A strait only 200 m wide separates it from Ano Koufonisi, yet when the boat stops at the old settlement of Panagia, you feel like time stands still in this place. Uninhabited, Kato Koufonisi is empty, with the exception of some flocks of sheep and goats, few summer houses (building has been prohibited since 1992), old buildings now used as warehouses by farmers or fishermen, the humble small church of Panagia, dedicated to the Dormition of Virgin Mary and celebrating it on 15 August with a great panigiri (festival), and the legendary tavern of Venetsanos —the only one on the island— operating during the months of summer. If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, to experience a primordial reality in the Eden of the Aegean, you must choose Kato Koufonisi. The boat of Prasinos will let you on the idyllic beach of Nero. Once you set foot on the coast, you will recognize modern day Robinson Crusoes who chose to spend their vacations only with the absolute necessary in their tents, sharing the shade of tamarisks and forgotten palm trees and a bright starlit sky. Except for free campers, you will also meet naturists, modern-day Adams and Eves who not concern themselves with bathing suits and amenities. Wild Kato Koufonisi, with its unspoiled landscape, is the definition of freedom. You will feel it too if you hike up to Alonistria hill to enjoy undisturbed views of Keros and Epano Nissi, or swim in virgin beaches of absolute tranquility, like Pezoulia, Lakki and Fikios.
