The Kythira island located at the south of the Peloponnese, at the point where three seas meet: The Ionian, the Myrtoon and the Cretan. The geographical position of the island, at the crossroads of the East and the West, has determined its history and development. According to the myths, Aphrodite was born there. In modern times, the island became the ideal place for thousands of travelers who dreamt of a "journey to Kythira" to seek a love affair.
The etymology of the name of the island comes, according to Isychios, from the verb "keftho", meaning "hiding love in the belly" and it refers to the worship of Aphrodite. Stefanos the Byzantine, claims that Kythira took their name from the first settler, Kythiros of Phoeniki. In ancient times, the island was also named Porfyris or Porfyroussa (scarlet colored), since it was the place where the Phoenicians fished for the scarlet oyster. In the Middle Ages, it was named Tsirigo, a word derived from a degenerated form of Kythira.
Today, Kythira, are in the middle of a mild tourist development and attract a lot of visitors every year who come to enjoy the island's natural beauty.
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