Kea Island is only an hour by ferry from Lavrio Port which is in Southern Attica (about an hour drive from the city center). I had a misconception for many years that one had to travel quite far from Athens to find the true gems … and that the islands close to Athens were ‘less extraordinary’. Therefore Kea was never really on my radar… big mistake.

Kea is extremely popular with Athenians as it is super easy to get to if one has access to a car. Lavrio is not the easiest port to get to otherwise. Kea is great for a weekend getaway but also worth exploring for longer periods. It’s an exceptionally beautiful island, with lots of nature and great hiking trails. Ironically, despite its proximity to Athens, it has the feeling of being very removed from ‘civilization’. There is no mass tourism here – in fact, there are very few foreign tourists here at all…. visitors are mostly Greek.

The island is fairly reasonable in terms of hotel and restaurant prices, so it’s great for budget travelers. We stayed at an absolutely amazing apartment in the main town of Ioulida (Chora). The town is built on the slopes of two adjacent hills with a stunning view of the Aegean. Our apartment was somewhere half way up the main hill hidden in a web of small, winding cobblestone streets (and countless steps!) We got lost the first night trying to ‘climb’ home from dinner in town, which is at the bottom of the hill. Confession: getting lost in the white washed, narrow winding streets of the Cycladic islands is something I absolutely love! I don’t know what it is, but ever since I got lost in the small streets of Paros town during my first visit to Greece back in 1989, trying to find my small hotel (whose name I had forgotten) in the maze of white-washed streets, and winding up at the same square repeatedly only to realize my hotel was in that very square, I have loved getting lost in these uniquely Cycladic streets!!! I just find it one of the most freeing and wonderful experiences, trying to get ‘un-lost’ while discovering new hidden alleys with small cafes and shops and bougainvillea-covered white houses. Call me nuts. So getting lost in Kea was a wonderful reminder!

There is great hiking in Kea, and marked paths all over. A walk to see the ancient Lion of Kea is a must and an easy walk (just follow the signs or ask the locals as you walk from town). The Lion is quite impressive considering how old it is (built around 600BC) and its twisted smile can be interpreted in several ways.

So, here are my favorite photos from Kea…and suggestions on what to see and do…