Greek Islands

Kythira (Island)

Kythira Beach

Welcome to Kythira!

The island of Kythira (also frequently spelled Kithira) is technically part of the Ionian chain, although it is quite far from the other islands of the chain, since it actually lies at the foot of the southernmost part of the Peloponnese, pointing the way to Crete. In fact, the island connects by occasional ferry to Crete, specifically to Chania in the west. To make matters even more interesting, the island actually belongs to Piraeus for administrative purposes, which is why we have included it as part of the Argosaronic Islands. It occupies 278 square kilometers of a fairly fat landmass, with only 52 kilometers of coastline.

The island has two old ports, Ag. Pelagia on its northeast coast, not far from the Peloponnese; and in the south, at Kapsali, two kilometers from the tiny capital of the island, Kythira or Chora. A new port is also available now at Diakoftis. Connections now include Piraeus (once a week), Neapoli in Lakonia (twice a day), Gytheio, also in Lakonia (once a week), and occasional service to Chania, Crete. The island's position between the Peloponnese and Crete makes it an ideal island to combine with a holiday at either of these larger destinations, or even to use as a bridge to connect the two larger destinations, with just a few overnights on Kythira. The island has a small airport with a once a day connection with Athens, which is the fastest and easiest way to reach the island.

There's plenty to see on the island, some very good beaches, a quiet and relaxing atmosphere with only 3,500 inhabitants, beautiful landscapes, and traditional villages. Kythira is primarily a farming island, with low mountains (the highest of which is less than 500 meters), steep cliffs, and very deep bays; the islanders grow wheat, barley, and grapes, and tend olive groves for their own olive oil consumption. They tend to the usual variety of sheep, goats, and cows, and of course the island has a small fishing fleet.

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