Monuments

Byzantine monuments, castles and fortresses.
The watermills and the windmills. The Bridges and many more

Bridge of Potamos

The stone bridge of Potamos was built in 1823, during the English domination of the island, based on plans by the English commissioner, and engineer Macphail. The bridge stands on seven arcs, is completely symmetric and made of stone, limestone and mortar. It is 60 meters long, 6,8 meters wide and 7 meters high. The […]

Castello, Saint Francisco Fortress

The wider Kythira area is the western gate to the Aegean. Sailing around the coast was always dangerous and Cape Maleas, the cape of the eastern peninsula of Laconia, was the most difficult spot for sailors to navigate. Strabo’s words “Μαλέαν δε κάμψας επιλάθου των οίκαδε”, clearly state the danger: “if you pass from cape Maleas, forget […]

Castle of Kythera Town

After the destruction of Paliochora in 1537, the castle of the capital city became the administrative center of the island. All political, intellectual, religious and military administration of the island was centralized in the castle, which is located in the southern part of the island, on a 200 meter high steep ridge, two kilometers from […]

Kato Chora

The Mylopotamos fortress is one of the three fortresses dating back to the Venetian domination, located near the village of Mylopotamos on the western side of Kythira. It is a Venetian fortress built during the 15th century (as attested by the frescos in the churches) to protect the occupants of the area and to guard the […]

Katouni Bridge

The stone bridge of Katouni was built during the British domination in 1826. It is one of the largest built in Greece, with a length of 110 meters, a width of 6 meters and a height of 15 meters. The bridge is supported by 13 symmetric arches with 12 cylindrical openings. The bridge was constructed […]

Markato

Markato was built during the British domination of the island in 1834, as the table testifies. It was to be used as a flea market. It was mainly used as a meat market, a fish market and a vegetable market. The villagers brought their goods to the market of the island’s capital to sell them. […]

Mikri Dragonara (Antidragonera)

A small islet to the east of Kythera, where there is a sanctuary dedicated to Poseidon, god of the earth and earthquakes. The archaeological digs led by archaeologist Aris Tsaravopoulos and his team in the late 1990s unearthed hundreds of coins dating back to the Hellenistic era that came from 54 cities and kingdoms in the […]

Minoan Peak Sanctuary

In 1991, in his archaeological wanderings Adonis Kyrou pointed out the existence of countless ceramic sherds and other minoan artifacts around the church of Agios Georgios, located on “Vouno”. The archaeologist Giannis Sakellarakis, one year later, set out on an archaeological excavation with his scientific team. Soon, they discovered an untouched, hidden, Minoan shrine, the […]

Moudari Lighthouse

Built in 1857 during the British domination, the lighthouse of Moudari is one of the biggest in Greece. It is located in cape Spathi on the northern tip of the island. It is 25 meters tall with a focal height of 110 meters. It started operating the same year it was built and was powered […]

Paleochora – Agios Dimitrios

The Byzantine castle in the town of Agios Dimitrios was built in the 12th century by the Eudaimonogiannides of Monemvasia. It was a safe natural fortress built on the 216-meter high rock, in the Kakia Lagkada Canyon, 2 kilometers away from the northeastern shore. Because it was not visible from the sea, it protected the […]

Paleopolis – Skandia

Near Paleopoli used to stand the ancient port of Scandia, the main port of Paleokastro, Kythera’s capital city in the Antiquity. The port was destroyed by an earthquake in 375 B.C. Archaeological digs revealed some old tombs, which can be visited by anyone interested.

Paliokastro

Paleokastro was the capital of Greece during the Greek Antiquity. It is located on a hill near Paleopoli and shows signs of dwellings dating back to the Geometric Period. In 1999 Kytherean professor and archaeologist Ioannis Petrocheilos did some archaeological digs at the top of Paleokastro hill, near the church of Agios Georgios (altitude: 323 […]

The school of Milapidea

It is one of the most beautiful works of architecture of the time of British rule (Ionian state under the sole protection of Great Britain 1815 – 1864). The building stands on a hill visible from the settlements of Livadi, Fatsadika, Kontolianika and Keramoto and is in an excellent condition. It was built in 1825 […]

Watermills

Most of the watermills of the island are located along the stream of Mylopotamos. There is a total of 23 watermills, but only three of them are preserved in a good condition with their mechanism intact. They are all privately owned. The name of the village, Mylopotamos (in Greek Mill-River), probably comes from the existence […]

Windmills

In Kythira, like in other Greek windy islands, we see windmills. These mills were built during the 19th century, and according to written sources, the first mill was built in 1805 by Vrettos Friligkos. They were vital to the agricultural production of the island. Kythira is an island that favors their use because it has strong […]

Monuments in Kythira

Kythera has several monuments of all historical periods, from the Minoan times (2000 BC) to the more recent years. Exploring the island you will find many of them, but in some others it will take the help of an experienced local tour guide who will reveal them to you.

One of the most important monuments is Paliokastro, the ancient acropolis of Kythera, seat of targeted excavations. The port of this city was Skandia, in today’s Paliopolis. The area today is characterized as an archaeological site. Close to Paliokastro and Paliopoli, east of Agios Georgios on the mountain, is the Minoan Sanctuary. In the wider area, vaulted tombs have been revealed. Houstos Cave in Diakofti served as a holy site, as well as the rocky island of Little Dragonara, east of Avlemonas.

The medieval monuments in Kythira are also significant. Palaiochora or Agios Dimitrios, as was called the ruined small fortress, was the Byzantine capital of the island during the 12th century. The castle of Kato Chora Mylopotamos and the castle of Chora, today’s capital, dates back to the Venetian times. In Avlemonas, Kastelo, a small fortress that served to control and protect the harbor is well preserved.

During the period of the English occupation of Kythera in the 19th century, the stone bridges in Livadi and Potamos, the lighthouse at Moudari Cape, the schools of Milapidaeas, Potamos, the aqueduct in Kapsali and many other works were saved in excellent condition until today.

Monuments can also be found in the dozens of windmills, as well as the watermills in the ravines of Mylopotamos, Karavas and Mitata. Kythera, thanks to its mild growth, managed to save these precious treasures. The cultural heritage of Kythera is constantly being protected and maintained.

We advise you to wander around the monuments and get to know the history of the island. It’s an excellent experience!

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