THE BEACHES AND NATURIST BEACHES OF THE ISLAND OF KITHNOS OR KYTHNOS IN GREECE

The port Merihas is the place where the ferries arrive. It lies in a bay on the west side of the island. Behind the bay the houses rise up the barren brown mountains. In this village there are a few accommodations for rent. In the village there is a beach with pebbles and sand in front of the quay, where you find a few tavernas and shops and where there are also some trees. The village is dominated by a large hotel that does not really fit into the picture in terms of size and architecture. Although this sounds not so romantic Merihas is not at all bad. Nearby, just north of the port are a few good beaches (Apokrissi and Fikiado). Occasionally there is a bus that connects the port with the main villages on the island. On a hilltop lies the brown capital of Chora (also called Kythnos) with its windmills. It is a quiet and authentic old town with white houses. Along the main road that runs through the village are a few tourist shops but there are no hotels or other accommodations in the village. In the traditional village the friendly residents live and you see a lot of donkeys. There are ancient churches and narrow streets. On top of the hills are also beside the old windmills some modern ones that generate energy. Chora is actually the most picturesque village on the island. A little hidden in a small garden next to the main road are also some remnants of buildings from the ancient time. The best beach of the island is located on the east side at Agios Stefanou, but because Kythnos not so specialized in tourism, there is no bus to it. In case you want to visit the beach that means that you'll have to go hiking. The beach of Fikiado is not unpleasant. It lies just west of the port Merihas and you can cross on foot to the small island of Agios Loukas in front of it. There are beaches in abundance on the island and actually too many to mention. Some beaches are small, some big and there is a bit of everything. On the map a blue dot indicates where there is a beach to be found. Flambouria (or: Flabouria), for example, on the west side of the island has a large sand / pebble beach. On a rock in the sea there is a beautiful large church, the Panagia Flabouriani. Also near Kanala on the southeast side of the island there are big beautiful sandy beaches.

© Hans Huisman, https://www.angelfire.com/super2/greece/ 2013