Kythnos island

Sail with M/S DOXA II to Kythnos, a Greek island in the Western Cyclades between Kea and Serifos. It is 56 nautical miles from the harbor of Piraeus.

Kythnos is about 100 square kilometers in area and has a coastline of about 100 kilometers, an ideal destination for yachting experiences. It has more than 70 beaches, most of which are only accessible from the sea. Of particular note is the crescent-shaped isthmus of fine sand at Kolona, where sunbathers may relax with the sea lapping at both sides of the beach.

The island has two significant settlements, the village of Messaria or, known locally as Hora, and the village of Driopis, also known as Horio. The villages are very picturesque but in different architectural styles.

Another coastal settlement you should visit with M/S DOXA II is Kanala, on the east side of the island, and many of the larger beaches are settled by a handful of residents. Aghios Dimitrios, at the southern tip of the island, is a mostly modern settlement, with small vacation houses dotting the hillside above a wide beach that is dotted with sea daffodils – a view you must enjoy from the deck of M/S DOXA II. On the northeast end of the island lies Loutra, a village famous for its thermal springs, which are said to have curative properties, and the visitors may soak in its marble tubs for a modest fee.

The port town is called Merihas, and its population significantly fluctuates during the year.

Throughout Kythnos, drylaid stone walls delineate individual parcels of land

In 1207, Kythnos came under the rule of the Frankish overload Marco Sanudo, and it remained in Venetian hands for 400 years. During this period, it was known as Thermia, a name derived from the hot mineral springs occurring on the northeastern coast at the village of Loutra. These medicinal baths were renowned at least since Roman times and were a fashionable spa and resort area.

Due to its proximity to Athens, Kythnos has become a fashionable setting for vacation homes, in addition to being an accessible destination for foreign visitors. Besides its numerous beaches and picturesque villages, it also is the site of one of the largest caves in Greece, Katafiki Cave in Dryopida. This cave, first visited in the 1830s and described by the geologist Fiedler, has unique "schratten" or rock curtains, as well as speleotherms. It was the site of an iron mine until 1939 and has now been developed as a tourist attraction.