The old town of Plomari climbs the hillside above the harbour in a tangle of lanes lined with neoclassical mansions and former tannery buildings. The 19th-century prosperity that built these houses came from two sources: the leather trade, which made Plomari one of the main tannery towns of the Aegean, and the ouzo distilleries that followed. The buildings are in varying states of repair — some beautifully restored, others crumbling dramatically — and the overall effect is of a place that hasn't quite decided how to deal with its own history.
The lanes are best explored on foot without a plan. Several mansions have been converted into small guesthouses. The contrast between the ornate facades and the modest fishing-village streets around them gives the old town its particular quality. The views over the rooftops to the sea below are excellent from the upper streets.