffee and the company of the residents before or after exploring the area.

In Karavas lies the island’s most famous spring, the spring of Portokalia. Portokalia is the Greek word for "orange tree". According to tradition, there once was a huge orange tree there, producing thousands of oranges annually. It also had a trunk so thick that 4 or 5 people were needed to hug it.

Another story intertwined with the springs, even though not historically proven, dates back to the period of Ottoman rule. During that time, it was mandatory for every couple that got married, the groom would have to share the bride with the Turkish surveyor Amir Ali on the first night of the wedding. However, a local man named Giorgis did not intend to follow this custom. To free all the couples of Kythira from this oppression, he disguised himself as a woman, went to Amir Ali, and cut off his head by the spring.

The most prevailing version concerning the spring’s name, though, is that it originates from the Venetian office of amiralis, equivalent to today’s harbormaster.