A Koufonisia cruise is a boat day to Koufonisia, two small islands in the Small Cyclades, that sets out from Naxos or Paros. The trip is one of the Greece Tours on Greece Ville, listed with the other Cyclades tours and Greece boat tours.
This post covers the Small Cyclades in numbers, the finds on Keros, how Cycladic figurines were carved, obsidian, emery, the sea-level change that once joined the islands, white sand, wind, climate, the name of the Cyclades, monk seals and the questions that come up on a boat day: phones near water, sea legs, hot sand, battery heat, insect repellent and sun clothing.
What is a Koufonisia cruise?
A Koufonisia cruise is a boat trip around the small islands that lie near Koufonisia. Irakleia has 29.94 km of coastline, and the coastline of Keros is 27 kilometres long. The highest point of Schinoussa is Mylos, which stands at 133 metres.
On a Koufonisia cruise, island populations are small. Irakleia counted 151 residents in the 2001 census and 141 in 2011. In 2011, the port, Agios Georgios, had 105 residents and the village had 36.
The island of Donousa had 235 residents in 1928, and it had 250 in 1946. Its population fell to 116 in 1981 and 111 in 1991, then climbed back to 163 in 2001.
On a Koufonisia cruise, even the settlements are tiny. In the 2011 census, the main village of Donousa had 141 residents. Mersini had 22, Kalotaritissa 2 and Charavgi 2 in that census.
An asphalted road, 4.5 km long, joins the port of Irakleia to Panagia, the island’s main village. The island of Irakleia also has 7 walking trails, between 400 m and 6.5 km long.
- Roads: The main road of Donoussa, linking Stavros with three small villages, is 13 km long.
- Distances: On Donoussa, Messaria lies 3.5 km from Stavros, and Merssini is 5 km away by road.
- Islets: The small islets called Ano Antikeri and Kato Antikeri each cover 1.1 square kilometres of land.
Irakleia has 7 beaches that can be reached on foot. By the end of 2010, 175 bird species had been recorded on this island.
What did diggers find on Keros near a Koufonisia cruise?
A Koufonisia cruise raises a question about nearby Keros, where diggers found broken marble figurines. The finds show a ritual that visitors from across the Cyclades islands practised for two centuries. They gathered on Keros and left figurine fragments.
Near a Koufonisia cruise, the Keros Hoard got its name in 1983. It covers a large group of Early Cycladic objects, mainly marble figurine fragments. About half of the original hoard was in Basel.
Scholars still debate the hoard, because the origin of much of it is questionable. Its authenticity, meaning whether it is real, is also in doubt. The date of its looting, or theft, is disputed.
Around a Koufonisia cruise, collectors have badly wanted Cycladic figures since the early 1900s. That led to a huge illegal trade. Christos Doumas made the first archaeological study of the looted area in 1963.
The 2006 dig found a second special deposit, named Special Deposit South. Chosen material there had been placed in an organised way. The deposit sits at Kavos on the island of Keros.
- Other islands: A 2012-2013 survey found no marble workshop or breaking place, so these must be elsewhere.
- Naxos stone: Archaeologists found the Dhaskalio islet’s building stone came by raft from Naxos, about 10 kilometres away.
- White marble: The white marble for Dhaskalio needed at least 3,500 sea voyages, archaeologists believe.
Colin Renfrew suggested Dhaskalio became a focus as the best natural harbour on Keros. It has views over the north, south and west Aegean Sea.
How were Cycladic figurines carved before a Koufonisia cruise?
A Koufonisia cruise is a good moment to learn how Cycladic figurines were carved. Almost all of the figurines were made of marble. Studies suggest an experienced carver needed 20 to 30 hours for one piece. That piece stood up to 25 cm tall.
Before a Koufonisia cruise, it helps to know where the marble came from. Isotope tests, which are lab checks on marble, show the main sources were Naxos and Keros. Paros and Ios supplied less.
A carver traced the figure on a marble slab. Pointed striking tools made of emery then removed extra stone. Emery, a heavy stone, turns into a mallet once its edge is pointed or sharp.
On a Koufonisia cruise, the next stage is worth picturing. Stone abrasion tools, which rub away the surface, shaped the figure. Sharp flakes of emery or obsidian then cut in the body details.
Emery drills are thought to have cut small details such as the eye, the ear and the navel. Drills are also thought to have made holes to repair a figurine after it had broken.
- Polish: Sand mixed with water also worked well for the final polish of the marble.
- Workshop: A workshop at Skarkos on Ios held unfinished figurines, emery and obsidian tools, and pigment.
