Introduction

A mini-paradise, Koufonissi is a place hard to forget. One of the most beautiful Greek islands, with a surprisingly cosmopolitan atmosphere despite the fact that the island is only 4 sq. km.

It is a quiet island, since it practically has no traffic, but still there are lovely beaches and an elegant nightlife for a mature audience.

The locals here have always lived off fishing, but the incomes from tourism are slowly increasing, and for this reason they do their best to renovate and freshen up the buildings and streets before every summer.

History

The island shares the same background as the surrounding islands.We don't know when it was first inhabited, and what happened on the island in antiquity. It was conquered like the rest of the islands by the Romans in the 2nd century BC, and fell into Venetian hands in the 13th century.

The Turks invaded in the 16th century, and the island was liberated in 1821.

What to See

Chora is the only village on the island, and here there are pretty little churches, an art gallery and a few shops. Apart from that, there is not much to see, except the beautiful surroundings.

What to Do

This is the perfect place for a beach holiday, so bring your snorkelling equipment and enjoy.

Beaches

Koufonissi has some of the best beaches of the Greek islands. The are sandy and great for families with children, since they are shelving and calm. The island is tiny, so just take a walk and find your own spot. Many thing the lagune Pori is the most beautiful place. Nudists go to the area after Charokopou. There is also a boat that goes to some smaller islands with excellent beaches outside Koufonissi.

Nightlife

There are a couple of places in Chora, but don't expect any wild nights. Here, you just have a cold drink, enjoy some good music and the surroundings.

Food

The taverns are in Chora, and they all serve good traditional Greek food, plus pizza and pasta for children.

Shopping

There are a few souvenir shops in Chora, as well as an art gallery where you can get handpainted t-shirts and paintings. There are also a few shops with antiques and miscellaneous things, useful and not.

Getting Around

Walking! There are no cars or mopeds for rent, and no local bus, but the island is tiny and almost flat, so getting around by foot is no problem.

Getting There

For obvious reasons, this small island has no airport, so the best thing to do is to go to Naxos, Mykonos or Paros and get a ferryboat from there. Be careful on your last day - to be on the safe side it is a good idea to leave the island the day before the departure, since the ferryboat might be canceled because of bad weather, leaving you stranded.