Authentic Kimolos: Cyclades Greece
We all know the glamourous Greek destinations Mykonos & Santorini. Both islands are very photogenic and extremely comfortable for tourists…. but very busy too and expensive. I you are looking for something a little bit more quiet, there are alternatives. I visited authentic Kimolos. This small and peaceful island is located right next to Milos. This is my first visit to Greece and I can’t wait to try the famous moussaka and raki…
It is just a short 3,5 hour flight from Amsterdam to Athens with Transavia. From Athens you can fly to Milos in 40 minutes and hop on a GIGANTIC ship, that will take you to Kimolos in 45 minutes. It is very impressive to watch the huge ship sail into the tiny harbour. It makes parallel parking in Amsterdam look like peanuts. You can also hop on the boat directly in Athens. It is a beautiful trip, but it takes more than 8 hours to get to Kimolos…
We stay at the cosy Monachofolitses, with 6 beautiful, clean rooms. Breakfast is a party. The owner, Electra, bakes something special every day, like the traditional ladenia: looks like a pizza with tomatoes and onions. So delicious! The rooms are light and have a modern bathroom with a rain shower. Electra and her husband helped us with renting a scooter and took us on a wonderful boat trip to Poliegos island. Monachofolitses felt like a home away from home.
Taverna Kalamitsi
Kimolos has more than 400 churches on the island and only 500 inhabitants in the winter. That is almost 1 church per person! In the summer months there are over 5000 people on the island. Kimolos is a popular holiday destination for the Greek. We explore the island by scooter. The roads are not ideal at times, so we have to walk a little and a local farmer on a donkey is faster than us… The old versus modern time.. Very typical for this island:-).
We discover Prassa Beach and the beautiful beach club Kimolia Beach Bar. This is the only beach club we can find on the island, but it is a good one! They have an outdoor cinema in the summer months! I guess we are the first tourists of the season and the owner offers us free Coronas and delicious paninis. The Greek are so friendly and the hospitality is amazing here. When we go out for dinner that night, we start with some fresh anchovy in vinegar at Kykládes. The owner offers us a raki and drinks one with us. It is a Greek tradition to have a glass after dinner. This is a great spot for an iced coffee during the day too!
Prassa Beach & Kimolia Beach Bar
There are a lot of great restaurants on Kimolos. These are my favorites:
Breakfast:
Ranteboú
To Raventi
Lunch & Dinner:
Taverna Kalamitsi
Postali
The Wave
I Kali Kardia
I Avli tou Samplou
Kykládes
Sardis
Ice cream at Stavento Ice Cream
I Avli tou Samplou
Wine & drinks:
Stavento: lovely winebar!
Agora Cocktail Bar
Beaches:
Prassa Beach
Mavrospilia Beach
Ellininika Beach
Bonatsa Beach
Kimolos is a beautiful island, but keep in mind that it can be very quiet untill the end of May. A lot of shops were closed and there is hardly any nightlife during this time. So if cocktails and clubs make you happy, this is not the place for you. Kimolos is where you unwind from busy daily life, where you eat fresh fish, read a good book on a private beach and drink some dangerous raki that will make you sleep well at night:-). This Greek island is still authentic and the locals are some of the warmest people I have met during my travels.
Before we fly back to Amsterdam, we spend one night in Athens. We stay at the wonderful 5-star boutique design hotel Grecotel Pallas Athena. Wow! At night we discover a couple of great spots in the city. Have dinner at Bandiera and have a cocktail at Dos Gardenias. Both are new spots in the city. Athens has an amazing vibe and I will go back for a citytrip…
Click HERE for the best rates at the lovely Monachofolitses.
Check out the beautiful rooms at Grecotel Pallas Athena HERE.
Click HERE for the best flights to Athens with Transavia!