- Colour: Black and blue paint marked the eyes, eyebrows, hair and the pubic triangle.
The largest complete Cycladic statue known is 1.48 m high. It is kept in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
Where did the obsidian of the Cyclades come from for a Koufonisia cruise?
A Koufonisia cruise crosses the Aegean, the sea where obsidian once travelled. Obsidian from Milos travelled across the Aegean, mainland Greece and western Anatolia, and possibly as far as Egypt. Obsidian blades had sharp edges and served as knives, scrapers and razors.
On a Koufonisia cruise, the story of obsidian begins with sea routes. A second possible route ran through Attica. Sea crossings between islands on it were about 15 to 20 km long.
Obsidian at both mainland and island sites shows the early voyages included successful return journeys. Dates from Kerame on Ikaria show a well established system of obsidian use in the Mesolithic period.
On a Koufonisia cruise, other islands also belong to the story of obsidian. Obsidian artefacts have also turned up at Mesolithic sites on Naxos and on small Halki in the Dodecanese.
Tests on three of 110 obsidian artefacts from Coskuntepe, in north-western Turkey, traced them to Melos. The finds suggest certain coastal villages were exchange points for Aegean seafarers in the late 7th millennium BC.
- Late Neolithic: Obsidian left the Cyclades as roughly shaped cores through growing Aegean trade networks.
- Anatolian obsidian: Obsidian from Anatolia was used in the Levant and Iraqi Kurdistan from about 12,500 BC.
- Deposits: The four major deposit areas of the central Mediterranean are Lipari, Pantelleria, Palmarola and Monte Arci.
A conchoidal fracture, a curved break, comes only from a blow, not from frost. It helps tell prehistoric stone tools from natural stones.
Why was emery from Naxos prized near a Koufonisia cruise?
A Koufonisia cruise invites a question about Naxos. Why was its emery so prized? Emery is the kind of corundum with no value as a gemstone. Pliny wrote that the stone of Naxos was long preferred for polishing marble statues and cutting gems.
On a Koufonisia cruise, talk of Naxos can turn to minerals. The ancient Greeks called emery smyris. Dioscorides described it as a stone used in gem engraving, which means cutting designs into gems.
The Mohs scale of mineral hardness began in 1812 with Friedrich Mohs. Comparing minerals by which one scratches another was mentioned by Theophrastus around 300 BC. Pliny the Elder mentioned it too.
Before a Koufonisia cruise, the word corundum is worth knowing. It comes from kurundam, a Tamil word for ruby-sapphire, and appears in Sanskrit as kuruvinda. Ruby and sapphire are gem forms of corundum.
A Naxos emery sample described by Professor Tschermak held 52.4% corundum, 32.1% magnetite and 11.5% tourmaline. Naxos emery also holds hematite, diaspore and margarite, and its quality depends on its corundum.
- Hardness: Taking sapphire as 100, J. Lawrence Smith rated Naxos emery at 46 and Samos emery at 56.
- Marble: Rock bodies rich in corundum sit in marble heated to about 400 to 700 degrees Celsius.
- Trade: In the Greek Kingdom, Naxos grew richer by mining emery, a prized export in Western Europe.
The Naxos council said in 2012 that about 500 families work in the emery mines. It demanded that a draft law be dropped.
When were the Small Cyclades joined to Naxos for a Koufonisia cruise?
A Koufonisia cruise crosses waters that once held dry land. The ice-age drop in sea level created Cycladia, a landmass of about 6000 square kilometres. Sea-level modelling shows Cycladia drowning between about 14 and 10 thousand years ago as the seas rose.
On a Koufonisia cruise, the sea covers what was once dry ground. About 18,000 years ago, the sea stood 121 ± 5 m lower than it does today. That is a large change.
Sea level decides which islands are joined together. A drop of 50 m in the sea level groups Naxos with Paros. A drop of about 100 m makes one mega-island of the central Cyclades.
On a Koufonisia cruise, a beetle study names Ano Koufonisi. It counts Naxos and Ano Koufonisi among pairs with long-lasting links or wide land bridges. That was low Pleistocene sea level, an ice-age time.
The land bridges to the nearest larger land mass went under water at different times. Irakleia lost its bridge about 9.80 thousand years ago. Keros lost its bridge about 9.15 thousand years ago.
- Koufonissi: Its land bridge to the nearest larger land mass sank about 8.35 thousand years ago.
- Schoinoussa: Its land bridge to the nearest larger land mass sank about 6.25 thousand years ago.
