A remote island at the southern tip of the Peloponnese, Kythera is the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite, an unspoiled land, whose position at the crossroads between Crete and the mainland attracted no less than 80 invasions over the years. There is a Minoan cave dwelling in Skandeia on the east coast, a Byzantine ghost town in Palio Chora, Venetian mansions in the capital, Chora, in the north, a stone bridge of 13 arches built by the British in 1822 in Livadi.
Chora, the capital of Kythera, is a charming little town with Venetian and old Greek buildings huddling together in narrow alleyways, crowned by the Castle built in 1503. Starting from Chora and travelling to the east and north, beaches include Chalkos and Vroulea, Firi Ammos, Komponada, Kaladi, Palaiopoli, Diakofti (popular with Greek families), Agia Pelagia and Platia Ammos in the north.
At the western coast of Kythera, Milopotamos is a picturesque village with a pleasant square shaded by plane trees. Nearby the Cavern of Agia Sofia is worth a visit. Amidst the stalagmites and stalactites, a small chapel dedicated to Saint Sofia features frescoes and mosaics.
Antikythera
For those seeking solitude and tranquillity, a trip to the nearby remote island of Antikythera is a must. Off its coast a celebrated archaeological find was discovered by sponge-divers in 1900: the 4th-century bronze, Antikythera Youth graces today the Archaeological Museum of Athens.
