Why Visit
The beaches are small and do not get very popular. The most impressive beach is Kolona, a long stretch of sand that gets into the sea and actually creates two beaches.
There is not much sightseeing, except for some nice churches, scattered around the island and so typical of the Cyclades.
History
Ancient times Kythnos, one of the islands that belongs to the Cyclades complex, has been the home of many settlers throughout the ages. Mesolithic remains witness that the island may be the oldest settlement of the Cyclades. According to the writings of Herodotus, the first settlers of Kythnos was the ancient tribe Dryopes that occurred in the 13th century BC. During their presence they built Cyclopean walls and many temples. According to the myth, the island was named after the king of the tribe, Kythnos. The tribe has also given its name to one of the island's picturesque villages, Dryopis or Dryopida.
The history of Kythnos starts from the prehistoric times. Numerous old settlements were discovered around the island, one of the most famous found at the site of Vryokastro. This site is located above the bay of Episkopi, on the North West side of the island and is dated back to the 7th to the 5th centuries BC. The most significant finding from this inhabited site was an inner sanctum of a temple, which contained over 14,00 objects including jewels, gold, silver and bronze artifacts, it also contained terra cotta figurines and decorated vases. This temple was believed to have been dedicated to Hera, the queen of the Gods, or to Aphrodite, the goddess of Love. The Cyclades chain of islands were very prone to pirate attacks, hence a lot of sites of the old settlements indicate extensive defense structures.
Medieval period
Most were surrounded by huge stone walls, or like the "Kastro", a settlement located in the extreme north, surrounded by a sheer 500 feet deep cliff on three sides and a narrow track barricaded by huge stone walls on the fourth. The village inside seems to have been plundered several times and rebuilt many times. During the Venetian era of Kythnos history, which began in 1207, this island came under the control of Frankish lord Marco Sanudo and remained under Venetian rule for nearly 400 years. The island was known as Thermia in those times and the capital was Kastro. It was famous for its hot mineral springs which were located on the north-eastern coast of the island, near the village of Loutra.
A Frankish fort was built in the capital, Kastro and was named the Tower of Thermia. The last Venetian lord Angelo Gozzadini was overthrown by the Turks in 1617, in a rather treacherous manner. It is noted that the Turks employed a woman with child and in pain requesting admittance into the capital. The watchman's daughter, taking pity on the woman's state opened the door for her, letting in the Turkish army hiding nearby. This tale still remains alive in popular island ballads. After the Turks took over Kythnos, it remained a religiously free but poor and backward island. However, this did not stop Kythnos from being one of the first islands to revolt against the Turks.
Recent years
Under their first Greek King Othon, Kythnos became a place for exile for political prisoners. During the Second World War, population of Kythnos dwindled again and the lack of a deep water moor hampered the prospects of attracting tourists. Kythnos today is a prosperous, thriving island, which is becoming very popular with tourists. Ever since the construction of a new mole in 1974, Kythnos became much more accessible and thus more popular with tourists.
Museums - Archeological
Kythnos played a major role in the Mesolithic and Roman period as revealed by many of its findings. Only two museums are found in Kythnos and both of them lie in Driopida. Of great interest is the Folklore Museum which hosts an extensive collection of objects and furniture that were used in the daily life of the locals like their traditional costumes and dresses, embroidery and textiles.
Equally impressive is the small Byzantine and Ecclesiastical Museum which is housed in one of the rooms of the Agios Georgios church. There is a lovely collection of Byzantine icons and manuscripts, some are actually from the holy Mount Athos. Driopida is worth a stop for its numerous sights like the cave Karafiki, one of the largest caves in Greece with stalagmites and stalactites.
Beaches
Kolona, Loutra beach, Agia Irini beach, Agios Dimitrios beach, Apokrousi, Episkopi, Gaidouromantra, Kalo Livadi, Kanala beach
Religious Monasteries and Churches
A plethora of whitewashed churches and monasteries adorn the island's countryside and coasts. In Kanala village, on top of the hill sits the Church of Panagia Kanala, the trademark of Kythnos and one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Cyclades, home to the miraculous icon of the Virgin. It used to be a monastery during the Byzantine times.
During those times many churches were founded including the church of Agios Savvas and Agios Minas with the brilliant carved iconostasis. A short walk away from the main village lies the remarkable 17th century Monastery of Panagia Nikous which is built on a fabulous location, on a high cliff over some ancient ruins. The fine church of Agios Ioannis Prodromos (John the Baptist) is perched on a low hill in Driopida. Also worth seeing in Chora are the churches of Agios Ioannis, Agia Triada and Agios Panteleimonas.
