Kea, which Greeks also call Tzia, is the closest of the Cyclades to Attica: Athenians flock here at weekends, while foreign visitors are few. In antiquity it had four independent cities; the poets Simonides and Bacchylides were born here.
What to see
| Place | Why |
|---|---|
| Ioulida | Main town on an amphitheatre of hills, with tile-roofed houses |
| Lion of Kea | Large smiling lion carved into the rock in the 6th century BC, a short walk from Ioulida |
| Karthaia | Ruins of an ancient city with the temple of Apollo, reached by a footpath |
| Trails | A network of old paved mule paths through oak woods and terraces |
| Britannic wreck | The hospital ship, sister of the Titanic, sunk in 1916 off the island at about 120 metres |
Beaches include Koundouros, Pisses, Otzias and Gialiskari, near the port of Korissia.
Getting there
Ferries leave from Lavrio, south-east of Athens, and reach Korissia in about an hour. Book ahead on summer weekends, especially with a car.
See also Kythnos.