Kythera, Kythira, hiking, sightseeing, Kapsali, rooms, hotels, map

Kythera. Island of sweet secrets.. of the hearts festivals

“Island of sweet secrets, of the hearts festivals!” (“Île des doux secrets et des fêtes du coeur!”, Charles Baudelaire, Un voyage à Cythère, A Voyage to Kythera).

Hotels and rooms to let in Kythera island

Wonderful for its marvelous beaches as well as exciting contrasts,
island of Kythera has been home to hosts of peoples and civilizations: from the Neolithic Age to the Minoan times (20th century AC) and to the Mycenaens, the Dorians and the Spartans, still in the ancient times; from the Byzantine middle ages to the Venetian rule; from the Ottoman to the English occupation; from the State of the Ionian Islands to the modern Greek State which it joined in 1864.

The ancient myth that referred the island as Aphrodite’s birthplace has been the inspiration for the paintings of celebrated artists such as Sandro Botticelli and Jean-Antoine Watteau.

Now, a trip to Kythera is the symbol of a burning desire, of hankering for beauty; and not unjustly so.

Travelling to Aroniadika Kythera
It is a traditional landlocked village that produces amazing honey. It is located 15 km N of Chora.

Sightseeing:

Aloizianika, Friligkianika, Kastritsianika and Pitsinades villages, all with well preserved architectural character
Paleochora castle (Aghios Dimitrios), where the byzantine capital of the island used to be. Its construction began in 1248 and it was destroyed in 1537 by pirate Barbarossa. Ruins of houses and churches are still preserved. In some of these churches you will see amazing hagiographies. The view here is unique.
Lagkadas gorge.

Activities:
Hiking

Walking in Kapsali Kythera
A coastal, tourist-popular settlement. It is built between twin natural ports where people leave their crafts. Its coastal street has many fish taverns, bars and coffee houses. The island night life is centered here. In the east side (after Kalamos village) are the beautiful beaches of Chalkos and Vroulea. The settlement is located 3 km E of Chora.

Sightseeing:

The old windmill close to Piso Gialo.
The pine tree forest located behind the settlement where Aghios Ioannis Theologos chapel stands (1592).
Agios Mironas Byzantine church.
Agia Sofia cave.

Source: GNTO

Accommodation
For your stay in Kythera, you can book a room in one of the hotels and Bed & Breakfast inns.
In Aroniadika, Kapsali as well as in many other areas of the island, there are hotels and accommodations of various categories and types (rooms to let, residences, Bed & Breakfast inns, studios, hostels, guesthouses and furnished apartments) that can satisfy every visitor's demands and needs for a pleasant and enjoyable stay.
You will find wonderful hotels, rooms and apartments to let of all categories and price ranges.

Access
The best way to explore the island is to have your own transport, as it is quite large and well worth the effort to visit places that do not reach the local transport and tours.
In Kythera there are many companies that offer car rentals modern fleets of cars and motorcycles.

By bus:
You can go by bus to Gythio or Neapoli and the by ferry to Kythera. The trip from Athens to Gythio endures 5 hours and to Neapoli 7 hours.

For your convenience you can use the map route finding to the next field of the page (Routes) with information on the mileage, the time you need and the route to follow, choosing the place that interest you.