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The sun low over the sea off Koufonisia, a bright track of light on the water

Koufonisia: an island you walk, and a coast of coves

A flat sandy island small enough to walk end to end, with turquoise coves along its south shore and an uninhabited twin across a narrow channel.

An at a glance card for Koufonisia. What it is: A low, small, sandy island. Getting about: On foot. No car needed. The coast: A path linking coves. Across a channel: An uninhabited twin. In August: Small, and it shows. One row is marked out as the thing that decides the visit. The conclusion reads: Walk the south coast. That is the island. No prices appear.
Walk the south coast. That is the island.

Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.

There is no need for a car and, in practice, nowhere to drive one.

The coast path

The south shore is the island, and a path runs along it from the village east past a sequence of coves. They come in order and each is slightly different: Finikas, Fanos, Platia Pounta with its famous rock arch and pool, and Pori, the long one at the end.

The water is the clear pale turquoise that gets Koufonisia onto lists, and it is genuinely that colour, because the sea bed here is white sand rather than rock.

The walk out to Pori and back is a half day with swimming stops built into it.

Kato Koufonisi

Across a channel a few hundred metres wide sits the second island, uninhabited apart from a taverna and a church. A small boat shuttles across in season. It has beaches and nothing else, which is the reason to go.

The village

Chora sits above the port: whitewashed, small, with a windmill above it and enough tavernas and bars to make an evening. It fills in August in a way a place this size feels immediately.

Getting there and how long

Ferries run from Naxos and through the Small Cyclades chain, connecting to Amorgos and Schinoussa. There is no airport, and that is a large part of why the island still feels the way it does.

Two or three nights. Longer if the point is to do nothing, which is a legitimate use of Koufonisia and arguably its best one.

Last checked August 2026. Ferry and seasonal boat services change - see our editorial policy.

Common questions

Where is Koufonisia?

In the Small Cyclades, between Naxos and Amorgos, reached by ferry through that chain.

Do you need a car on Koufonisia?

No. The inhabited island is small enough to walk end to end, and the coast path links the beaches.

What is the arch at Koufonisia?

The rock formation at Platia Pounta, where the sea has cut through the low rock shelf to make a natural pool and arch. It is the island’s most photographed spot.

Can you visit Kato Koufonisi?

Yes, by small boat across the channel in season. It is uninhabited apart from a taverna and a church.

How long should you stay on Koufonisia?

Two or three nights covers the coast path and the second island. People who want to do nothing stay longer.

Plan by category

The Koufonisia guides

2 guides, each scoped to a decision you actually have to make.

  • Ancient marble temple columns against a blue Greek skyAttractions

    Things to do

    What is worth your time here, and what to skip.

    See the attractions →
  • A turquoise Greek bay with a beach below dry hillsBeaches

    The beaches

    Which shore, which sand, and how you actually get there.

    See the beaches →

Next

Read Amorgos, Schinoussa, or Naxos.