Opening

To know more about my thoughts about the Small Cyclades, see the page about Donoússa.

In an official folder concerning the Cyclades, you can find the following statement about Koufoníssi: "have beautiful, sandy beaches, sparkling clear see and palm trees". Those word appeal to me, and since I'm looking for a peaceful island Koufoníssi is a good choice.

Map

Where to stay?

Chora on Koufoníssi consists of two parts divided by a sandy beach. In the older part above the harbour there are rooms for rent, as well in the newer part after the beach.

I stayed at the pension Seagull run by Sofia Soultania situated by the sea after the beach. In 1997 it was a new place with fresh rooms with private bath and a refrigerator. Telephone: 0285-71472.

At Charokópoy east of Chora you find a resort called Finikas with about 50 rooms for rent and with a tavern. This is a popular place for families with children. The staff  meets people at the ferry with a small bus and are also driving the bus between Finikas and Chora about five times a day. I you like to walk it takes about 40 minutes. For information call 0285-713 68.

What to do?

On Koufoníssi you mainly enjoy the beautiful beaches and the stillness of the island. And you do some walking as well to reach the beaches.

I would like to recommend I walk around the island. It's very easy as the island is tolerably flat. If you like to walk close to the sea in the northern part of the island you don't find any roads, but that is not a problem since the country is quite easy to walk. The walk takes about 2-3 hours.

Another nice thing is the picturesque shops that still exist on the island; at least two of them. In a shop like this you can find almost anything from nails to fruits. There is a nice shop close to the beach in Chora that I recommend a visit!

Beaches

The first beach you find right in Chora between the original settlement and the new part of the village. It's a nice sandy beach, mainly visited by the locals

After a 40 minutes walk to the east you reach Charokópoy, an area with several nice sandy beaches. It's difficult to find any shadow, but you can visit the nearby tavern at the Finikas resort during the hottest hours. Many people visiting these beaches prefer to be naked.

The outstanding beach or lagoon on Koufoníssi is Akti Poriou to the east of the island (see map and image above, and another image below). The water is crystal clear and it's sometimes difficult to see the boarder between sea and sky; it sort of melt together. The beach has nice sand and is shelving. Unfortunately it's hard to find any shadow here. CO-beach.

Pictures