Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
pass the
Lion of Kéa
, a sixth-century BC sculpture carved out of an outcrop of rock, 6m
long and 3m high - the effect is most striking from a distance.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
IOULÍDHA
En Lefko
T
22880 22155.
On the street between Hóra's
two squares, this coffee shop has one of the most romantic
gardens, suspended over the cliffs and overlooking the port
and beyond. Dimly lit, this is the perfect place to snuggle
up with a cappuccino (€4).
April-Oct daily 8am-2am.
Hotel Serie
T
22880 22355,
W
serie.gr.
Only 100m from
the Ioulídha bus stop and employing a tasteful colour
combination of blue and orange throughout - from the
stone building itself to the furnishings - this is maybe the
best-situated boutique hotel on the island with vie
ws b
oth
of Ioulídha itself and the valley below. Easter-Oct.
€80
Ì
Rolandos
Main square
T
22880 22224.
The chef,
Rolandos, comes from Corfu and serves a traditional Greek
menu with an Ionian flavour. His moussaka (€8) - using
courgettes instead of potatoes - is as famed as his house
wine.
Easter-Oct daily 10am-2am.
6
The northwest coast
Kéa's northwest coast attracts the most visitors.
VOURKÁRI
, strung out around the next
bay, a couple of kilometres northeast of Korissía, is a fishing village, arguably more
attractive than Korissía, serving as a hangout for the yachting set. Another 4km further,
OTZIÁS
has a beach that's bigger and better than any on the northern shore, though
more exposed to prevailing meltémi winds.
The eighteenth-century monastery of
Panayías Kastrianís
(June-Sept sunrise-sunset)
is 7km along a surfaced road from Otziás. From here you can take the pleasant walk on
dirt tracks and occasional paths to Ioulídha in another two hours. Further on,
Spathí
,
only reachable by car 3km away from the monastery on a dirt road, is by far the island's
finest beach.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
THE NORTHWEST COAST
Anemousa
Otziás
T
22880 21335.
A modern cluster of
villas alternating the brown-gold Kéa stone with whitewashed
walls. The colour scheme extends to t
he t
asteful furnishings
inside the spacious studios. April-Oct.
€55
Aristos
Vourkári
T
22880 21475.
Don't be fooled by the
look of this sleepy fish and seafood taverna at the entrance to
the village; it is renowned for its crayfish spaghetti (€20-30)
drawing customers from all over the island.
April-Oct daily
noon-midnight; Nov-March Fri-Sat noon-midnight
.
Otziás
Otziás beach
T
22887 70500.
You can relax in the
taverna's beach deckchairs for €4/day in the morning
before retiring
under its roof to sample a variety of grilled
meat and fish from only €8 for lunch when the sun gets
really scorching.
Easter-Oct daily noon-8.30pm.
Strofi tou Mimi
Vourkári
T
22880 21480.
The locals are
almost equally divided on whether this place, on the corner
of the road towards Otziás, or
Aristos
(see above) is the best
fish taverna on the island. You'll have to make up your own
mind by dining in both.
Strofí tou Mimi
is only slightly
cheaper.
April-Oct daily 7pm-midnight.
The south
The road southwest of Ioulídha twists around a scenic agricultural valley and emerges
at a large sandy beach at
Písses
. Beyond here, the asphalt peters out at the end of the
5km road south to
Koúndhouros beach
, consisting of two sheltered coves popular with
yachters. A further 2km south, at
Kambí
, there's a nice little beach and a good taverna
of the same name.
Kýthnos
One of the lesser known and most low-key of the larger Cyclades,
KÝTHNOS
is an
antidote to the overdevelopment you may encounter elsewhere, so much so that credit
cards are still not accepted in many places. Few foreigners visit, and the island - known
also as Thermiá, after its renowned hot springs - is even quieter than Kéa, particularly
to the south where drives or long hikes from
Dhryopídha
to its coastal coves are the
