Koufonissi. Kofonissi. Kofounissi. Greece.

Koufonissi

Few islands are comparable to Koufonissi, which has some of the best beaches of all of the Cycladic islands. Off course there are many islands that have nice beaches, but Koufonissi IS a beach, and the ocean – this marvellous ocean – is never far away. If you do not appreciate powder white sand and crystal clear water, Koufonissi can also offer small bays where you sometimes find yourself entirely on your own, lagoons which you can regard as your private jacuzzi, exciting caves to swim in and beautiful rock formations where you can laze on your back reading a good book. A part from the nice beaches and splendid bathing, there is a seldom seen serenity here. This largely depends on that the island is so small that are hardly any roads and therefore almost no car traffic.

Off course, there is a snake lurking in paradise: the number of tourists is incresasing dramatically each year. Between the first and 31st of august the island is invaded by Greeks and Italians on vacation and the beaches are packed. The pressure on the restaurants is high and you might even have to reserve a table to get something to eat. The room fare is increasing fast, the Athenians bring cars and motorcycles and suddenly Koufonissi is not the paradise it used to be. It is the same phenomenon at the end of the Swedish school semester (in June) when many families travel to the island, although it is not as crowded as it is in August.

Town beach.

Pori beach.

GETTING HERE
Fly to Santorini and on to Naxos from where you take the boat to Koufonissi. Your thin lifeline in this part of the island world is called Express Skopelitis – it is small, it is slow, it is hardly ever on time and it is not the funniest boat to be on when the winds blow. Express Skopelitis ply the route Iraklia–Schinoussa–Koufonissi–Amorgos all year round. A few times a week some bigger ferries go to Koufonissi.

GETTING AROUND
You go by foot. During the high season there is a bathing boat that goes to Pori and to the uninhabited neighbouring island of Kato Koufonissi.

VILLAGES
Chora is the only village on Koufonissi, it is quite small and has a typical Cycladic architecture. It is divided in two parts, the big and the small village, that are separated by the nice harbour promenade. The beach is a part of the harbour where the tiny fishing boats lie at anchor, many of them so small they would fit in a toy museum. The beach is so good that many stay here instead of going to other beaches: it close to home, near the tavernas and other facilities. In the little village there are several pensions, a small ouzeria, a taverna, a cozy bar and a small jewellery store. Most of the facilities are in the big village: post-office, cash machine, tourist office, hotel and pensions, supermarkets, bakeries, ouzeries, some bars and surprisingly many tavernas.

BEACHES
The fantastic beaches are Koufonissis' greatest asset and without a doubt the main reason for the increasing number of visitors. The beaches are gathered on beads along the south and east coast. The entire coast-line from Chora to the lagoon Pori is lined with beaches, smaller beach pockets and little lagoons. A rule of thumb is that the beaches get better the further away you go, another lesson is that the number of skinny-dippers will increase with the distance from Charakopou.

SIGHTS
There are no temples, excavations, museums or other historic places that you must see. There is nothing to miss and you can let go of the "we-must-see-this-and-that syndrome". Just relax, oversleep, go to the bakers' and share a few words about the weather, lean back and grab a book – then you can start thinking about what to do with this day in the life.

ACCOMMODATION
If you travel during the high season it is wise to make reservations. Even if new pensions are built almost every year, the rooms are still too few. It is not unusual for tourists to spend the night on a beach, or in the harbour to get the next boat out of there. During low season however it is no problem at all to find a good place to stay. Chose between village itself and Charakopou beach (Finikas). There is also camping by Charapokou beach.

Finikas beach.

MORE ABOUT KOUFONISSI
Geographical location »
Map of Koufonissi »
Ferry timetable »

OTHER LINKS
Naxos - nearest island »
Weather in Greece »

PICTURESFROMGREECE.COM
Kalimera beach »

Home » | About us » | Kalimera » | Picturesfromgreece »