Pothia is the capital and also the port of Kalymnos. The construction of Pothia began in early 1850, when pirate raids started to occur less and less often. As a result, the people who lived by then in the Castle of Chora, seeking for protection against the pirates, began progressively to build their homes out of the Castle.

The houses are built in amphitheatrical formation, facing the sea, and are separated from each other by narrow alleys. As you walk in them, you can witness the Italian influence and also the clearly visible details of neoclassical architecture on the traditional buildings. Most traditional houses are encountered in the districts Ypapandi, Hevangelistria, Agios Theologos and Patithries.

Today, Pothia is the administrative and commercial center of the island, where you will find all the public services such as the police, the post office, the port authority, the hospital etc. There are also many facilities for visitors, such as taverns, restaurants, cafes, bakeries and hotels.

In Pothia, you can visit the Archaeological Museum of Kalymnos, which presents the history of the island and hosts various treasures that have been occassionally retrieved from the bottom of the sea, and the Nautical Museum, which presents everything related to the great Kalymnian maritime activity and the sponge catching, with exhibits from ancient shipwrecks ships.
Another interesting venue in Pothia is the Vouvalis' family Mansion, where you will get a taste of the Kalymnian urban architecture.

In Pothia's waterfront, it is placed the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. Over there, it is worth seeing the magnificent marble temple, which was crafted by the great Greek sculptor Giannoulis Chalepas. Many churches in Pothia and Kalymnos in general, are adorned with works of great Kalymnianpainters such as S. Magglis, M. Alahouzos, G. Economou, T. Kourounis, N. Maggos, T. Billiris, E. Choulis. and S. Pizanias.
 
Several beaches are found close to Pothia, one of them being Therma, an area of ​​hot springs that have healing properties.