Here, are beaches to bewilder. Not just one, but one after another, and another. All lined up as you walk the coastal edge of this tiny Cycladic dream.
Last updated 27 June 2023
(Pano or Ano) Koufonisia is a nugget-sized treasure with a lost paradise type appeal. There are no luxe hotels or fine dining establishments, but enough of the basics – one bakery, one pharmacy, two mini-markets, some very good taverns, comfortable aparthotels, and a single, small Chora (main town). As those in-the-know catch onto this elysian escape, a huddle of lust-worthy Airbnbs have sprouted on the island speck, along with a handful of hip cafe-bars and chic boutiques. The island’s highlight? The best beaches in the Cyclades, and quite likely, the country.
Where your options are few, choices are refreshingly simple. And if you’re unfazed by hearty walks and beaches basking in all their naked glory, Koufonisia is perfect for family holidays. Especially after you find out that while there’s no car rental service on the island, an on-call taxi service makes all less intimidating.
GETTING AROUND
Part of Koufonisia’s allure is its size – in its smallness, it feels like your very own near-private isle. Just 3.5 kilometers from one end to another and a basic road network etched in, they say cars are not necessary. If you are child-free and eager on clocking-in 10,000 steps a day, even in the blaze of the summer sun, we would agree. But with two under four and the usual truckload to cart around, we were delighted to have ours. So even at the risk of derisive looks from locals, we drove ours aboard our ferry.
Otherwise, families were carting pram-loads of bottled water (tap water is not drinkable on most water-scarce Greek islands) from mini-mart to villa, and villa to beach. The upside – gently hilly, the island’s terrain is not difficult. It’s actually ideal for older children ready for their first hiking and biking adventures (bike rental services are available). There’s also an on-call island taxi service and two boat taxi services shuttling from beach to beach every half-an-hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets are sold at their stands at the port, costing €7 for the day.
WHERE TO STAY WITH KIDS
Life and habitation in Koufonisia center around its south eastern shores. If you don’t have a car, it’s a good idea to select accommodation in or near the Chora, using the bakery (and supermarket diagonally opposite) as a reference point. The nearby port beach is an impressive one, and likely the most beautiful port beach you will ever find. Protected from fierce meltimi winds that blow through the Cyclades summer, it’s usually also the calmest beach on the island.
SLOW TRAVEL RITUALS
When we stayed in the Chora, our mornings always started with a bleary-eyed walk to Kyma cafe on Ammos port beach. It might be a little café on a little island, but they whip-up a savvy offering of eggs in every fashion, serve acai bowls, and even katsu sandos. For the day’s beach trip ahead, stuff the family tote with supplies from Bakery Giorgoula a five-minute walk away. This is where you will meet the entire island. Spilling over with a giddying selection of savoury and sweet pastries, you can’t complain about it being the only bakery in town.
EASY HIKES & DREAMY DIPS
All the island’s six beaches are blissfully sunbed free, or “unorganised” as they say in Greece. Be prepared to bring shade and mats. Your accommodation might come equipped with beach umbrellas and chairs. If not, you can find them at the island mini-marts. And if it’s all sounding a little too complicated, the restaurant-cafe on Fanos beach has loungers and umbrellas to welcome you on its terrace perched above the shore.
Starting from Ammos port beach, a coastal walking path leads you to heavenly Pori up north (40 minutes on foot), scalloped by the powder-white coves of Finikas, Fanos and Italida en route. Calm, crystal clear, and shallow for a generous length out into the sea, all have aquamarine waters that are ideal for splashing toddlers. At Finikas and Fanos, tamarisk trees lining the shore’s edge offer some shade if you snag a spot early enough. Finikas has the added benefit of a homespun taverna with some standout dishes (try the oven roasted goat oven and octopus in red wine sauce). Like everything else on the island, service is slow in high summer in spite of stretched staff darting around, so arrive relaxed. Fanos also has a cafe and restaurant, but you are likely to dine better at Finikas.
The waters at Italida are similarly stunning. Without direct road access, its relative seclusion attracts more nudists than usual.
