"KITHNOS - RESPITE FROM PACKAGE TOURISM " a Kithnos Travel Page by mtncorg

In one guidebook, Kithnos is described as the most barren and dull of the Greek islands. There are not a lot of visitors. The few that do come, usually are en route to the thermal springs at Loutra. But 'dull' and 'barren' can mean many things to different people. There are no good beaches like Naxos, Paros or lord forbid, Mykonos. There are no cliff-hugging houses ala Santorini. What Kithnos is is a real Greek island, where people have to work hard without the luxury of having some foreign tourist to garner some income off of. Maybe becasue of the rigorous lifestyle, the people seem less jaded as on other islands - more welcoming. We always seemed to have our best experiences on islands away fromthe main tourist stream.

Heavy seas forced our motorsailor into Loutra as we were trying to go from Kea to Paros. With the day at our disposal, we simply walked - no real destination in mind - to the Chora and beyond. Walking through the Chora, an old man greeted us happy to practise his English with us. He had learned his English in the late 1920's when, as a youth, he had worked in a cigar factory in London. Invited into his house, we met his wife and shared pictures of his children and their children, an experience that stayed with me as an true example of the warmness of the Greek heart.

Walking on the roads of the island - there aren't many cars :-] - you can either say there is nothing there or be totally impressed atthe beauty of the landscape; the big sky; the ancientness of the country. The island dates back to 7500 BC and is the oldest known habitation in the Cyclades. Minoans, Driopes and Rhodes figure in the ancient times. Later there were Venetians and Turks. It is thought that because of the harshness of island life that holidays are celebrated with extra gusto here complete with traditional costumes worn - not for tourist shows.