Last Updated on November 7, 2026 by George Pavlopoulos
Before my trip to Kythnos, I wasn’t sure if visiting the island without a car would be too restrictive. Unlike other small Cycladic islands, Kythnos isn’t a place where you can walk everywhere, and many of its beaches (supposedly more than 100!) are scattered along its beautiful coastline.
However, I was only on the island for three days because two very good friends of mine were getting married, and renting a car didn’t make sense. Going to Kythnos for a wedding means limited time for exploring, so I decided to stay in Chora and rely on buses and walking.
The short answer: Yes, you can visit Kythnos without a car. And for a short journey, I believe it works pretty well. On the other hand, you’ll have to make compromises; for example, you won’t have the freedom to explore several beaches in one day, and some places won’t be accessible anyway. On top of that, sudden transportation changes also mean a change of plans: for example, the strong Meltemi winds canceled the small-boat service to Kolona Beach during my stay.
However, I managed to stay in Chora, visit Loutra, swim at Schinari and Martinakia, and move around by public transport. So, in such a short stay, I believe I saw enough of Kythnos and enjoyed my stay without feeling isolated.
In this guide, I will explain what it’s like to travel around Kythnos without a car, where to stay, and what you can realistically see.
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Do you need a car in Kythnos?
That’s the most important question, so I’ll start with it. If you are visiting Kythnos for two or three days and don’t mind organizing your day around bus times, you don’t necessarily need a car.
However, if you want to explore several beaches each day, reach remote corners of the island (which also means parts of dirt roads), or have total freedom in where to eat, drink, or swim, renting a car will make your life much easier.
You see, Kythnos is approximately 100 square kilometers, and its settlements and more than 100 beaches are spread across the island. To give you an idea, Chora lies 8 km from Merichas, while Loutra is another 5 km from Chora.
At the same time, Kythnos has a small bus network connecting some of its most famous locations. You shouldn’t expect buses every 20 minutes: it’s a small island in the Cyclades, so services run only a few times a day. During my visit, I took the bus between Chora, Loutra, and Merichas several times, but I always had to watch the time and double-check the schedule.
Getting around Kythnos by bus
There are basically two bus axes on the island. One connects Merichas, Chora, and Loutra, while another heads from Merichas toward Dryopida and Kanala. I only used the first one, so I can’t comment on traveling by bus to Dryopida or Kanala from personal experience.
Yes, these are also the kinds of choices you should make, like skipping one location for another. To be fair, since I was there for a wedding, I also had to spend time with my friends, attend the ceremony, go to the parties, and so on. However, the Merichas-Chora-Loutra connection worked perfectly for me.
The bus schedules show several daily departures between these three places, although Kythnos bus timetables are seasonal and can change during the year. Therefore, I strongly recommend checking the current timetable when you arrive rather than building your trip around information you found months in advance: most of it will be outdated.
So, here’s a travel tip for Kythnos: when you arrive at the port, go to the bus stop and take a photo of the bus schedule and itineraries.
And here’s an extra piece of advice. While the bus routes show specific stops, you can always ask the driver to stop along the way. Beaches like Episkopi are on the route, and you can get off there and be picked up as well on the way back. For a short stay, this is useful because it gives you more options along the way.
Where to stay in Kythnos without a car
If you are traveling to Kythnos without a car, choosing the right base is probably the most important decision you’ll make before traveling.
After visiting Kythnos, I’d consider three places: Chora, Loutra, and Merichas. I’d leave everything else aside, since some beautiful but isolated accommodations will make your stay difficult without a car. Otherwise, you might be stranded in a terrific landscape with no way to get around unless you spend constantly on taxis.
So, here’s what you need to know about the three places I suggest staying in Kythnos.
Chora: my choice and the best all-round base in Kythnos
I stayed in Chora, and I would most likely choose it again.
Also known as Messaria, Chora is Kythnos’s main settlement. Like most Cycladic Choras, it consists of whitewashed houses, narrow lanes, churches, and small squares. Its pedestrian main street is especially beautiful, and most of its restaurants, cafés, and shops are there.
