View from above of a settlement with white houses and a large church. Around low hills with sheaves. In the background sea and island.

Kimolos

NOW 14 °C

Next 5 days

SUN 13 °C
MON 14 °C
TUES 12 °C
WED 10 °C
THURS 10 °C

Source: National Observatory of Athens /meteo.gr

The Chalk Island

This tiny yet beautiful island lies in the western part of the Cyclades next to Milos. Possessing a volcanic soil and a unique variety of minerals, its chalk mining past is from where its name derives (kimolia means chalk in Greek). The island is famous for its fantastic sandy or pebbly beaches and coves.

There’s a sheer resemblance to the rest of the Cycladic islands; white houses and cobbled-stone alleys, breathtaking beaches, a Chora Village and hospitable locals!

Mushroom-shaped rock in a rocky landscape with low green vegetation.

Polyaigos, the largest uninhabited island of the Aegean sea, is accessible only by boat from Kimolos and is an ideal spot for bird-watching.

Around the Island

Chorio is the capital of the island and is made up of two quarters, Messa and Exo Kastro (meaning interior and exterior part of the castle). Messa Kastro is built around the original 13th c. stronghold of the castle with a cycladic architectural style creating a new rampart with loopholes. The 17th c. Exo Kastro was built around Messa Kastro with a plain architectural style but is still very charming with its archways. Don’t leave the village before paying a visit to the Archaeological Museum, which features finds from around the island but mainly from the cemetery of the ancient city of Kimolos. See the glass showcase where you’ll see a depiction, among the 22 that were unearthed, of an ancient burial site.

Psathi is another lovely village - 1.5km from Chorio - home to the island’s port, with white houses, narrow alleys lined with flowerpots and small houses to store locals’ boats. Visit Ellinika town by boat from the port of Psathi, 5km west, where you can see the ancient city’s cemetery and how graves were carved in rocks. The holiday villages of Alyki and Kalamitsi in the south offer beautiful beaches at a short distance.

There is a large number of trails that are still used by locals and lead to every nook and cranny of the island. Discover the unique ecosystem of the island; myrtle plants, fig trees, vines, wall lizards (podarcis milensis), as well as the refuge of the Mediterranean seal, monachus monachus, on the northern coast of the island. Continue your hike towards Skiadi where you can admire a truly unique geological formation; a giant stone mushroom look-alike. Follow the wonderful route from Chorio, through the mountain Sklavos towards Agioklima Beach where there is also a hot spring. If you are into hot spring bathing then also visit Therma, Prassa (the chalk mining area) and Kastro (a red stone beach).

If you rent a boat then the islet of Polyaigos is well worth a visit and an ideal spot for bird watching. Enjoy the beaches of: Kara with its blue-green waters and white rocks; Prassa with white sand (offering various amenities); Alyki with Tamarisk trees, sandy-pebbly beach and crystal clear waters; and finally Bonatsa (meaning windless) with its fine sand and shallow waters.