Kimolos

Kimolos gave its name to cimolite, the fine white clay quarried here since antiquity and used for cleaning cloth, and the island's landscape is pale accordingly: white and grey volcanic rock, sparse scrub and turquoise water. The Chorio inland holds a medieval kastro whose houses form a closed defensive ring, partly ruined and partly restored, with churches inside and a small museum. On the north coast, Skiadi is a mushroom-shaped rock left by wind erosion, a short walk from the road; Prassa has fine white sand and shallow water; and the abandoned settlement of Mavrospilia and the islet of Polyaigos, uninhabited and protected, lie offshore, reachable by boat. The island has one road spine, a few hundred residents and a habit of shutting down completely in winter.

What you actually see

• The kastro - a ring of medieval houses forming a defensive village.
• Skiadi - a mushroom rock shaped by wind on the northern hills.
• Prassa beach - white sand and shallow turquoise water.
• Polyaigos - the uninhabited protected island reached by boat.

When to go

May, June and September for warm sea and open tavernas; August brings Greek visitors and rooms are limited. Outside summer, ferries reduce and much of the island closes.

Honest expectations

Facilities are minimal: a handful of rooms, a few tavernas, no bank. Getting there means going via Milos. Beaches other than Prassa often need a track or a boat, and shade is scarce everywhere.

Nearby

Milos is twenty minutes away by ferry; Polyaigos lies south, reachable only by boat trip.