Kea island, also known as Tzia, is the island of Cyclades archipelago which is nearest to Athens. The main village is called Ioulis and it is situated in a high altitude mountain, like most ancient Cycladic settlements did. This way the villages where protected from pirates during past times. Other big villages of Kea are Korissia (the port) and Vourkari (a fishing village). Kea has been recently rediscovered by Athenians as a convenient destination for weekends and yachting trips. The population in 2001 was 2,417.
