Kythnos (Kithnos): A Quiet Cyclades Island, Greece
Kythnos, also spelled Kithnos, is a quiet, rocky island in the western Cyclades of Greece, 86 km2 in size with about 1,500 inhabitants and roughly 3 hours by ferry from Piraeus. Kythnos keeps three main villages - the port of Merichas, the hilltop Chora and the traditional village of Dryopida - plus the thermal-spring resort of Loutra and an unspoiled landscape dotted with old hillside churches. It suits travellers who want peace and quiet rather than sights or nightlife. Hire a car to reach the parts of Kythnos the buses miss, covered in our Kythnos car hire guide.
- Group
- Cyclades
- Area
- 86 km2
- Population
- ~1,500
- Main port
- Merichas
The island of Kythnos
Kythnos lies in the western Cyclades, covers 86 square kilometres and holds a population of about 1,500. It is a friendly, rocky island with few facilities for tourists and few big attractions, which makes it a place people come to for peace and quiet. Ferries arrive at Merichas, the port set in a bay on the west side, where whitewashed houses climb the bare brown hills; the Chora and the village of Dryopida sit inland, and old churches are scattered across the hills. A bus links the main villages a few times a day, though several beaches have no bus at all.
Villages of Kythnos
Kythnos keeps its life in three main villages: the port of Merichas on the west coast, the hilltop capital Chora, and the traditional village of Dryopida in a fertile valley. The 19th-century spa village of Loutra sits on the north coast. All stay unspoiled, and the landscape between them is bare and undramatic, dotted with old hillside churches.
Merichas
Merichas is the port of Kythnos, where the ferries dock in a bay on the west side of the island, below high, bare brown mountains. In front of the quay lies a beach of pebbles and sand, backed by tavernas, a few shops and some trees, and most of the island's accommodation is here. A few good beaches, Apokrousi and Fikiado, lie just north of the port, and a bus runs from Merichas to the main villages a few times a day. The port's rooms and studios are set out in the Kythnos hotels & villas guide.
Chora (Messaria)
Chora, also called Kythnos or Messaria, is the capital, a quiet and authentic village of old white houses on a bare brown hilltop crowned with windmills. A few tourist shops line the main road, but there are no hotels in the village itself. Its narrow lanes and old churches, its friendly residents and the donkeys still worked here make Chora the most picturesque village on the island, and modern wind turbines now stand beside the old windmills on the ridge above. The landmark monastery of Panagia Nikous stands 800 metres from Chora and is described in the Kythnos sights guide.
Dryopida & Loutra
Dryopida, also spelled Driopida, sits in a fertile valley at the foot of a hill, a prettier village whose houses carry red-tiled roofs. Beside it runs the Katafiki Cave, about one kilometre long with several underground lakes, though it is often closed to visitors, and the Byzantine museum in the Agios Georgios church holds old icons. Loutra, on the north coast, is a 19th-century spa and fishing village with thermal springs used since antiquity and a few hotels beside its beach; it is the second base for a stay, covered in the Kythnos hotels & villas guide.
Beaches of Kythnos
Kythnos has beaches in abundance, from small pebble coves to big sandy bays. The best beach lies on the east side at Agios Stefanou, the port of Merichas has its own town beach, and the sandbar of Kolona west of the port links the shore to the islet of Agios Loukas. The west coast holds Flambouria beneath its clifftop church, and large sandy beaches ring Kanala in the south-east. Because Kythnos is not specialised in tourism, several beaches have no bus and are reached on foot or over a rough road. The full run is set out in the Kythnos beaches guide.
Sights of Kythnos
The main sights of Kythnos are its two ruined capitals, a long cave and a set of monasteries. The Venetian Castle of Oria crowns a mountain near Cape Kefalos in the north and was the medieval capital until the Turks destroyed it in 1570, while the ancient city of Vriokastro in the north-west records an older capital. The Katafiki Cave at Dryopida runs about one kilometre, the prehistoric settlement of Maroulas dates from 9000 to 8000 BC, and the monasteries of Panagia Nikous near Chora and Panagia Kanala hold revered icons. These are gathered in the Kythnos sights guide.
Where to stay on Kythnos
Most accommodation on Kythnos is in the port of Merichas, with a few hotels at the thermal-spring resort of Loutra and rooms to rent near beaches such as Schinari, above Loutra, and Lefkes on the east side. Merichas keeps you by the ferry, the tavernas and the town beach; Loutra puts you beside the island's thermal springs and its northern beaches. Compare the studios and hotels in the Kythnos hotels & villas guide.
Getting to Kythnos
Kythnos is reached by ferry from the mainland, as it has no airport. Ferries run daily from Piraeus, the port of Athens, with the morning Ventouris Sea Lines crossing taking about 3 hours - Kythnos is the first island it calls at - while on some days a faster Aegean Speed Lines boat makes the trip in about 1 hour 45 minutes. Kythnos is also connected to the smaller, calmer port of Lavrio, which many travellers prefer to Piraeus, with a direct crossing of about two and a half hours. Check the operators' websites for exact times.
