Kythira: Aphrodite’s Island by Ann Banks
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The blight of overdevelopment and mass tourism that has afflicted so many Greek islands somehow missed this wild and astonishing jewel, off the tip of the Peleponnesus peninsula. For its natural splendor alone, Kythira seems to be the island that the gods have kept for themselves.
In the north, of the 25-mile-long island open rolling hills capped with medieval villages and green valleys graced with scatterings of cypress trees bring to mind Tuscany. The rocky plateaus in mid-island with their low cover of wind-swept vegetation recall the Scottish moors. And the twisty cliffside roads of Kythira's spectacular western coast could be in Northern California. In one secluded valley after another, legions of brightly painted beehives march across the landscape. The 300 or so Byzantine chapels scattered around the island serve as useful navigational landmarks.
Mythical characters dwell everywhere in Kythira. Exactly here, one is told, is the pool where Aphrodite bathed -- near to the hidden cave where the lovers Helen and Paris sought refuge after the fall of Troy. Over there are the coastal caverns from which the giant Polyphemos and the other Cyclops hurled boulders at the fleeing Odysseus and his crew.
Kythira's architecture is as diverse as its landscape. Many buildings have peaked terra cotta roofs and are painted a beautiful shade of coral, a style preferred by the Venetians during their 400- year occupation. But the hillside capital of Hora, also known as Kythira Town, is all narrow alleys and white sugar-cube houses covered in bougainvillea.
Except for the six weeks starting in mid-July when torrents of Athenians come for vacation, (a time best avoided, as all the Greek islands), Kythira attracts just a small stream of travelers – people looking not for nightlife but for gorgeous villages and beaches to explore. Many are repeat visitors who consider Kythira their secret and who, when they learn you are a first-timer, congratulate you on having discovered such a magical and unspoiled spot.
"Typical tourists don't come here. We get more scholars and writers and artists," says Evanthia Protopsalti, proprietor of Skandia, the island's best restaurant, in Paleopoli. Her family emigrated to Australia before returning to Kythira, and, like most islanders, she speaks English. The island also attracts walkers -- most of whom carry the booklet "Walks in Kythria," sold in several languages around the island. (The best hike starts in the medieval town of Mylopotamos and descends into a gorge past waterfalls and more than a dozen ruined mills.)
Kythira's somewhat remote location makes it an inconvenient base for island-hopping, yet you can easily fly from the U.S. to Athens, catch the hour-long, late-afternoon flight to Kythira and arrive in time for dinner. Besides Skandia, try Pierros Taverna, on the main street of Livadi, where in classic Greek style, ordering is done by touring the offerings in the kitchen and pointing. Also look for the island's thyme-scented honey, so coveted in Greece that the annual production quickly sells out.
There is no public transportation on Kithera and a car or motor bike is a must. The person to rent from is Panayotis. Most accommodations are in small hotels and inns. In the white-washed capital of Hora, the 12-room Hotel Margarita looks out over the sea.
But the best base for exploring the island may be one of the villages in the center. In Mitata, a young master beekeeper has opened a charming inn with beautiful views, where guests may learn about making honey and cheese. Also in the center of the island is the quiet (even for Kythira), car-free village of Pitsinades, where the Guesthouse Pitsinades offers rooms in a beautifully restored traditional house.