Overview
Kythnos island is part of the Western Cyclades and is between Kea and Serifos. Kythnos is 56 nautical miles (104km) from the port of Piraeus. Kythnos is 100.2 sq km in area and it has a coastline of 100km long. Kythnos has more than 70 beaches, with many inaccessible by road. Of particular note is the crescent-shaped isthmus of fine sand at Kolona.
The island has two significant settlements, the village of Messaria (or Kythnos or Chora) and the village of Dryopis (or Dryopida or Chorio). These beautiful villages have different architectural styles. Chora has the more typical flat roofs of the Cyclades, while Dryopida’s rooftops are slanted and tiled. Chora is known for its large Greek Orthodox Church.
Other notable cities on the island are Kanala on the east side of the island with its larger beaches. Aghios Dimitros situated at the southern tip of the island is famous for its small vacation houses on the hillside overlooking the beach with sea daffodils. The village of Loutra can be found in the northern side of the island and is famous for its thermal springs and curative properties. There is also a large tourist hotel which has been closed for years, but the bathhouse is still in use and visitors may soak in the marble tubs for a fee.
The port town of the island is called Merichas and the population fluctuate significantly during the year, with the most tourists visiting during the summer season.
To get to Kythnos there are ferries from the port of Pireaus. The slow ferry takes around 3 hours and the highspeed ferries a bit over an hour. Kythnos is a lovely island to visit, as it is not yet flooded by the big crowds of tourists, it is still underdeveloped, and you can still enjoy remote villages with traditional ways of living.
History
Kythnos is one of the oldest settlements in the Cyclades, at Maroulas, on the northeast coast. It dates back to the Mesolithic Period around 1000-8000 BC. In antiquity, Kythnos was called Dryopis or Ofiousa, because of the Dryopians that lived on the island. Later on, during the Middle Ages the island was called Thermis, due to the thermal springs found in the Loutra area. The Turks also called it, “Hamam Antaxi” (Thermal Baths Island) and the Italians called it “Fermina”.
In 1996 during excavations intact human skeletons, floor pavement and stone artifacts was discovered which indicated a long-term settlement of hunter-gatherers.
During the Bronze Age era, Kythnos was a supplier of raw materials for metallurgy to other islands, as remains of copper and open-air copper mines were founded. These were found near Profitis Elias mountain dating back to 2000 BC.
It is believed that the Carians were the first to have lived on the island. They were subjected to the Cretan Minoans (3650-1400 BC), who got displaced by invaders and forced to move to Asia Minor.
Herodotus recorded the migration of the Dryopes from Greek Mainland near Mount Parnassus to islands like Euboea, Kea and Kythnos during the 13th century BC. The Dryopes eventually moved out of Mainland Greece due to pressure from the Ioanians, as Dorians moved in from the north.
According to Herodotus Kythnos contributed a couple of ships during the 480 BC naval battle of Salamis. It is noted at the base of a golden tripod at Delphi.
During the mid-20th century, a Hellenistic site at Vryokastro, above the bay of Episkopi on the northwest side of the island, was discovered with floor plans of houses, artifacts and a sanctuary. On 19 December 2002, archaeologist Alexandros Mazarakis-Ainian announced that in inner sanctum was found on the site with more than 1400 objects like jewels, gold, silver, bronze, artifacts, vases and terracotta figurines. It is believed that the temple was dedicated to either Hera, queen of the gods, or Aphrodite, goddess of love. The artifacts found also dates from the 7th to the 5th centuries BC. Vryokastro was inhabited until the Roman period.
Kythnos was the birthplace of the famous painter Timanthes. He made a masterpiece called: “The Sacrifice of Iphigenia” and it was later noted for its successful representation of emotion on its subjects.
During 1207 Kythnos was annexed by the Venetians and was ruled by them for more than 400 years. The island was known as Thermia, due to the natural hot springs on the northeastern coast of the village of Loutra. They had medicinal baths for health and therapy reasons.
In 1617 Kythnos fell into the hands of the Turks, after they defeated the last Venetian overlord, Anngelo III Gozzadini. After the invation of the Turks, Kastro was abandoned and a new town, Hora (Chora), was established inland. The Turks had religious freedom, but came constantly under pirate attacks, which made the island insecure.
During 1823 a plague nearly wiped out the population of Kythnos, but a few years later it was the first island to revolt against the Turks and join mainland Greece in its fight for independence. During the reign of the first Greek King, Othon, Kythnos was a place of exile for political prisoners and was the scene of an unsuccessful revolt in 1862 by rebels from Syros who attempted to free the prisoners
The Kithiotes led poor, but simple lives during the 1800’s; fishing, farming, and breeding goats and sheep kept body and soul together. Iron ore was discovered on the island around the turn of the 20th century, and for a while the island provided employment in the mines, until the ore played out in the 1940’s.
During the mid-20th century Kythnos lost out on the tourist boom, as the harbor lacked a deep-water dock for ferryboats. In 1974 a new mole was constructed and it brought great changes for the island. Kythnos has since modernized, with an up to date tourist infrastructure and a leading position in alternative energy projects. Greece’s first wind park was opened there in 1983. The island’s need for petroleum products for energy was reduced by a further 11% with the introduction of a photovoltaic electrical system. Kythnos is a popular place for mainland Greeks wishing to build vacation homes, and gets its fair share of Greek and foreign tourists.
Merihas port is small, but a favourite under the young for its night life. There are several bus connections, accommodation and restaurant facilities. Kythnos is also known that it has the largest caves in Greece, Katafiki Cave in Dryopida.
Interesting Facts:
Coordinates: 37°23′9”N 24°25’41”E
Island Area: 100.2 sq. kms
Coast Length: 100 km
Population: 669
Telephone code: +22810
Postal Code: 84006
Time Zone: GMT +2:00, Summer +3:00
Capital: Chora, also known as Messaria
Highest Mountain: 297m (974 ft)
