“Island of gentle secrets and feasts of the soul”, wrote Watteau (18C) in his Embarkation to Kythera, words which have no bearing on is actual scenery. Cradle of Aphrodite, Kythera has two faces: to the north, pine trees and moors; to the south wild gorges covered in myrtle and bright-white villages in a unique architectural style, notably the capital Kythera Town, with solitary beaches to the west. The ruins of Mylopótamos and Paliohora bear witness to bygone greatness and are worth a detour.