The beautiful European island so pristine it boasts the world's 'cleanest water'

The Greek island of Kimolos, north of Milos and part of the Cyclades group, has a land area of just 12.9 square miles and is reported to have a population of only 810 as of 2021.  

The small island has been tipped to have the "clearest water" in the world by US travel agency Florida Panhandle, which recently released its top list.

To rank the best waters in the world, the organisation created a list of 50 beaches around the world that ranked the highest on traveller review websites. It then calculated each beach’s score based on the percentage of reviews that mentioned “clean water”. According to the data, Prassa Beach in Kimolos came out on top. 

“Stretching on for [8,497 miles], the Greek coastline is the longest in the Mediterranean Basin, a sea famous for its crystal-clear waters and rich blue hue,” the agency said, as reported by Greek Reporter.  

“It’s no wonder, then, that the majority of the world’s top beaches for clear water are located in Greece, led by Prassa Beach on the island of Kimolos, for which 43.56 percent of publicly available traveller reviews mention the phrase 'clear water'." 

Some of the people who have visited Prasse Beach and left reviews on Tripadvisor appear to agree that it has “amazing light blue clear water” with “white sand” and “no sunbeds, which is amazing”.

Another said: “Turquoise clear water, golden sand, beautiful beach. Very calm waters, perfect for families.”

Prassa Beach, on the northeastern coast of Kimolos, is a mix of fine white sand and pebbles, with calm waters perfect for swimming and relaxing. 

This is not the only outstanding beach on Kimolos. Aliki is deemed ideal for families with young children thanks to its shallow waters and sandy beach, while the blank volcanic sand and dramatic rock formations of Mavrospilia make for the perfect quiet secluded getaway. Bonasta houses a small cove which is popular for snorkelling and diving.  

Unlike its more touristy and busier neighbours, the quiet island of Kimolos offers a relaxed and authentic insight into Greek island life. It is home to whitewashed houses and cobblestone streets, and a charming main village, Chorio, located on a hill on the southeast side of the island. There are also smaller settlements of Psathi - the port - Goupa, Kara, Prasa, Aliki, Bonatsa and Dekas. 

To the east of Kimolos lies the uninhabited island of Polyaigos, which is half its size. 

One of the island’s natural highlights is the “Skiadi”, a giant rock mushroom, which along with other interesting geological formations, resulted from the island’s volcanic soil. It was formed by a process called ablation - when dust carried by the wind continuously erodes the soft layers of rock at the bottom more than the harder layers above. 

According to tradition, the island was named after its very first inhabitant, Kimolos. Its other recorded name, Echinousa, which was used in ancient times, may derive from the Echidna snake - viper - which continues to be common on the island today. 

During Ancient Greek times, the island was a battlefield between Athens, the ruler of the island, and Sparta, the ruler of nearby Milos. Over the centuries that followed, it was controlled by Venice first and then the Ottoman Empire until 1829, when it was annexed by the Greek state along with the rest of the Cyclades. 

Kimolos is connected to the nearby islands and the Piraeus port of Athens via a year-round ferry service and a catamaran during the tourist season.