Greek Islands Portal

Kythira, the island of Aphrodite Kytheria, lies off the south-east coast of Peloponnese, far from the other Ionian islands, at the entrance to the Laconian gulf and between the two southernmost promontories of mainland Greece, Cape Tainaron and Cape Maleas.
It is a mountainous island with fine beaches, traditional villages and a perfect climate, with refreshing breezes in the summer.
It has an area of 278 square kilometers and 52 kilometers of coastline.

The island was famous in ancient times for its sanctuary of Aphrodite and was originally called Porfyris and Porfyroussa. It came into contact with the Minoans, as is clear from Early Minoan pottery discovered at Kastri, the probable site of the earliest Minoan colony in the Aegean.
In historical times the island belonged to Sparta. It latter passed to the Athenians for a short time, and then to the Macedonians.

During Byzantine times it was frequently raided by pirates and later captured by the Venetians, who called it Cerigo. It was later captured by the Turks, from whom it was liberated in 1864.