Antikythera (Αντικύθηρα) is a Greek island with a land area of approximately 20 square kilometers, 38 kilometers south-east of Kythira. It is lozenge-shaped, 10.5km NNW to SSE, by 3.4km ENE to WSW. It is notable for being the location of the discovery of the Antikythera mechanism and for the historical Antikythera wreck.
The small rocky island of Antikythira has a very long history and the ruins of the ancient city are evident, near Potamos (the capital and port of the island). Antikythera is sporadically visited by the ANEK Lines ferry Myrtidossia, on its route between Piraeus (Athens) and Kissamos-Kastelli in Crete.
It is a primitive place and if you are weary of modern comforts, this is the place for you. It will offer you solitude and Spartan accommodations. Between the 4th and 1st centuries BC, it was used as a base by a group of Cilician pirates until their destruction by Pompey the Great. Their fort can still be seen atop a cliff to the NE of the island.
The island was fortified by the Venetians in 1207, but piracy remained a huge problem for the inhabitants, who today are mainly descended from Cretan colonists who settled here from 1792.