Pori beach in the north-east is the island’s main event. A luminous bay of surreal iridescence, it’s also shallow and invitingly child-friendly for swimming. Natural shade is Spartan, so arrive equipped. This is not a beach to miss.
Pori’s other attraction is Kalofego restaurant and bar – a rustic-chic oasis with an inventive menu of skillfully executed dishes (26 Sep 2023 update: the restaurant has re-opened under new management). Embracing the Cycladic vernacular, boxy sand volumes finished with thatched bamboo roofs, wood furniture, and scattered with oversized terracotta pots imbue a warm enchantment. Made complete by a bar that shakes up boozy cocktails (which you can take away to the beach), we were in a slice of paradise. Work off your meal after by exploring the impressive coves and rock cliff formations behind Pori beach.
EVENING EXPLOITS
Koufonisia’s Chora is a single-street patchwork of colourful shops and enticing eateries. It’s also one that’s eager to please. Aside from tavernas both updated and traditional and the mandatory souvlaki hole-in-the-wall (a very good one), you will also find an artisanal gelateria, a loukoumades shop (Greek-style doughnuts) diagonally opposite, and newcomer Ca Chi Ca, introducing on-trend street food like bao buns and steak burgers with sublime cocktails. Uninterrupted by stairs and characterised by a wider-than-usual walkway, unlike most other Greek island villages, you won’t have trouble pushing a stroller though here.
Smack in the middle by the blue dome of St George’s church, stop by the playground as the afternoon sun starts to sink. Then treat yourself to adult playtime with cocktails and sweeping sea views from Mylos bar’s enviable vantage point. Getting used to nights out when you down your drinks with kids in your company as the Greeks do? Sprawl out on a carpet by the sea’s edge at Sorokos while the young and nimble cartwheel through the walking street behind.
Nestled in the heart of Chora on a balcony overlooking the street, Armira Kai Pioto was the most memorable meal we had in town. With an unexpected spin on traditional taverna food, all on our omakase-style four-part tasting menu was exquisitely put together.
Another consistent dining favourite with an excellent seafood spread is on the island’s westernmost end. With a spacious terrace for energetic companions, the tables at Aneplora spread out and spill over into another terrace below. Expansive and so serene you can hear the boats bob in the tiny bay ahead, the experience of tranquility here is palpable.
WHEN TO VISIT
There’s a sweet spot for visiting Koufonisia. In the last two weeks of June, the waters have warmed up enough so your first sea dive feels less like a splash in the artic. The afternoon sun at this time is also not as intense as it gets in July and August – quite important on an island where most travel on foot. June and early September is also always a better time than July and August for finding space on the beach on Greek islands, and for making a smaller dent on budgets. Koufonisia is not as enjoyably affordable as it used to be. It’s getting popular, and the locals know it, with taverna prices already increasing by 50% in the last 2 years.
GETTING THERE
For a diamond of a find, Koufonisia is not hard to get to. While it doesn’t have an airport, it’s located opposite Naxos (with an airport) just a 40-minute ferry ride away. Otherwise, it’s a 5-hour journey on a vessel departing from Athens’ Pireaus port. While the journey is long, the Hellenic Seaways Highspeed 4 ferry offers cafe-style seating for a more bearable ride than ferries with airplane-style seating.
Even if you discover that you’re not quite the personality for do-nothing trips in quiet solitude, it’s not difficult to change your plans. An exciting plethora of worlds, each with its own distinct personality, lie in the surrounding Cyclades (e.g. Mykonos and Paros are close by). For more island hopping inspiration, refer to our post on possible itineraries.
- Getting There:
- Car: We took our car on the ferry boat.
- Where We Stayed: Keros Airbnb Villa
- Eat:
- To Kyma (Ammos Beach) for breakfast.
- Aneplora Taverna (Parianos Bay) for lunch or dinner, although it may get hot at lunch.
- Kalofego Cafe Restaurant & Bar (Pori Beach) for lunch or dinner.
- Armira Kai Pioto (Main town) for dinner.
- Drink:
- Baby Supplies: There is no large supermarket on the island. Just one pharmacy and mini-marts where we were able to find wipes, pampers, and food essentials (e.g. eggs, yoghurt, milk, cheese and fruit).
