The Basics

Quick Facts: Kimolos

Pronunciation	kee-mo-lhos
Transportation	Ferry
Main Attractions	Thermal Springs, beaches, fishing
Food	A few eateries
Accommodations	Few beds are available

Kimolos page 1

Kimolos lies one km from the island of Milos. It's the smaller of the two. Although quiet, it does receive a steady trickle of visitors.

Milos and Kimolos were connected by a now sunken land bridge. The smaller island has a land mass of 37 sq. km. and a coast line of 38 km. Kimolos is 86 nautical miles from Piraeus and has a population of 800.

The hilltop capitol of Kimolos is Kimolos Town or Hora, a (2km) fifteen minute walk from the port Psathi. Kimolos has nice deserted beaches and radioactive thermal springs good for rheumatism. At the center of the island the fortress of Paleokastro perches on a high cliff.

Island Features

Kimolos' quiet, untouched style is not great for party seekers, but it's haven to some interesting animals and plants. The sixth rarest animal in Europe, the Mediterranean Monk Seal has been spotted around Kimolos as has the 100 million year old Loggerhead turtle which lay their nest eggs in the sands of the beach of Elliniko. These species are both protected by Greek and International law. There are only about 600 seals left and most of them live in the Sporades Marine Reserve around Allonisos Island. The island is home to a species of rare blue lizard.

Mostly rocky and barren, Kimolos can surprise you with green patches, including 140 species of rare plants on the southeast coast.

The modern name of the island means chalk in Greek. Kimolos is one of the world's top producers of the substance Cimolite, deemed essential to the dying of cloth. It's similar to the soft chalk-like Fuller's Earth. Kimolos also possesses the last truly working windmill in the Cyclades.

More Kimolos page: 1 | 2 | 3