# Kythira, Greece: The Island of Aphrodite > Kythira (Kythera) is a large, quiet island between the Peloponnese and Crete, the island of Aphrodite. Guide to Chora and its Venetian castle, the history, the red-sand beaches and where to stay. | | | |---|---| | Size | 278 km² | | Population | ~2,700 | | Between | Peloponnese & Crete | | Capital | Chora | **Kythira, also spelled Kithera or Kythera, is a large, unspoiled island between the Peloponnese and Crete, quiet and Venetian in feel, with about 2,700 inhabitants and limited ferry links.** Known in myth as the island of Aphrodite, Kythira sits on its own between the island groups, so its ferry connections are few and most of its visitors are Greeks; its white houses look Cycladic, but its Venetian past ties it to the Ionian islands. _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ _Photo: Kythira, Ionian, Greece_ ## The island of Kythira Kythira covers 278 square kilometers and has about 2,700 inhabitants, lying on its own between the Peloponnese and the west of Crete, with only the smaller Antikythira nearby. Because it is so isolated, ferry links are limited and the island stays quiet and unspoiled, visited mostly by Greeks. Historically Kythira belongs with the Ionian islands - it knew Venetian rather than Ottoman rule - yet its whitewashed houses and landscape look more like the Cyclades. It is hilly rather than mountainous, with fertile valleys that bloom in spring. ## History of Kythira Excavations show Kythira was inhabited as early as 3000 BC. Its strategic position made it a prize fought over by many rulers: near present-day Palaiopoli, in the east of the island, stood an ancient city whose port lay just below at Avlemonas, and Minoan tombs have been found on a nearby hill. Athens and Sparta fought repeatedly over Kythira during the Peloponnesian Wars, so it changed hands often, then fell into decay and was largely deserted; under Byzantine rule it prospered again, gaining many houses, churches and monasteries. ## Sights of Kythira The capital, **Chora**, is crowned by a restored Venetian castle dating from 1503, with a protected medieval district of white cubic houses. Within the castle walls are three churches - the Catholic Panagia cathedral, the Agios Pandeleimon church with its rare frescoes and the older Agia Triada - along with part of the High Commissioner's palace, gunpowder stores and two aqueducts; the castle is more impressive from a distance, and the view is the main reason to climb up. The deserted Byzantine capital of **Paliochora**, ringed by canyons in the north-east, was destroyed in 1537. ## The beaches of Kythira Kythira is known for its distinctive red-sand beaches. **Firi Ammos** near Agia Pelagia is famous for the red sand at the water's edge, while a second **Firi Ammos** near Livadi has red pebbles and some of the cleanest water on the island. **Chalkos** is a 200-metre pebble beach on the south-east coast near Kalamos, good for snorkelling. **Paliopoli** is a long sand-and-pebble beach popular with Greeks, and **Platia Ammos**, a long sandy beach on the north-west coast near Karavas, has a taverna and a view of the Peloponnese. ## Where to stay on Kythira ### Athena Apartments and Studios, Diakofti _Photo: Athena Apartments, Diakofti, Kythira_ _Photo: Athena Apartments, Diakofti, Kythira_ _Photo: Athena Apartments, Diakofti, Kythira_ _Photo: Athena Apartments, Diakofti, Kythira_ _Photo: Athena Apartments, Diakofti, Kythira_ _Photo: Athena Apartments, Diakofti, Kythira_ _Photo: Athena Apartments, Diakofti, Kythira_ _Photo: Athena Apartments, Diakofti, Kythira_ _Photo: Athena Apartments, Diakofti, Kythira_ _Photo: Athena Apartments, Diakofti, Kythira_ Athena Apartments and Studios stand 200 metres from a golden sandy beach in Diakofti, a charming, quiet coastal village directly connected by ferry to Athens, Crete and the Peloponnese. The self-catering, daily-serviced studios are simply furnished with air conditioning, a kitchenette and a TV, and restaurants and traditional coffee houses overlooking the bay are close by. [Check availability & book](#) ### To Lagadi Tou Karava, Karavas _Photo: To Lagadi Tou Karava, Karavas, Kythira_ _Photo: To Lagadi Tou Karava, Karavas, Kythira_ _Photo: To Lagadi Tou Karava, Karavas, Kythira_ _Photo: To Lagadi Tou Karava, Karavas, Kythira_ _Photo: To Lagadi Tou Karava, Karavas, Kythira_ _Photo: To Lagadi Tou Karava, Karavas, Kythira_ _Photo: To Lagadi Tou Karava, Karavas, Kythira_ _Photo: To Lagadi Tou Karava, Karavas, Kythira_ _Photo: To Lagadi Tou Karava, Karavas, Kythira_ _Photo: To Lagadi Tou Karava, Karavas, Kythira_ To Lagadi Tou Karava lies in Karavas, a green village in the north of Kythira, and consists of three traditional stone houses, renovated and furnished in old island style but with all modern comforts. The setting is surrounded by green landscapes and forest, near the famous springs of Amir Ali, with the beach a 10-minute drive away - ideal for a quiet holiday combining sea and greenery. [Check availability & book](#) ### Elea Apartments, Kalamos _Photo: Elea Apartments, Kalamos, Kythira_ _Photo: Elea Apartments, Kalamos, Kythira_ _Photo: Elea Apartments, Kalamos, Kythira_ _Photo: Elea Apartments, Kalamos, Kythira_ _Photo: Elea Apartments, Kalamos, Kythira_ _Photo: Elea Apartments, Kalamos, Kythira_ _Photo: Elea Apartments, Kalamos, Kythira_ _Photo: Elea Apartments, Kalamos, Kythira_ _Photo: Elea Apartments, Kalamos, Kythira_ _Photo: Elea Apartments, Kalamos, Kythira_ Elea Apartments sit in Kalamos village, not far from the Venetian castle, the beaches and the cosmopolitan area of Kapsali. It is a small, affordable complex, ideal for a relaxing, quiet holiday, with the Cave of Saint Sofia to explore nearby and a car-rental service for longer excursions. [Check availability & book](#) ### Cengo Hotel, Kapsali _Photo: Cengo Hotel, Kapsali, Kythira_ _Photo: Cengo Hotel, Kapsali, Kythira_ _Photo: Cengo Hotel, Kapsali, Kythira_ _Photo: Cengo Hotel, Kapsali, Kythira_ _Photo: Cengo Hotel, Kapsali, Kythira_ The Cengo Hotel is in Kapsali, in the south of the island below Chora, with rooms that look out over the sea and the Chora above. It was recommended by a fly2greece correspondent who valued the authenticity of Kythira and the quiet of Kapsali. [Enquire by e-mail](#) --- Source: [Kythira, Greece: The Island of Aphrodite - Beaches, Chora & Hotels](https://fly2greece.net/kythira.html) — fly2greece.net, an independent guide to Greece written and photographed by Hans Huisman since 2000. Reviewed July 2026.