Kythera (kythira)

Kythera is one of the Ionian Islands. It lies opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is a lovely family island with secluded atmosphere. With an intense Medieval style and unorganized beaches, this is a great place for total relaxation. Holidays in Kythira will give you amazing moments of relaxation and privacy.

According to Hesiod the sea of Kythera is the birthplace of goddess Aphrodite (Venus). Gaia (the Earth) wanted to punish her husband Uranus (the Sky) for forcing her to keep her children within the bowels of the Earth, so she called on them to help her get rid of their “wild” father. Cronus took a weapon and severed his father’s genital organs, which fell into the sea of Kythera. The foam thus formed traveled by force of wind to the island of Cyprus, where Aphrodite came forth.

The Kythirian goddess is the nurse of love. The legend says that when Paris stole Helen, they went to Kythira to hide their love.

The ancient myth that referred the island as Aphrodite’s birthplace has been the inspiration for the paintings of celebrated artists such as Sandro Botticelli and Jean-Antoine Watteau.

How to get  in Kythera

1. By boat

Access to the island by ferry  from becoming the port of Piraeus, from Gytheion of Neapolis and from Kastelli in Crete.

2. By plane

By plane from Athens airport . Also during the summer season there is direct air flights from European capitals.

3. By road

By road through the Peloponnese to the port of Neapolis  or Gytheio by ferry.

Kythira beaches

All beaches in Kythira have crystal water and they are surrounded by beautiful landscape. Most popular and organized Kythira beaches are Kapsali and Agia Pelagia, while there are also many secluded places to enjoy total privacy, such as Chalkos, Lykodimou and Melidoni.

Accommodation

Most hotels in Kythira island are found in the beach resorts of Kapsali and Agia Pelagia. These place have a large variety of accommodations, mostly small seaside hotels, traditional apartments and rooms to stay in your Kythira holidays. The villages of Diakofti and Avlemonas also have good accommodation options. The island has no large resorts, although some hotels have more upscale facilities, such as pools.

Kythira museums

While you are in Kythira, it is essential to visit the few museums dedicated to the historic past of this island. The most important museum of Kythira is the Archeological Museum where you can view a unique collection of findings from the Minoan and Paleolithic period. It includes pottery, ceramics, archaic items, and sculptures from the Classical period. Equally interesting is the Byzantine Museum of Kythira which is housed in the church of Analipsi, in the village of Livadi. The museum offers a rare collection of Byzantine icons and paintings as well as fragments of an important early floor mosaic and ruins from the church of Agios Ioannis Potamos.

Kythira activities

As the island is small and quiet, activities in Kythira are limited. There are no organized things to do in Kythira. The island is ideal for total relaxation at the beach or in the countryside. Swimming in the wonderfully secluded beaches of Kythira is a delight.

 Enjoy a day under the hot sun and in the afternoon have lunch in the seaside taverns. In the evenings, have a drink in a lounge cafe-bar under the stars.

 Another enjoyable activity in Kythira island is hiking. Many old footpaths cross the island and lead to tiny chapels, small settlements, secluded beaches and hilltops with breathtaking view to the sea. Hiking is best in autumn and spring, when the weather is not so hot. In summer, long hiking can be quiet uncomfortable.

Chora

Chóra, the capital of the island, stretches out around the Venetian castle of the 13th century - renovated by the Venetians in 1503 - to share with it an overwhelming view to the Cretan Sea. On the cliffs around the castle a small yellow jewel of a flower grows.

Kapsali

Kapsáli could be said to be the busiest spot for tourists. Full of cafés, tavernas, bars and boasting a marina too, Kapsáli is where the night of the island turns energetic and eager for a meeting and romance!

Kalamos

For the fans of agrotourism Kálamos is the place to be. The farming heart of the island beats here. Vegetable gardens, orchards, and vineyards provide the locals with the prodigies of the Kytherian nature that are available for you to taste in the tavernas of the area.

Agia Pelagia

Agía Pelagía is one of the biggest villages of Kýthera and undoubtedly its accommodation, food and shopping centre. People tend to stay there not only because of the beautiful nearby beaches, but also for the joys of caving. In fact, the 120m² large cave of Saint Sophia (one of the three of the island with the same name) and the cave of Venus in the ravine of Galáni are definitely worth a visit. You are going to love the island anyway; but for those who might wish to spend there the rest of their lives, their chance flows in the potable waters of the source at the entrance of Agía Pelagía: legend has it that if you drink from that source, you’ll get married on Kýthera.

Paleochora Village

During your Kythira holidays, do not miss a stroll around the ghost village of Paleochora, followed by a swim in the beach of Lagkada below. It is a perfect example of the 13th century architecture, similar to Mystras and Monemvasia.

Paleochora is fortified and lower than the surrounding hills but it is invisible from the sea, which used to protect it from the many pirate raids that were plaguing the island for many years.

 Despite those precautions, the terrifying pirate Barbarossa managed to find and destroyed it in 1537, selling all the inhabitants as slaves. From that time, the city has never been reconstructed because it has been considered a place of bad fortune.

Local products

Kýthera’s honey is probably the best in Greece. Tourists leave the thyme-clad island with jars of honey in their luggage. It is believed that it had been the Minoans who taught bee-keeping to the Kytherians. Apart from the prevailing type of thyme tea, erica (white heath) tea is made here too.

Kythera's Melba toast is produced from cereals and is one of the island's best-known products throughout Greece. The unique taste of the local olive oil gives the toast a touch of divine.

A trip to Kýthera is the symbol of a burning desire, of hankering for beauty; and not unjustly so.