It is just 1 hour from the port of Lavrio, near Athens.
The island offers its own unique charms, with intriguing alleyways, idyllic beaches, an oak forest, a network of 12 stone-paved trails for hikers and plenty of gastronomic delights. Kea combines relaxation, a cosmopolitan air and natural beauty.
In the Archaic period (7th-6th century BC), Kea was known as Tetrapolis, because of the four cities established on the island at that time: Korissos, Ioulis, Poiiessa and Karthaia.
The famous Kouros of Kea was found in Korissia and is now on display at the National Archaeological Museum. It is worth visiting the prehistoric settlement of Agia Eirini in Vourkari, where the Korai, or “young maidens”, of Kea were found. These are now exhibited at the island’s Archaeological Museum in Ioulis.
Ioulis is the only one of the four ancient cities located further inland. It features a medieval castle and charming trails for hiking. The mythical Leon of Ioulis, an Archaic sculpture of the 6th-7th century depicting a 6-metre-long lion carved into the rock, can still be viewed there
In Poiiessa, the modern-day village of Poisses, you can see the remains of ancient walls, while northeast of Poisses, the five-storey Tower of Agia Marina rises to a height of 20 metres. It was built during the Hellenistic period (4th century) and is one of the tallest surviving monuments in the Mediterranean.
And finally, at what remains of the ancient coastal city of Karthaia, you can see the ruins of the acropolis and the ancient temples of Athena and Apollo, as well as part of the town’s ancient theatre. The more significant findings from the city of Karthaia are on display at the Archaeological Museum in Ioulis.
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