Antikythera

Located all by its lonesome in the strait between Kythera and Crete, Antikythera (literally ‘opposite Kythera’) is one of Greece’s most remote islands. In ancient times it hosted a notorious city of pirates, but in the past few decades it’s become a household name for one of the most extraordinary underwater archaeological discoveries in history (see below). It’s an important rest stop for migratory birds, and recently, the host for a remarkable new project in the fight against climate change.

Although traditionally numbered among the Ionian Islands (the Venetians called it Cerigotto), Antikythera, like Kythera, is now administered from Piraeus. Twenty two permanent residents, mostly pensioners, and thousands of goats live in its three tiny villages, Potamós (the largest and port), Charchalianá and Galanianá, and the rest is rocky with few trees. Much of it is lined with cliffs, and like western Crete, the island is slowly rising.