Keros is an uninhabited island in the Cyclades, a few kilometres south of Koufonisia. It covers about 15 square kilometres, and its highest point is 432 metres. About 4,500 years ago it was an important centre of the Cycladic civilisation, and people from other islands travelled here for rituals. The whole island is a protected archaeological site, and landing on it is not allowed. Visitors see it in two ways. Boats from Ano Koufonisi, the inhabited island of the group, sail around it and pass the two ancient sites on its west side, Kavos and the islet of Daskalio. The objects found there are shown in a small museum on Koufonisia and in museums in Athens.
History & Culture
At Kavos, on the west coast of Keros, archaeologists found hundreds of pieces of marble figurines and marble vessels. All of them were broken before they were placed there, between about 2700 and 2300 BC. The pieces came from several islands, so researchers believe that people from across the Cyclades travelled to Keros for rituals. The reason the figurines were broken is not known.
Opposite Kavos is the islet of Daskalio, which was joined to Keros by a strip of land at that time. A settlement stood on it from about 2750 to 2300 BC. Its builders made terraces on the slopes and brought thousands of tonnes of white marble by boat from Naxos, about 10 km away. Excavations also found drainage tunnels and traces of metalworking.
Illegal digging in the 1950s and 1960s removed many objects from Kavos, and a large number of them were never found again. Two marble figurines found on Keros in 1884, the Harp Player and the Flute Player, are kept in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
Where to Stay
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Practical information
Getting around
You can see Keros only from a boat or from the opposite shore. Boats from Ano Koufonisi, the inhabited island of Koufonisia, sail around Keros and pass Daskalio and Kavos. You can swim from the boat in one of the coves, but nobody goes ashore. Landing is allowed only to researchers who have a permit. From the beach of Ammos on Ano Koufonisi, Keros and Daskalio are in view across the water.
Getting there
Keros has no port and no ferry service. The starting point is Ano Koufonisi, the inhabited island of Koufonisia, about 4 km to the north. Koufonisia has no airport and is reached by ferry from Naxos and from other islands of the Cyclades. Excursion boats and boats for hire leave from the harbour of Ano Koufonisi. Ask there which boats go around Keros on the day you want.
Good to know
The finds from Keros are in museums, not on the island. The Archaeological Collection of Koufonisi, in the old primary school of Ano Koufonisi, shows objects from Keros and Daskalio, and entry is free. It has been closed on some weekdays, so check the opening days before you go. In Athens, the National Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Cycladic Art hold figurines from Keros. Staying overnight on the island is not allowed.
Keros Island— been there?Tell others what you saw.
A photo and two lines are enough.
