Very close to Milos lies Kimolos, the hilliest island in the Cyclades and one whose predominent colour is as white as blinding as the chalk it produces. Although it offers accomodation and there are a few tavernas, it receives few visitors, especially day-trippers from the nearby Milos. Here, you won't hear any traffic noise, except the donkeys' hee-haw. On the island you will have the chance to see the only windmill in Greece that still works.

From the quiet harbour of Psathi a road leads uphill to the capital of Kimolos or Hora, where almost all the islanders live. The houses of Hora, in the authentic Cycladic style, are clustered around the nucleus of the castle.

The overall impression is of a painting in white against a blue background. Flowers are grown in all the courtyards, and the alleyways are cobbled.

The necropolis found at Elinika in the south-west of the island, and the remnants of the ancient city of Kimolos on the islet of Agios Andreas (facing Elinika) are testimony to habitation as far back as the Mycenean period. Much later, in the Middle Ages, pirates used the well-concealed caves of Kimolos as places of refuge.

Prassa, in the north of the island, is where the chalk is mined. There are also medicinal springs with sulphurous waters. The little tavernas in Hora can provide a basic range of food.

Apart from the beaches at Psathi and Prassa, there is good swimming at Aliki, Bonatsa, Kalamitsi, Fykiada, Elinika, Mavrospilia and Athinios to the south, Pounda, Loutra, Pigados, Klima and Karra to the east. Don't forget to carry water with you, and expect to find at a higher price than anywhere else, as the island suffers from water shortage; in fact all kinds of goods, except meat, are imported.

In general, Kimolos is a little off the tourist track. Yet it has superb beaches and would be an ideal spot for those who are fond of quiet and solitude in an idyllic setting.

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