Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
Loutra and the springs
Loutra, on the north-east coast, is built around natural thermal springs. Hot mineral water runs out of the ground and down to the sea, where it meets the cold water at the shoreline, and there is a small spa building using the same source.
Bathing where the hot stream reaches the beach is the local way of doing it, and it is free. The water carries iron and stains the channel it runs in a rusty orange, which is how you find it.
Kolona
The island’s landmark is a double-sided sandbar on the west coast: a narrow strip of sand joining Kythnos to the islet of Agios Loukas, with sea on both sides of it. You can swim off either side depending on the wind, which is the practical version of a very photogenic idea.
It is reached by boat from Merichas or down a rough track, and there is nothing there apart from a seasonal canteen.
The villages
- Chora, inland in the north, whitewashed and unrestored, with painted patterns on the lane surfaces.
- Dryopida, in the middle of the island, different again: terracotta tiled roofs rather than flat ones, a stream bed for a main street, and a cave open to visitors.
- Merichas, the port, functional rather than pretty.
Getting there and how long
Ferries from Lavrio and from Piraeus, on the western Cyclades line towards Serifos and Sifnos. No airport.
Two nights. Kythnos is a genuinely quiet island, and its appeal is that nothing much is happening.
Last checked August 2026. Ferry schedules and seasonal boats change - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
What is Kythnos known for?
Its natural thermal springs at Loutra, and the Kolona sandbar joining the island to a small islet with sea on both sides.
Are the hot springs on Kythnos free?
The stream runs out of the ground and down to the beach at Loutra, where people bathe where it meets the sea. There is also a small spa building using the same source.
How do you get to Kolona beach?
By boat from Merichas or down a rough track. There are no facilities beyond a seasonal canteen.
How do you get to Kythnos?
By ferry from Lavrio or Piraeus, on the western Cyclades line towards Serifos and Sifnos. There is no airport.
Is Kythnos busy?
No. It is among the least visited of the near Cyclades, which is its main attraction.