Discover Kythira: Hiking Trails, History and Island Traditions

Kythira brings together active exploration, a rich history and living island traditions. Hiking trails lead to historic sites and landscapes, while museums, churches and buildings offer their own insights into the past. When choosing your holiday rental, it may help to first consider whether you want to spend most of your time hiking, exploring culture and nature, or taking trips on the water.

Hiking Trails, Forest and Water

Kythera Trails is the island’s official network of hiking and cycling routes. Two trails show how varied exploring the island on foot can be: the M41 leads to the watermills of Mylopotamos, while the M31 connects Potamos with Paleochora. The latter is a ruined fortified Byzantine city that was once the island’s capital. If you are interested in historic sites, you can make hiking and history separate focuses of your trip.

The landscape around Mylopotamos also offers a variety of things to discover, including the Neraida waterfall and the village of Myloi. Myloi is known for its running water, stone bridges and traditional watermills. Trails wind through the forest at Gerakari. These places and routes offer practical ideas for days when you want to focus on nature and outdoor activity, without committing to a particular route.

Cycling and mountain-bike routes on Kythira lead to traditional villages and secluded beaches. If you would rather be on the water, you can plan boat trips around the island and excursions to the rocky island of Hytra during the summer season. In Kapsali, the island’s first diving school, Kythera Dive Center, began operating in summer 2013; it is equipped with modern diving gear. The different ways to experience the island are all there to choose from: on foot, by bike, from a boat or while diving.

Churches, Buildings and Island History

The Archaeological Museum of Kythira is located at the entrance to the settlement of Chora, the island’s capital. Its exhibition covers the history of Kythira from the 9th millennium BC to the 3rd century AD. The Castle of Mylopotamos adds another dimension to this historical overview with nine churches dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, which feature frescoes. Together, the museum and churches offer a reason to explore archaeological history and religious art as distinct cultural interests.

Other historic sites offer their own points of interest. The Church of Saint Peter in Araioi dates from the 13th century and has Byzantine and post-Byzantine frescoes. The Collection of Byzantine Antiquities is housed in the former post-Byzantine Church of the Ascension in Kato Livadi. In Avlemonas stands the small Venetian Castello, dating from the 16th century. The old Monastery of Panagia Orfani, meanwhile, is built into a rock. The Moudari Lighthouse is one of the largest and most important lighthouses in Greece; the English Katouni Bridge has twelve arches. If you particularly enjoy discovering buildings and their historical context, Kythira offers more than one way to explore the island’s history.

Traditions and Getting There

Xerotigana are part of the island’s culinary tradition: thin strips of dough that are fried, drizzled with honey and cinnamon, and served mainly at festivals and weddings. In Potamos, the traditional flea market takes place every Sunday morning throughout the year. During the summer months, the municipality holds a series of island-wide events under the title “Journey to Kythira”. This means you can experience everything from a regular market tradition to summer events and special festive meals.

Kythira can be reached by ferry from Piraeus, Gytheio, Kissamos and Neapoli Vion. There are also flights from Athens, as well as seasonal Aegean flights from Thessaloniki. These travel options are a practical starting point for planning your trip. When looking for a holiday rental, you can then decide what mix of nature, history, island traditions and activities you want to shape your stay.

Discover more destinations at Methana, Megalochori, Salamina, Aegina, Friligkianika, Platia Ammos, Keramoto and Perdhika.

For the main travel overview: Islands.