Kythnos

The Cycladic Islands are right there at the dawn of Greek civilization. Cyclades refers to the ‘circle’ of islands around the sacred and uninhabited island of Delos, revered as the birthplace of Apollo. The islands themselves were the Oceanids, the daughters of Tethys and Oceanus, these turned into rock by Poseidon when they provoked his rage. Though a number of the islands such as Mikonos suffer (or enjoy) the bounty of modern package tourism, the majority, including lovely Kythnos have settled into a very tranquil existence in the 21^st century.

Kythnos has no airport and so one has to arrive by ferry. The island is at the junction of the Myrtoan and Aegean Seas and marine life is rich. On our ferry journey we’ll see Dolphins, hopefully more than one species, as well as Shearwaters. Underwater life is exceptionally beautiful in the seas around Kythnos’s one hundred kilometre coastline though the water will be a bit chilly for snorkeling at this time of year. However, it is a good time to see one of Europe’s most endangered mammals, the Mediterranean Monk Seal which has one of its most important populations in the northeast of the island.

Another must-see is the lovely black fritillary. Fritillaria obliqua subspecies tuntasia is a gorgeous plant, its shiny almost black bells adorning ancient forests of twisted junipers and oaks. It is only found on Kythnos and the neighbouring island. Endemic Campanula reiseri blooms on rocks around the castle ruins of the Byzantine Kastro Orias spectacularly sited on a headland, and the endemic catchfly Silene cynthia blooms here too. During the migration dozens of birds of prey are passing through, with Bonelli’s Eagles breeding on some isolated coastal cliffs.

We’ll stay in the island’s capital, Hora. With under 600 inhabitants Hora is not exactly difficult to get to know and you’ll enjoy wandering the narrow streets past the typically Aegean white-washed houses, the local homes only interrupted here and there by the odd ceramic shop. The mix of fields and terraces close to our hotel is a happy hunting ground for the orchid lover and we’ll look for Ophrys lutea and the little Bumble-Bee Orchid. Sardinian and Subalpine Warblers flit about the little Pistachia bushes lining the terraces. The beaches at Apokrousi and Episkopi, and the ephemeral wetlands behind them, are a magnet for migrant birds at this season and we can expect a range of waders, egrets and herons as well as a variety of warblers and wheatears. In the southern part of the island we’ll find a landscape full of flowers. Here are orchids such as Ophrys ferrum-equinum, Ophrys tenthredinifera, Pink Butterfly Orchid and Bug Orchid. Narcissus tazetta decorates rocks close to the shore. We’ll visit Maroulas, probably the oldest human settlement in the Cycladic Islands dating from some 10,000 years ago in the Mesolithic era. The sea has since risen but parts of the settlement are still visible.

Nearby Euboea provides a fine counterpoint to Kythnos. The second largest Greek Island behind Crete yet Euboea’s delights lay largely below the radar even to the many tourists flocking to nearby Athens. Mountain and sea is what the brochures say and it is certainly true that the island has many wonderful coves and beaches and it is also wild and mountainous with wonderful olive groves and forests. Dimfi is the highest mountain at an impressive 1743m, and at higher levels we may still find Crocus nivalis and hopefully the first blooms of little yellow Fritillaria euboeica. Euboea has a quite exceptional flora. We’ll focus particularly on finding Fritillarias. The stunning almost black Fritillaria obliqua subspecies obliqua is sure to be a highlight and amongst rocky outcrops we’ll spot the yellow-tipped mahogany bells of Fritillaria ehrhartii blooming amongst yellow Iris attica, blue Iris hellenica, Ornithogalum atticum and rare Aubrieta scyria. Notable orchids include Neotinea lactea, Ophrys aesculapii, Ophrys mammosa, Ophrys speculum and the lovely Ophrys ferrum-equinum. Woodlands have Corydalis cava, the pink primrose Primula rubra and the local endemic Paeonia mascula hellenica. Lower down shrubby Globularia alypum puts on a show with the yellow wands of Asphodeline lutea emerging from Cistus-covered slopes. Here are pink Crepis rubra, the weird Biarum rhopalospadix, Aristolochia elongata and the gorgeous flared bells of Campanula celsii. Festoons and other spring butterflies are already on the wing and there’s plenty of migrant birds passing through, in short, Euboea is fabulous spot for the naturalist in early spring!