- Elephant: A dwarf elephant, Palaeoloxodon lomolinoi, left a partial skull near the Trypiti river on Naxos.
Reconstructions suggest the Aegean was a sea of islands in warm interglacial periods. In certain cold glacial periods, it was open to crossing on foot.
What makes the sand white on a Koufonisia cruise?
A Koufonisia cruise raises a simple question: why does the sand on a beach look white? Quartz or eroded limestone scatters sunlight without absorbing any colour. Bright white sands on tropical coasts are eroded limestone that can hold coral and shell pieces.
On a Koufonisia cruise, the colour of sand has a clear cause. Quartz is the top sand mineral inland and on coasts outside the tropics. Calcium carbonate comes second after quartz in that ranking.
Almost all shells of molluscs, such as snails and clams, contain aragonite, a form of calcium carbonate. In a large share of coral sand, corals are not the main source of grains.
On a Koufonisia cruise, parrotfish are one source of sand. They grind rock and algae with throat teeth, then pass it out as sand for beaches. Photos show young Mediterranean parrotfish at Koufonisi.
Posidonia is a seagrass that grows on the seabed. Its meadows produce much of the sediment in Mediterranean beach sand. At San Giovanni beach in Sardinia, carbonate grains come mainly from these meadows.
- Albedo: Albedo is the share of sunlight a surface reflects, from 0 to 1.
- Cooler nests: In Cabo Verde turtle nests, light sand was on average 2.2 °C cooler than black sand.
- Sound: Singing sand needs round grains 0.1 to 0.5 mm wide, silica and a certain humidity level.
Ano and Kato Koufonisi have a varied coastline of soft limestone. The sea and rain have eroded it into impressive formations.
How windy is the sea of a Koufonisia cruise?
A Koufonisia cruise happens on a sea shaped by wind. The Aegean Sea measures roughly 670 km by 390 km. The highest offshore waves in that area rarely exceed 6 m. Single waves can reach roughly double the height a sea forecast quotes.
On a Koufonisia cruise, waves grow from the wind. A wave only gains energy from the wind while the wind moves faster than the wave crest. The crest is the very top of the wave.
Wind speed, duration and fetch shape waves, and fetch is the length of open water. Besides those three, the width of the windy area and the water depth also shape wind waves.
During a Koufonisia cruise, a fully developed sea is the biggest sea the wind can make. A 37 km/h wind blowing 10 hours over 139 km of open water builds one averaging 1.5 m.
A 56 km/h wind needs 518 km of open water and 23 hours. It builds a fully developed sea averaging 4.1 m. More wind then only breaks wave tops into whitecaps, or white foam.
- Wave breaking: In deep water, a wave breaks once its height passes about 0.17 times its own length.
- Weather stations: Greek weather-service stations log wind force on the Beaufort scale and also in eight compass directions.
- Old record: An old record says the Etesian winds of summer 1788 had both greater intensity and frequency.
Wave formulas that use wind alone gave bigger waves than wave records. That is because they assume a fully developed sea.
How warm and dry is the climate of a Koufonisia cruise?
A Koufonisia cruise happens among islands with hot, dry summers. On Schoinoussa the average high is 30.4 °C in July. Rain there is 0.2 mm in July and 0.1 mm in August. January averages 12.4 °C and August averages 27.2 °C.
On a Koufonisia cruise, dry spells count as much as the summer heat. At Naxos, from 1961 to 1990, each month from April to October had at least one rainless year.
At Naxos, the wettest August from 1961 to 1990 had 74.8 mm, against an average of 2.8 mm. The wettest January in those years brought 235.3 mm, against an average of 71.3 mm.
On a Koufonisia cruise, nights stay warm too. Schoinoussa has an August average low of 24.0 °C. The highest temperature in its records is 37.8 °C, reached in both July and August.
Schoinoussa has so little yearly rain that it misses a hot desert climate by less than 50 mm. Donousa, another Small Cyclades island, averages 260.2 mm of rain in a year.
- Cold record: Naxos town’s record low is -1.0 °C in February; every other month stays above zero.
- Plant zone: Koufonisia sits in plant hardiness zone 11a, one step milder than Naxos town, in zone 10b.
- Dry season: Anafi’s long dry season lasts from the month after April to September’s end.
Winter is wetter, though. On Amorgos, the easternmost Cyclades island, July and August record 0 mm, while January brings 179.2 mm.
Where does the name Cyclades come from for a Koufonisia cruise?
