Small Cyclades Koufonisia Island guide

Koufonisia, Greece: Beaches, Chora, Kato Koufonisi and Hotels

Koufonisia is a pair of islands in the Small Cyclades, between Naxos and Amorgos, made up of the inhabited Pano Koufonisi and the uninhabited Kato Koufonisi. Pano Koufonisi (also written Ano Koufonisi) is the main island, with the Chora on the hill behind the port and a run of turquoise sandy beaches down its east coast to Pori. Kato Koufonisi rises only a few metres above the sea and is reached by a short caique trip. The island has no airport, and it is small enough that you walk to every beach.

Group: Small Cyclades
Pano Koufonisi: 3.5 km2
Capital: Chora
Access: Ferry only

The island of Koufonisia

Koufonisia consists of two islands: Pano Koufonisi and Kato Koufonisi. Pano Koufonisi, also called Ano (upper) Koufonisi, is the main and only inhabited island and measures 3.5 km2; Kato (lower) Koufonisi measures 4.3 km2, rises no more than a few metres above the sea and is home mostly to goats. The larger islands of Naxos and Keros rise out of the sea nearby, and on a clear day the outline of Amorgos shows on the horizon. On the left side of the port bay stands a windmill, and a fleet of brightly coloured wooden kaiks lies in the water. The Chora, the old capital, sits on the hill behind the port. The island is so small that no car is needed and every beach is reached on foot.

Getting to Koufonisia

Koufonisia has no airport, so you reach it only by ferry. Roughly one boat a day calls in each direction, towards Naxos and Piraeus or towards Amorgos. Blue Star Ferries links Piraeus with the island through Naxos, and the small local ferry Scopelitis runs the Small Cyclades line from Naxos. The nearest airport is on Naxos, from where you continue by boat. Day trips also run from Naxos. It is wise to book a room in advance so you are met at the port, because some ferries arrive late. A car is not needed on the island.

Beaches of Koufonisia

Koufonisia keeps its best beaches on the east coast of Pano Koufonisi, and the further east you walk the better they get. From the Chora a coastal path runs past Finikas, Charokopou (Harokopou), Fanos and Italida to Pori, the marquee beach set in a protected bay. Finikas is a small but strikingly beautiful sandy beach 15 minutes from the Chora; Charokopou has a taverna, a campsite and the last shop for water and food; Fanos and Italida draw a younger crowd; and Pori is a wide sweep of sand backed by dunes. Punta Platia and Pori are the naturist beaches, and small sea-cave beaches line the low cliffs on the walk out to Pori. The full run is set out in the Koufonisia beaches guide.

Kato Koufonisi and the sights

Kato Koufonisi and Keros, near Koufonisia

The main day out from Koufonisia is the boat trip to Kato Koufonisi, the uninhabited island across a 200 m channel, with its whitewashed church of Panagia, quiet beaches and a single taverna. Closer to home, the sights of Pano Koufonisi are the car-free Chora on its hill and a stone windmill of 1830 above the port. From the sea you also pass the uninhabited islet of Glaronisi, where white limestone cliffs hide caves you can swim into, and the archaeological island of Keros. These are gathered in the Koufonisia sights guide.

Villages: the Chora and the port

Koufonisia keeps all its life in one settlement on Pano Koufonisi, made up of the Chora on the hill and the port of Megali Ammos below it. There are no other villages on the island, and Kato Koufonisi across the water is uninhabited.

The Chora

The Chora is the old capital of Koufonisia, a small whitewashed Cycladic town on the hill behind the port. Its narrow lanes hold the island's shops, bars and tavernas serving fresh fish, and the centre lies about 200 metres from the harbour. Because the island is so small, the Chora and the port run together as a single settlement, and everything is within an easy walk. A stone windmill of 1830 stands on the south-west side above the town.

The port of Megali Ammos

The port bay of Koufonisia with its wooden kaiks

Megali Ammos is the port of Koufonisia, where the ferries dock and the day boats leave for Kato Koufonisi. A windmill stands on the left of the bay, and a fleet of brightly coloured wooden kaiks lies in the water. The port has 2 town beaches: the main beach beside the harbour is fine for swimming, while neighbouring Loutro, with its caique repair yard and large stones, is not. The Chora rises on the hill just behind.

Where to stay

Accommodation on Koufonisia is mostly Cycladic-style studios, rooms and apartments on Pano Koufonisi, clustered around the Chora and port and along the east-coast beaches at Charokopou and near Ammos. The one four-star property is the Koufonisia Hotel & Resort, and the standout self-catering stay is the restored Windmill Villa of 1830. Compare the options in the Koufonisia hotels & villas guide, which covers the island's hotels and its self-catering villas.

Where to eat

Koufonisia serves its food in the Chora and around the port, where tavernas and bars cook fresh fish and Greek dishes. A taverna sits on Charokopou beach, the last stop for food and water before the beaches further east. On a day trip to Kato Koufonisi, the Venetsanos taverna is the only place to eat. The dining areas are set out in the Koufonisia restaurants guide.