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You're handily placed in Hora to tackle the most interesting thing to do on Kythnos: the beautiful walk south to Dhryopidha. It takes about ninety minutes, initially following the old cobbled way that leaves Hora heading due south; critical junctions in the first few minutes are marked by red paint dots. The only reliable water is a well in the valley bottom, reached after thirty minutes, just before a side trail to the triple-naved chapel of Ayios Spyridhon which has recycled Byzantine columns. Just beyond this, you collide with a bulldozed track between Dhryopidha and Ayios Stefanos, but purists can avoid it by bearing west towards some ruined ridgetop windmills and picking up secondary paths for the final forty minutes of the hike. More appealing than Hora by virtue of spanning a ravine, DHRYOPIDHA , with its pleasing tiled roofs, is reminiscent of Spain or Tuscany. A surprisingly large place, it was once the island's capital, built around a famous cave, the Katafiki, at the head of a well-watered valley. Tucked away behind the cathedral is a tiny folklore museum that opens erratically in high season. Beside the cathedral is a cheap psistaria, To Steki , and a good local ouzeri called O Apithanos ("the unbelievable guy"). Some people let rooms in their houses, but the nearest official accommodation is 6km south at Kanala. KANALA is a good alternative to Loutra. There are some rooms in the older settlement up on the promontory and a good taverna, Louloudhas , with a huge terrace overlooking the larger western beach, Megali Ammos , which also has rooms and a combination snack bar and taverna. Two adjacent pensions on the beach are Anna (tel 02810/32 035; ?24-33) and the B&B Margarita (tel 02810/32 265; ?24-58), with the latter warmly recommended for its home-like atmosphere. From Kanala, a succession of small coves extends up the east coast as far as AYIOS STEFANOS , a small coastal hamlet with two high-season tavernas opposite a chapel-crowned islet linked by a causeway to the body of the island. Southwest of Dhryopidha, reached by a turning off the road to Kanala, Flambouri is the most presentable beach on the west coast. The extension of the asphalted road southwards makes the double bay of Ayiou Dhimitriou more accessible than before; although not too exciting, there are a couple of tavernas and rooms to rent in high season.
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