I walked around Chora extensively during my stay, and although I wouldn’t call it very unique or different from other Cycladic settlements, it has exactly what I want from an island base. For me, it was important to leave the room and go for a walk. Free time was limited, so I wanted to have breakfast or coffee, wander through the alleys, have dinner or a drink, and, most importantly, not rely on transportation late at night. For example, I had coffee and homemade pies twice at Kythnion Cafe, right in Chora, which was great since I had to move elsewhere straight afterward.
In Chora, cars stay outside the settlement, so it’s technically a car-free zone. So, if you want evening atmosphere, enough people walking around, and it’s not a must to wake up next to the sea, the island’s main settlement offers all these advantages.
Plus, you can access the bus stop from Chora’s entrance, which goes to Merichas and the western beaches in one direction, and towards Loutra in the other. That said, if you plan to rely on buses, that’s probably the most convenient place to stay in Kythnos without a car.
Loutra: probably the easiest option for a beach-oriented stay
Loutra offers a different experience. Before visiting, I pictured a tiny seaside village. However, it felt more like a small resort settlement, more self-sufficient and independent than the rest of Kythnos.
This seaside settlement occupies a small, oval bay with an organized beach, cafes, restaurants, and tavernas. It also offers plenty of accommodations, including smaller boutique hotels, and car and moped rentals.
So, for whom is Loutra? Well, if your idea of a vacation is to wake up next to the sea, walk just a few meters to reach it, eat and drink nearby, and have everything close enough that you don’t always have to move around, then Loutra is a better base for you.
Loutra is also known for its thermal springs, which gave the island its alternative name, Thermia, and the springs reach the sea very close to the settlement. You also have a couple of beaches nearby, within walking distance, like Schinari or Agia Irini. I went swimming at Schinari, which is exactly the type of beach I enjoy: no sunbeds or umbrellas, no beach bar, just some tamarisk trees offering natural shade.
My impression is that Loutra works very well for families and travelers who prefer a slow vacation with everything nearby and don’t move around much. And, anyway, Chora is just a ten-minute ride away.
Merichas: convenient, but I wouldn’t choose it for the atmosphere
Merichas is Kythnos’ main ferry port, so every visitor will glimpse it at least twice: on arrival and on departure. At Merichas, you can also find buses, taxis, rentals, and boats departing for island tours or the iconic Kolona Beach.
However, Merichas didn’t impress me. It felt too busy for an island. While it is a good option from a practical perspective, the atmosphere didn’t click with me. Chora and Loutra are more beautiful, and honestly, I wouldn’t stay there just because I was visiting Kythnos without a car.
What’s tempting, though, is that Martinakia Beach is just a few meters from the port. That’s very practical if your ferry leaves later in the afternoon and you don’t want to spend your final vacation hours sitting at the port. You can go to Martinakia, swim, have lunch at Hams, and then get your ferry to Lavrio.
If I returned to Kythnos with an afternoon ferry, I would probably do exactly the same again.
What about Kolona Beach without a car?
Kolona is Kythnos’ most famous beach, and every travel guide will tell you it is a must-see.
Well, I didn’t visit it.
That’s not because I didn’t want to go there. On the contrary, it was a must for me as well. However, you can reach Kolona by small boats from Merichas, and road access is still possible; the final section is more demanding and includes a very narrow stretch of dirt, so keep that in mind.
I didn’t visit Kolona because of the strong northern winds, the so-called Meltemi, which isn’t unusual in the Greek summer. When the Meltemi is too strong, the small boats don’t operate, and that’s what happened during my stay. So, suddenly, the beach that looked easy to visit without a car became practically inaccessible for me.
I’m writing this as an example of the limitations you can face when visiting Kythnos without a car.
A natural question is: would I rent a car just to visit Kolona? My answer is no, but of course, this is up to you. But the takeaway is that transportation schedules can be disrupted, so be ready to adapt if you don’t have a car on the island.
