Villages of Kythira

The island is of moderate size and has several villages and settlements, most of them are in the hinterland, some of them are traditional, and some are preservable.

Traditional houses in the rural village of Fratsia, in the central part of Kythira.

Villages and Settlements of Kythira

The capital of the island is Chora, a traditional village in the southern part of Kythira, with magnificent mansion houses, picturesque alleys, several tourist shops and the large Venetian castle with a magnificent panoramic view of three seas.

The village of Mylopotamos is located west of the island, named after the many watermills it had before. It is a tourist village, traditionally characterized and the settlement of Kato Chora preserved. It has plenty of water and ponds with lush vegetation and plane trees.

In the center of the island is the picturesque Potamos one of the largest villages with houses influenced by the Peloponnese architecture and neoclassical elements.
Next to Potamos is the large Byzantine fortress of Paleochora, built on a steep cliff, which during the period of its acommodation hosted three thousand people and was destroyed by the pirate Barbarossa, today there are preserved important Byzantine churches such as the church of Agia Varvara, an excellent example of Monembassian architecture, its ideal proportions, there are still public buildings and sections of the city walls.

At the center west of the island, in the traditional village of Mylopotamos, you can find the preserved settlement of Kato Chora, where there is also the homonymous Venetian castle of Kato Chora, with its central road keeping the houses in good condition creating a setting that makes the visitor travels back in time.

Immediately after Kato Chora, the road leads to the cave of Agia Sophia of Mylopotamos, which impresses the visitor with the stone iconostasis at the entrance of the cave bearing 13th century Byzantine icons depicting Hagia Sophia with her daughters Love, Hope and Faith then we meet the small Naissos of Agia Sophia that creates a gentle atmosphere in the place. The cave has a touristic route of 550 meters and consists of hallways and corridors decorated with stalactites and stalagmites, the coloring that dominates is the shades of gray with touches of yellow.

The spiritual center of the island is the Myrtidiotissa Monastery, centrally in Kythira, with the miraculous icon found in the monastery’s place by a shepherd. It celebrates the 15th of August and is a pole of attraction for many believers from Greece and abroad.

View in detail all villages in Kythira with a lot of photos, and specific information for each village separately.