A Koufonisia cruise is linked to the Cyclades, islands that lie in two parallel lines. One line continues Cape Sounion, the other continues Euboea. The two lines give the Western and Eastern Cyclades. Koufonisia, Donousa and Schoinoussa belong to the minor islands.
On a Koufonisia cruise, the Cyclades include the major islands. Naxos, Paros, Amorgos and Antiparos rank among them. Tradition says Naxos took its name from the leader of its first settlers, who were Carians.
Another view links the name Naxos to the ancient Greek word naxai, meaning to sacrifice. Rich sacrifices were made to the gods there. One ancient name of Paros was Plateia, also written Pactia.
During a Koufonisia cruise, the name Paros also has a Venetian form, which is Paro. The tale that a man named Paros of Parrhasia settled the island with Arcadians is invented.
One explanation of the name Koufonisia points to the large number of caves and sediments found there. The modern Greek adjective koufios, which means hollow, comes from the ancient Greek word kouphos.
- Maps: Maps gave Pano and Kato Koufonisi names such as Pira in 1590 and Cofinissia in 1745.
- Later names: A map from 1791 shows Phocussa, and Rigas Feraios wrote the island as Kofinousa.
- Writer: Anthony Miliarakis wrote in 1920 that the island of Kato Koufonisi was known as Pino.
Ancient inscriptions call the Koufonisia the Fakkoussae Islands, though their ancient names are not known for certain. In medieval Latin, the Aegean was called Egeopelagus.
Which seals live in the sea of a Koufonisia cruise?
A Koufonisia cruise is a sea trip in Greek waters, where Mediterranean monk seals live. Adult seals weigh from 240 to 400 kilograms. Greece has about 187 to 262 adults able to breed. Greek monk seals produce about 75 pups a year on average.
On a Koufonisia cruise, travellers see open sea. A monk seal can swim up to 70 kilometres across open sea. Over months, one seal can cover up to 300 kilometres in total.
Female monk seals start to breed at about four years old, and males at about six. While nursing, the mother leaves her pup alone for hours each day to look for food.
For a Koufonisia cruise, caves are the key place to learn about. Monk seals stay in their caves mainly at night. In winter, they spend more time inside the caves.
Where new buildings go up on the coast, seals use fewer caves. Their habitat can be lost for good. Rising seas can also leave key caves without a usable beach inside them.
- Gyaros: This island in the northern Cyclades is home to about 70 seals, not counting the pups.
- Law: Greek protection began in the Northern Sporades in 1976, and a presidential decree followed in 1981.
- Washed ashore: Stranding hotspots near Mykonos, near Milos and between Paros and Naxos came from 236 records.
The EU Habitats Directive lists the monk seal as a priority species in Annex II. Annex IV requires protection of every single individual seal.
What do visitors ask about a Koufonisia cruise?
A Koufonisia cruise day mixes sea, sand, sun and heat. Visitors ask about phone ratings, battery heat limits and hot sand on the beach. They also ask about sun clothing, insect repellent and the rocking feeling after a boat day.
How do IP ratings protect phones on a Koufonisia cruise?
A first digit of 6 means dust-tight, so no dust enters. A first digit of 5 means dust protected, so a little dust can enter. An IPX6 device is tested against powerful water jets from a 12.5 mm nozzle.
What is mal de debarquement after a Koufonisia cruise?
Mal de debarquement is a rocking, swaying or bobbing feeling. It can follow sea travel and long running on a treadmill. In severe cases it lasts months or even years, and its cause remains unknown.
Why does hot sand burn feet on a Koufonisia cruise day?
Sand can top 100 degrees Fahrenheit when the air is 75 degrees. It can top 120 degrees when the air is 90 degrees. Skin cells start to burn above 111 degrees, and hotter sand burns in less time.
How hot is too hot for a phone battery on a Koufonisia cruise?
Lithium-ion wear is minimal at room temperature. Wear rises when a battery is stored or used above 35 °C or below 5 °C. Batteries are best charged between 5 and 45 °C, and charging above 45 °C degrades performance.
How strong must insect repellent be on a Koufonisia cruise?
For DEET, a concentration above 50 percent gives no further increase in how long protection lasts. Icaridin, also called picaridin, protects for a similar time as DEET at 20 percent strength. Travellers apply about half the tested amount.
What does UPF 50 mean for sun clothing on a Koufonisia cruise?
Under the Australian standard, clothing can carry only four UPF ratings: 15, 30, 50 or 50+. A rating needs cover for at least the torso and three quarters of the upper arms. Tight clothing can stretch and lose protection.