Kimolos

Kimolos is Milos with the volume turned all the way down — a tiny island of white rock and blue sea, a few hundred people, and a way of life that has not changed in a hundred years. A small boat crosses from Milos to dock at Psathi, the little port, and from there a climb leads to the chora, a whitewashed village of flat-roofed houses and narrow lanes. In the afternoon the edge of the island is the draw: the volcanic rock drops into the sea in shapes of extraordinary beauty, and the beaches below are often completely empty. The island's museum, in the old schoolhouse, is a treasure of local life — costumes, tools, and the story of a community that made its living from the sea, the earth, and the salt pans. Kimolos is the kind of island that feels like a secret, and the people who find it tend to keep it. For the Cyclades without the crowds, this is the place, and the island sets the pace.

Kimolos has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and its name appears in the ancient sources as the island of the Kimolians, famous for the soft white earth called Kimolian earth that was prized in antiquity as a cleaning agent and as a pigment. The island's volcanic rock and its white earth have been part of its identity for thousands of years. In the Middle Ages Kimolos was part of the Duchy of the Aegean, and later it was a base for the pirates who troubled the Cyclades; the old chora, built high above the sea, was fortified against them. The island was held by the Ottomans and was among the first to join the Greek cause in 1821. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Kimolos was a poor but proud island of farmers, fishermen, and sailors, and its population today is only a few hundred. Its beautiful beaches and its peace are its great riches now, and the island has begun to attract those who love the quiet, wild Cyclades.

Kimolos has no big resort beaches, and that is exactly its charm. The south and east coasts hide a string of beautiful coves — Bonatsa, Ellinika, and the little beaches near the chora — with soft sand, clear water, and almost no one. The west coast is wilder, its volcanic rock dropping into the sea. And the uninhabited island of Poliegos, just off the coast, has some of the most beautiful beaches in the whole Cyclades — reachable by boat, with water so clear the sand seems to float. The swimming on Kimolos is calm, quiet, and endlessly pleasant, and most days you will have a beach entirely to yourself.

Kimolos food is the honest cooking of a small island. The tavernas of Psathi and the chora serve the daily catch — grilled fish, octopus, and the local speciality of tiny fried fish — with local wine and the island's excellent olive oil. The island is known for its soft white earth and its salt, both used in the local cooking, and for its cheese, honey, and the vegetables grown in its terraced gardens. For a real Kimolos meal, order the fish, the island's fried cheese, and a plate of wild greens, and eat slowly, with the sea in front of you. The island's hospitality is famous: you will be treated like family.

May, June, and September are the best months on Kimolos: warm, quiet, and beautiful, with the sea perfect for swimming and the island nearly empty. July and August are livelier, with day-trippers from Milos, but Kimolos is small and its beaches stay calm. Spring is lovely, with wildflowers, and autumn lingers warm into October. Whenever you come, stay at least one night — the island at dusk, when the day-trippers have gone, is one of the most peaceful places in the Aegean.

Kimolos is reached by ferry from Milos — about twenty minutes, frequent in summer — and by the seasonal boats from Piraeus and the other Cyclades. The island is small, so walking or a hired bike or scooter covers the ground easily.

Do not miss a boat trip to Poliegos, the uninhabited island with its extraordinary beaches; several boats run in summer. Swim at Bonatsa, walk the wild west coast, and visit the folk museum in the chora. Buy a jar of the island's famous earth (if you can find it — the locals treasure it) or, better, a bottle of the local honey. And remember: Kimolos runs on island time. Do not rush it.