Kimolos

Kimolos is a small island in the south-western Cyclades, tucked just off the north-east tip of Milos across a narrow strait. Named after kimolia, the Greek word for chalk, which was quarried here in antiquity, it is a volcanic island of pale rock, sculpted cliffs and a deep, unhurried calm. Most visitors arrive on the short local ferry from Milos, a crossing of about thirty minutes, though some direct services from Piraeus and the western Cyclades also call.

Boats dock at the little port of Psathi on the east coast, from where it is a short walk or drive up to the capital, Chorio, a beautifully preserved white village built around a medieval fortified core, the Kastro, whose defensive outer houses still trace the old walls. Its quiet lanes, small squares and simple tavernas capture the traditional Cyclades with little of the polish or crowds found on busier islands.

The island is fringed with fine, undeveloped beaches. Prassa on the north-east coast is the best known, a strip of pale sand against startlingly clear turquoise water, while Aliki, Bonatsa and Kalamitsi offer more sheltered swimming. On the remote west coast stands the Skiadi, a striking mushroom-shaped rock sculpted by wind erosion into a natural umbrella, reached by a rough track or on foot. Offshore, the tiny islet of Polyaigos, the largest uninhabited island in the Aegean, is a protected nature reserve visited by small boats.

Kimolos has no airport and only a handful of villages, and that is precisely its appeal. It is an island for slow days: swimming from quiet coves, walking to the chalk cliffs and eating well in Chorio's tavernas. Easily combined with a stay on neighbouring Milos, it rewards travellers seeking simplicity and space rather than sights and nightlife, and is at its best in the calmer shoulder-season months.