3 days on the island of Kythnos

It’s been almost a year since I visited the Greek islands of Kea and Kythnos, together with one of my closest friends, Elsa. We first went to Kea (also called Tzia), where we stayed for 3 (and a half) days, before we continued our holidays to Kythnos, where we also stayed for 3 days.

First day in Kythnos

It was mid-morning when we arrived in Kythnos. As soon as we stepped foot on the island, we headed to the car rental place (a minute walk from where the ferry dropped us off) and soon afterwards were driving towards our hotel. Located in Messaria, the inland capital of the island, Chora Kythnos Suites was a rather short drive from the port of Merihas.

The hotel swimming pool was tempting, but we preferred to get back in the car and drive to the nearby east-facing beach Episkopi. With luck on our side (it was still late morning and early July anyway), we found an unoccupied umbrella at the beach bar Pountaki. In the afternoon, the music got louder and we soon found ourselves singing along to well-known summer hits, whilst sipping refreshing cocktails.

In the evening we returned to Messaria and walked around the alleyways with the white-washed churches and the beautifully painted houses, staircases and paths. We had dinner at the cat-friendly restaurant Psipsina (Greek for kitty), al fresco of course. I tried some traditional and delicious Cycladic dishes (such as the sfougatopita). We then headed to the nearby Kraken, which soon transformed into an open-air club. More summer hits, more cocktails.

Second day in Kythnos

Having danced the previous night away, we started our second day relatively late, with breakfast on our veranda.

We then went to the also east-facing beach Apokrousi for swimming and sunbathing. Once again, we got lucky and managed to find an unoccupied umbrella at the beach bar Coconuts. We left rather early to get to Agia Eirini, for an early dinner at Arias Gefseis (we hadn’t made a reservation and were worried that we wouldn’t find a table if we showed up late). We enjoyed gourmet dishes (a red mullet tartare, a caramelized octopus and a fish carpaccio) right by the sea.

Afterwards, we stopped at Loutra, a nearby village on the northeast coast of the island, famous for its thermal springs. After soaking in a small outdoor pond, we went for a walk around the village. Although I liked the waterside bars (and restaurants), several bars in Messaria had caught our attention the previous evening, so back there we drove. We had cocktails at the rooftop bar, Five Keys.

Last day in Kythnos

After a relatively early breakfast, we drive to the inland village of Dryopida. Strolling around this picturesque village, we came across the Katafyki cave. The 15-minute tour was informative as well as entertaining.

From there, we drove to the port, where we took a small boat to the beach of Kolona, an hourglass-shaped stretch of sand connecting the main island with the islet of Agios Loukas. In hindsight, we should have hired a ‘self-drive’ boat (no licence needed) to allow us more flexibility. Either way, I’m glad we didn’t drive there.

In the evening, we returned to Messaria and had pre-dinner cocktails at the bar Stou Mpouranta. These were followed by a lovely meal at Giagia Koukou, and more cocktails at the bar Panohori, right above the restaurant.

How to get there

Kythnos has no airport. In the summer, there are daily direct ferries from Piraeus, as well as from Kea. Check out the ferries timetable here.

Renting a car is recommended; in peak season, do this well in advance.

When and how long to visit Kythnos

For me, the best time to visit Kythnos (and the Greek islands in general) is the summer; this is when the ferries are at their most frequent, the weather at its warmest and the atmosphere at its best. If you’re planning an island-hopping holiday, July and August are the best months. I would recommend staying there for at least three days.

Accommodation

We stayed at Chora Kythnos Suites, a luxury hotel conveniently located in Messaria.

Further reading

To better prepare for my trip, I used the Lonely Planet Greek Islands Travel Guide.

Kythnos can easily be combined with island-hopping to other nearby islands, such as Kea, Serifos or Sifnos.

To read more about the Cyclades, check out my post ‘Island-hopping in the Cyclades‘.

To follow my travels to the Greek islands and around the world, simply subscribe to the Traveling Psychiatrist (just click on the menu on the left-hand side).

Have a great journey!

Alex

(the Traveling Psychiatrist)