Schinousa is a small island in the Southeast Cyclades nestled in a remote corner of the Aegean. The beautiful beaches are the perfect place if you want a shore all to your own, untouched and pristine. Its name probably originates from a bushy plant called Schino, which is plentiful on the island.
According to its oldest residents, the island has been inhabited since ancient times through the Byzantine period. Places like the church of Saint John, St. Anthony, Prophet Elias, the Cross, Holy Trinity, and numerous ruins confirm this. In Schoinoussa’s Turkish period, the island was abandoned and the Monastery of Chozoviotissa in Amorgos received the property rights. With the release of the monks of the monastery, they brought back Amorgos families to the abandoned island.
The protector of the Schoinousan people is the Virgin Mary Akathi, who is venerated on the Saturday of the Akathist Hymn. According to tradition, the miraculous icon was found in Santorini. The Virgin Mary Akathi celebrates the Assumption, as well. For both events, a crowd gathers not only from Schoinousa, but also from the neighboring islands of Irakleia, Koufonissia, and Amorgos. This is indicative of how much the Schinoussa people respect and honor the Virgin Mary, accompanied by the fact that every family has at least one child baptized with the name Akathi.
Schoinousa is a charming island with only two villages, Panagia (aka Chora) and Mesaria.
Γενικές Πληροφορίες - Χάρτης Σχοινούσας