Being There: Koufonisi guide

The view from Sorokos, one of our favorite spots for day AND night.

BEING THERE: Koufonisi. This tiny, laid-back island captured our hearts years ago. It’s gotten almost *too* much attention for our taste and thus has been built up a lot, but do we still recommend it? Absolutely. Save this mini-curated guide for your visit.

🏺 Eat: Upon arrival, we love to have our first meal beachside at Foinikas, then hit one of the next sandy beaches or coves.

-Sorokos is a favorite for breakfast AND nighttime cocktails.

-Kalofego at Pori always lands.

-For meat, go to Mixalios (the Keros goat 😋).

-For fish, we like Capetan Nicholas on the edge of Chora - always at golden hour. This is one of our favorite psarotavernas (fish taverns) in the Cyclades.

🏺Beach. Yes, beach a la Barbie can be your full-time job here, and we suggest you walk to all of them to experience the island’s natural beauty. There are also easy-peasy water taxis. Don’t overthink this: there are 3 sandy beaches, Finikas, Fanos, and Italida, one after the other. If you want to walk about 45 minutes, stop for a (necessary) dip and epic photo session at the Piscina, and then push on to Pori Bay, where you’ll find Gala “beach” (more of a spectacle), and the gorgeous cliffs of Koufonisi. This area can be intense when windy, but when conditions are nice, enjoy some cliff jumping!

🏺Shop: this island went from hippies selling handmade bracelets to having oh so many higher end, cute “concept” shops in the last decade. Not an exhaustive list, but we love: Mylos Koufonisia, an adorable shop inside an old windmill, Sirene, Elegant Handmade (favorite for clothes and accessories), and Galleria Spigolo for gifts. 

🏺Enjoy a rakomelo and people watching (if you can get a spot) at Astrolouloudo. We also love Mylos, yes, the one with the shop in the windmill, for sunset cocktails. 

Note that this post refers to “Pano” or upper Koufonisi. When you hear Koufonisia, it’s because there are 2 islands! More on “Kato” another day.