How I would spend three days in Kythnos without a car
If I returned to Kythnos for a short car-free trip, this is how I would organize it.
Day 1: Chora
I would stay in Chora and keep the first day simple.
Walk along its pedestrian main street, explore the little alleys, have a coffee, and later enjoy dinner. Without a car, I would drop any personal obligations to see everything, because that’s impossible anyway. One thing I’ve learned after visiting several Cycladic islands is that constantly moving doesn’t necessarily mean seeing more.
Day 2: Loutra and Schinari
Take the first morning bus to Loutra and explore the settlement.
You can swim at Loutra Beach or walk to Schinari if you prefer something unorganized and quieter. Have lunch or coffee by the small harbor, see the thermal springs, and return to Chora later in the day.
That already makes a very satisfying day without a car.
Departure day: Martinakia
If your ferry leaves from Merichas in the afternoon, check out and take the bus toward the port. Instead of going straight to Merichas, get off at Martinakia.
Take one final swim, grab something by the beach, then head to the ferry.
Of all the things I did in Kythnos, this is probably the practical tip I would recommend most, because it keeps your last day on the island from getting boring.
When I would rent a car in Kythnos
Although I managed perfectly well without one, there are situations where I would definitely rent a car.
So, I would definitely consider renting a car if I were staying in Kythnos for a week. While for shorter stays the small buses are part of the experience, for longer stays bus schedules can feel restrictive. Kythnos has more than one hundred beaches and quite a few settlements (like Dryopida or Kanala) that you might want to discover.
I would also consider a car, since seeing many of the beaches is a must. If you want to visit several beaches each day and don’t mind being on the road constantly, renting a car is a must. But as you can imagine, that’s already a different kind of vacation.
Lastly, I would consider a car if you would like to stay in a remote room or villa. Kythnos has plenty of stunning accommodations hanging on cliffs or set almost directly on isolated beaches. These often lead to narrow, steep dirt roads. But if you enjoy such serene locations and you don’t mind driving late at night after having dinner in one of the main settlements, a car is a must.
So, one thing I can say about Kythnos (and I guess it applies to all other small Greek islands) is that a car lets you cover more ground, while relying on the bus inevitably makes for a slow vacation. For my short trip, I chose the second option.
So, is Kythnos a good Greek island without a car?
Yes, it is, as long as you accept one important condition: don’t visit expecting to explore the entire island.
That said, if your idea of a Kythnos vacation is driving to three or four beaches every day, stopping here and there for photos or exploring, then the lack of a car can be frustrating. On the other hand, if you want to spend a few easygoing days in a Cycladic settlement, swim once or twice a day (even at the same beach), enjoy lunch and dinner, and take the bus occasionally, Kythnos can work pretty well. If that’s your trip, I’d stay in either Chora or Loutra.
Choose Chora if you care more about the atmosphere of a Cycladic settlement, walking around in the evening and having restaurants and cafes around you.
Choose Loutra if you want the sea within walking distance and prefer spending most of your vacation around one small seaside settlement.
Kythnos without a car: Final Thoughts
I arrived in Kythnos knowing that I would only see a small part of the island, since the trip was scheduled around a wedding. I came to terms with it, and I tried to make the most of my stay on the island.
But honestly, even on other islands of the Cyclades, I never really had a very different approach. It’s nice to have a base that can keep you occupied night and day if you choose to, and it’s convenient enough to move around.
Kythnos is for sure beautiful. It has the familiar dry slopes of the Cyclades, crystal-clear blue water, and treeless horizons, though it felt softer to me than Anafi or Donoussa. The bus served me well, and I managed to visit enough places given my tight schedule.
Walking through the Chora, waiting for a bus and observing life and details, swimming at Schinari and enjoying the views under a tamarisk, spending the nights at Chora, and enjoying the last hours at Martinakia felt nice and actually enough. And honestly, that’s exactly what I needed when I visited Kythnos.
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