xoves, 21 de marzo de 2024

Solos en una Isla Griega: Kimolos Top 3


OK, it's time to wrap this Greece trip recap up, before a whole year has passed since we went. Last but not least, was the island of Kimolos. On the whole, our two-week journey was ordered from more hectic to more relaxed. We started off with big-city Athens with lots to see, then coastal towns/cities that were a little slower-paced but still quite busy, followed by the small island of Milos, and lastly the tiny island of Kimolos. Kimolos makes Milos look big and bustling in comparison. 

Apparently, part of Chorio's castle

The ferry ride between the two islands is barely half an hour. Although a smattering of houses can be found near the port and on other parts of the island, Kimolos really only has one village, Chorio. And it's so charming! All painted white with blue accents. Even the stones on the ground were outlined in white paint. (The island's official website has tons of info in English, FYI)

On quiet island time, our schedule was as follows: mornings at the beach, lunch, nap, stroll around town in the mild evenings, catch a glimpse of the sunset, dinner on our patio, bed, repeat.

 

We strayed from our routine on three occasions: 

1. Hike to Skiadi. A must see in Kimolos. The short hike is worth it to see this giant mushroom rock. And frankly, it was nice to do something other than go to the beach. The trail is well-indicated, and for the hour there we were totally alone amongst a barren backdrop. On the way back, we ran into another couple who asked in Greek, ¨How far away is Skiadi?¨ At least that's what I thought they said, so I answered in English. She seemed satisfied enough with my reply. Anyways, you don't have to be a geologist to appreciate this very unique rock formation, nor do you have to be an expert trekker to get there. 


Skiadi!

2. Movie Night. One of the most serendipitous events on our trip was a little outdoor film screening. We had heard about it from some hitchhikers we picked up and decided to check it out for ourselves. As the sun was going down, the water was just warm enough to go in. Crossing ¨sunset dip¨ off my Greek bucket list. That's certainly something you can't do in Galicia...the water would be just too frigid! From the beach we could see a path of tiki torches. So picturesque! We sat on some boulders furthest from the screen to make a quick exit. More than the movie we were just interested in the set up. It was in English (fine for me) but with Greek subtitles (not so fine for my travel companion). Quite amazing that this tiny island has a cultural society that puts on fun activities. Good on you, Kimolos! 

 

Movie Night with the Kimolistes

3. Fancy Restaurant. From our home base, we could see a building on a hill with a wraparound porch beautifully lit at night. Turns out this is one of Kimolos' fancier restaurants. On our last night we treated ourselves to dinner there, switching things up from our usual spread of simple Greek tapas on our little patio. The ambiance of the place was pleasant, and the pasta was pretty good. This was our big ¨night on the town¨ in Kimolos.