The Mastichari basilica is situated at the end of the beachfront walkway. The basilica was long thought to be a church dedicated to St. John. The area surrounding the basilica was populated until the end of the 19th century but was then abandoned and a lot of the stones and remains were used to build other churches in the region. In 1947 the architect Anastasios Orlandos started a systematic excavation of the site, uncovering the architectural, sculptural, artistic marvels, some of which you can explore to this day.
The basilica is 30.3 meters long and 27.7 meters wide, was probably built around 500 A.D. and then rebuilt after the terrible earthquake of 554 A.D.. A number of ancient columns and artifacts were used as building material and adorn the sides of the structure. A number of wonderful mosaics decorate the floors but are currently, for the most part, covered by rubble, to protect them from the weather and decay, so you will only be able to admire the few uncovered parts.
