Kythnos is an island in the western Aegean Sea. Τhe island got its name from the mythical king Kythnos, son of the god Apollo. Ιn the folk tradition of the island there are many references to fairies, vampires and dragons that inhabited various parts of the island. Kythnos is a short distance from the Greek capital is the reason why it is seen as of the most popular city-break destinations, has some quaint villages, including Chora (the island’s capital), Driopida and Loutra. The villages stand out for their elegant architecture, strollable alleys, and laid-back atmosphere. Wandering around the picturesque villages, you’ll come across corners embellished with flowers, whitewashed houses, traditional taverns, windmills, and fountains. Loutra, one of the most popular villages, is known for its thermal springs. The coastline of the island is dotted with many beaches that stand out for their natural beauty. The most impressive is certainly Kolona, which is a long strip of sand, forming two sandy beaches on both sides.

Hora (which basically means town or village) is the most populated area on the island, built on a ridge and surrounded by farms, munching cows, a modern wind park and one of the new solar parks that have been popping up all over Greece. It is a classic Cycladic village of white houses and narrow streets that has been relatively unchanged since the 17th Century. The main street is lined with cafes, bars and restaurants. The church of Agia Triada is the oldest on the island. The church of Saint Savas was built in 1613. In Messaria Square is the church of the Panagia the center of activities on the 15th of August, the feast day of the Virgin Mary. Around it are cafes where the old men drink coffee in the morning and ouzo in the afternoon, displaced by the young at night. Visit the shop called Tratamento, open year round and owned by Irini Pageneli who makes traditional sweets and liquors of the island and sells olive oil, cakes, cheesepies and biologico (organic) foods. Across the street is a small supermarket which sells among other things, capers in a variety of containers in different sizes. If you want to bring something back from Kythnos that is representative of the island then a year’s supply of capers and a couple boxes of the Tratamento Kythnos style amigdelota (almond cookies) are your best choices.

The port town of Loutra is the first stop for many who sail the Cyclades from the mainland. Its a well protected harbor with a marina and a number of good fish tavernas and bars right on the waterfront, their tables going right down to the sea. Try Arazoboli which is open year-round and has a large menu in a number of different languages. Like most seafood restaurants that cater to yachters they push the expensive stuff but you don’t have to dine on barbounia(red mullet) and astako(lobster) in order to have a good time. Like anywhere go for the sardelles tis skaras (grilled sardines), gopes (bogue), kolios (mackeral) and fried gavros(anchovies) for an inexpensive seafood meal and try some of their mezedes, especially the domato-keftedes which are deep-fried tomato balls, Santorini style, but I have to say better than any I had in Santorini. Nice hima krasi (local wine) though nowadays hima usually means it came in a box from somewhere and is not necessarily dopio (local). They also have a number of ouzos and tsipuro that will go well with their mezedes.

Loutra is named for its hot baths and you can see where the water runs in a stream on the edge of town and empties into the sea at the town beach. For those who want a free cure you can go to the spot where the hot water pours into the sea and there is a tub built with rocks where the sea water mixes and makes the temperature bareable. In the evening you will find many old people swimming here or sitting by the stream, soaking hands or feet. The actual baths are at the top of the square (well, parking lot actually). These baths have been used since Roman times and some say they are the best in Europe. Greece’s first King, Otto, and his Queen Amalia were two of the most famous guests and you can ask to see the baths where the couple bathed their royal highnesses until they were overthrown by the army in 1862 and exiled. The water is sulphurous, saliferous and ferrous and is said to be able to cure arthritus, rhuemetism, gout and gynecological problems as well as many other ailments. The bath house itself is impressive with a number of rooms each with a large tub, stained by the minerals and a hundred years or more of use. Next door is the Xenia Hotel, currently abandoned, built by Ernest Schiller, the Danish architect who build some of the most well-known buildings of the 19th century, all over Greece, many of which are still standing today. Unfortunately Schiller’s original building was added to in the sixties in the popular method of construction of that era, a second floor made of poured concrete that looks like it was built by the same contractor who built the now collapsed harbor in Kea, only with even less care for aesthetics.

The town of Driopis, also called Syllakas, the other large inland town could easily be confused for the main Hora of Kythnos. Like Hora is a maze of small streets and alleys with a number of cafes and restaurants surrounding the large church of Agia Anna. Unlike the houses in Hora which have flat Cycladic style roofs, the buildings in Driopis have slanted roofs with ceramic tiles and the town was known for its ceramic pottery which is still for sale in a shop in the main square and another above the village. The neighborhood below the main part of town is called Galatas. There are a number of churches as well as a folklore museum and a ceramics shop, and in the church of Agios Georgios is a small Byzantine museum. In the church of Agios Minas there is a fascinating woodcut icon screen and a number of historical icons and artifacts. Nearby is the cave of Katafiki, one of the largest in Greece, not yet open to the public because of ongoing work to make it safe for visitors. When it does open it should be one of the most important natural sites in the Cyclades.

As does Lefkes Naousa and Kato Livadi. For just sea, sand and sunshine and little else there are the beaches of Liotrivi, Skyliou, Simoussi, Gaidouromantra and Petrlousa. On the west side both Agios Dimitrios and Flabouria are beaches with settlements and food. More remote beaches like Mavriaonou, Triblaka and Stifo are for those seeking solitude.

One of the most interesting beach towns and an important spiritual center is the village of Panagia Kanala with its pine forest and miracle-working 17th Century icon of the Virgin Mary painted by the Cretan artist Antonis Skordilis who lived on Kythnos. The church and other ecclesiastical buildings and rental rooms surround a beautiful square, shaded by pine trees and overlooking the sea and the island of Serifos to the east. There are three very nice sandy beaches in or within walking distance of Panagia Kanali and the town is the scene of the largest August 15th festivities when they celebrate the Holy day of the Panagia (Virgin Mary). Kythnos is known for its panagiria (religious festivals), that can last all night long and on into the next day. Of all the Cycladic islands it has been written that the dances in Kythnos are the best, as are the dancers themselves when they take part in the Thermian Folk Dance during the various festivals.

Where to head next?

Keep exploring the best of Greece! After Kythnos, the top destinations to visit are Kea, Serifos, and Sifnos.