KEA (TZIA) ISLAND: THE ABSOLUTE SUMMER WEEKEND GETAWAY FROM ATHENS

The closest island of the Cyclades island group to Athens is “Kea” or “Tzia” as most of Greeks call it! Only 1 hour away from the mainland with great waters, Greek local cuisine and many options to stroll around and have a drink!

An island being popular as the absolute summer weekend getaway from Athens.

1st impression: This was my first time visiting the island and I can say that Tzia is ideal for a boat/yacht since many beaches are accessible only from the sea. Tzia is not that touristic and organized things to do are more limited than other islands. Access to many beaches is not the easiest and dirt roads in the island are plenty. Angel’s tip: If you rent a car, go for a SUV. If you bring your own car at the island, be careful and be prepared for bumpy rides. 

2nd impression: If you visit the island during high season in the summer and especially on weekends, it is not easy to find sunbeds and umbrella at the beaches without a reservation. Prebook a few days in advance for sure.

Must have: a car as mentioned earlier or a motorbike, even though the roads are not ideal. In case this is not possible, there are many taxis in the island and buses that can take you to many beaches and the capital of Tzia. Time schedule of the buses can be found here.

How to get there: There is no airport in Tzia. Only port. Close to Athens, the capital of Greece, there are 3 main ports: Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrion, which is not the most common one & far from Athens. Access to Tzia is only via port of Lavrion. Duration of the trip is only 1 hour to the port of Tzia, called Coressia. Angel’s tip: Tzia is very popular for yacht trips and many people rent or get their own yacht to sail from Athens to Tzia, even for a day trip.

Tickets: You can book online and collect them from the agency at the port. You can book your tickets here: Ferryscanner.com

Angel’s tip: It is very important to book your tickets a few days in advance, especially if you want to take a car with you. On Sundays the last ferry departing from the island is very busy & gets sold out pretty early, as Tzia is very popular weekend destination from Athens.

Ticket price: It is 24-26 euros round trip and the duration is only 1 hour. Children up to 5 years old can travel for free and children from 5 to 10 years old with a 50% discount.

Ferries’ schedule: You can pick among 4-6 ships that depart every day during summer season. You can find the schedule here.

Tourist Info: +30 2288 0 21500

How long shall I stay: I visited the island on Friday and left Monday morning but I would say ideally 4-5 days. Angel’s tip: Most of the visitors go for just the weekend, so don’t hesitate to do the same.

Where to stay: I stayed in Melissaki in a hotel with a stunning view but I don’t recommend it due to the tiring dirt road to arrive in this village, which has nothing but hotels & houses. Next time I would choose either Ioulida-the capital which is in the center of the island, with plenty of options & easy access to wander around, or Coressia-the port which has shops around, it is close to Vourkari for drinks at night and at the same time it is on the way to many beaches! For camping lovers, you can find details here.

Must do: Visit the capital of the island, Ioulida. It is in the center of the island and very picturesque. No cars are permitted in the capital and you must leave yours at the entrance of the town. Colorful houses, plenty of restaurant options and many souvenir shops to buy something & support the locals!

Drinks: You can find some great bars in Ioulida like “Leon bar” and Coressia (the port) but the nightlife is mainly in Vourkari. There, you will find many yachts on the seaside of the road and bars with restaurants on the the side. Certainly the bars for late drinks with music are in Vourkari. Some cool ones are the Acqua bar – Trattoria, Bo

tzi, Level bar, Breeze… Angel’s tip: I visited a bar-restaurant with magnificent view called “To spiti sti Hora” in Ioulida and ideally right before sunset as shown in the photo. I tried the food as well there but I don’t recommend it.

Food: You can find tasty food in Tzia, restaurants with great view and local Greek cuisine. I was not amazed by anything in particular but the food was tasty overall. Hope you will be amazed though! Some of my recommendations:

• “Vourkaríōn” in Vourkari village. Site is here.
• “O paparounas” and “Kylix” restaurants  in Ioulida.
• “To eksohiko tis Margaritas”
• “Strofi tou Mimi” in Vourkari village close to the sea
• “Porto Koundouros” in Koundouros beach.

Beaches: Many beaches in Tzia are not organized and offer incredible chance for private swimming. Others are accessible only via the sea. Angel’s tip: In case you want to rent a boat for a tour and discover the other side of the the island, call here for information and prices –> Tel. (+30) 6974058640.

You can find below the most famous beaches and as mentioned, don’t forget to make a reservation if you want umbrella-sunbeds set:

• XYLA: Access through a dirt road but crystal clear wonderful waters. Umbrella-sunbeds set around 20 Euros that cover half of the beach, so there is plenty of space to bring your own umbrella if you wish.
  

  Xyla beach

• SPATHI: Approx. 20 minutes of dirt road but the view from above is breathtaking. Gorgeous waters and long sandy beach. 1 umbrella & 2 sunbeds around 20 euros and for reservations call +306942575627
  

  Spathi beach

• The most organized beach is KOUNDOUROS with many tourist facilities, yachts around and a beach bar called Isalos with chill out music. Umbrella-sunbeds set: 20-25 euros. There are a few trees if you want to lay down on your own beach towel and some beautiful rocks on the right side to take pictures. Angel’s tip: many bees at the beach bar and the restaurant, be careful. Calm beach in general but ideally don’t visit when there is south wind.
  

  Strolling around Koundouros beach

• KOUNDOURAKI: A beach next to Koundouros fully equipped with facitities and water sports as well.
• PISSES: Close to Koundouros as well, organized, sandy and relatively shallow with beautiful waters. Close to the camping of the island as well. Stunning sunset.
• GIALISKARI: An excellent option with beautiful waters, close to the port with easy access: Small and crowded. Breathtaking sunset and great facilities, food and drinks. 24€ per sunbed set on weekends and 18€ on weekdays.
  

  Gialiskari beach

• OTZIAS: Quiet, long, sandy, shallow beach mainly for families. There are sunbeds but you can easily bring your own towel and lay down. 12-16€ per sunbed set.
  

  Otzias beach

Anyone ready for Tzia? 😉

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