Fodor's Expert Review Assos

There's little to see within the village of Assos, yet it's still a dazzling sight. It is largely made up of a single steep road that plummets down to the harbor and then up past pebble shores to a parking lot, for those wanting to continue on to the castle. En route, pinkish-purple bougainvillea bloom from every crevice; vine-like roots wrap the ruins of hollowed out buildings; pretty townhouses painted vibrant pastels glimmer in the sunlight; and the view from on-high over the turquoise waters below is magnificent. By the village square, which bears a plaque commemorating the "Parisiens" whose money rebuilt Assos after its destruction in 1953, are a string of cafés and tavernas swarming the edges of a pebble beach. Here, visitors swap dips in the knee-deep water of the bay for cooling drinks. It's worth resting a while here after climbing to the castle, which can be a sweaty task.