An important ancient city and an enchanting landscape on Tzia.
Take the ferry from Lavrio and in just one hour you will find yourself onTzia, the closest inhabited Cycladic island to Attica. Arriving on the islandyou have plenty to discover. Beyond gorgeous beaches with crystalline waters, Tzia or Kea also boasts a particularly well-developed network of trails with 12 routes, making it an ideal destination for those who love hiking.
A unique and unforgettable experience is the hike to Ancient Karthaia.This is the most important archaeological site on the island, which can be reached only by sea or on foot. Seaside ruins of ancient temples, an ancient theater, and a mesmerizing landscape with views of the blue Aegean are your reward at the end of the route. The site is open at all times and free of charge.
As evidenced by the finds, Karthaia, on the southeastern coast of Kea, in Poles Bay, must have been the most important of the four city-states of the island. The city was inhabited for centuries until Late Antiquity, reaching a peak in the 6th and 5th centuries BC. It wasone of the most important ports of the Cyclades. The submerged pier, 160 m long and 35 m wide, can be discerned between the two coves and reached as far as the rocky islet opposite.
The acropolis, built in an idyllic landscape, is enclosed by a polygonal wall 1,20-1,50 m thick and with a surviving height of 12 m. On the lowest level, closest to the sea, stands the Doric temple of Pythian Apollo (c. 530 BC.)., the principal place of worship of the city. Higher up stands a second Doric-style temple (c. 500 BC), which is thought to have been built in honor of the goddess Athena. Low on the southern slope of the acropolis lies the stone-built theater of the ancient city, which dates to the Hellenistic period.
The classic hiking route to get there is the path from Stavroudaki (2,5 km/ about 50 minutes). For those who have the stamina and want to explore the enchanting landscapes of the island interior,there is also the «Aristaeus» route, 11,8 km long (about 5 hours) withstarting point in Ioulida, the capital of the island.
After you explore the archaeological site, the two beautiful beaches in the secluded Poles Bay await you for swims beneath the ancient ruins.
