Myths & Reality
The Myth
The island where Afrodite was born.
According to Hesiod’s Theogonia, when Saturn cut off the genitals of Uranus, he threw them in the sea, on the island of Kythera. Through the foam Afrodite, the goddess of love, was born. The birth of the beautiful, Kytherian goddess has the same semiotic reference with the arousing of the island right from the sea which according to Paleontologists is documented by the sea findings of the paleontological period found on the island.
Invaluable seals for the island are the ‘’Birth of Afrodite’’ by Botticelli, the ‘’Journey to Kythera’’ by Watteau, ‘’A Journey to Kythera’’ by Baudelaire, ‘’To taxidi sta Kythera’’ by Theodore Angelopoulos, the wreck of the Antikythera with the ‘’Adolescent of Antikythera’’ and the technologically unique ‘’Calculator of Antikythera’’.
’Porfyrousa’’ ( according to Herodotos and Aristotle) stood between East and West historically, geographically and culturally. Travellers along the centuries have praised this poor yet beautiful land which continues to put a spell being the absolute holiday destination.
The Reality
An island of 280 square kilometres and 4000 inhabitants with a temperate Mediterranean climate where it never snows. It is linked by daily air flights with Athens throughout the year and periodically with other European countries as well as by ship with Piraeus, Kasteli in Crete all year long and periodically with Neapoli, Gytheio and Kalamata. 
Visitors can see vegetation everywhere, waterfalls, watermills, old stone made houses, settlements from another era, castles and Byzantine monuments, Venetian and English as well as very impressive caves. There are still plenty of unexplored caves especially in the north western side of the island. Visitors should definitely see the main land with the impressive castle and the alleys untouched by time, Milopotamos (perhaps the most beautiful village in the island of Kythera) with the waterfall of the Murderess, the castle and the windmills and can have a cup of coffee under the thick shadow of the plane tree at the square, Avlemonas, a beautiful cove with the Venetian castle, Palaiochora, the Byzantine capital city of the island sheltered by an impressive canyon. Aroniadika which can travel you through time, the bridge in Katouni (such a big stone bridge there is nowhere else in Greece), Kapsali which is picturesque and modern at the same time, the cave of St Sofia in Milopotamos, the Chytra islet with the beautiful cave, Mitata which is full of vegetation as well as Karavas, the village with the springs. Some of the most outstanding beaches are Kaladi, Melidoni, Firi Ammos, Kalami, Chalkos, Platia Ammos, Limnionas, Agia Pelagia, Diakofti and Kobonada. 
Visitors of the island of Kythera are mainly travellers. Their greatest desire is to explore, they’re poets, walkers, Nature lovers and most of the times they are looking for a clear sky, gargling waterfall waters, isolated beaches, thrills and traditions to live their own dreams…
Voyage à Cythère
