If you've been dreaming of escaping it all and starting over somewhere beautiful and secluded, I've got news for you: Antikythera, a small Greek island, will pay you to move there and provide you with Everything you need to start your new life. As part of a project aimed at improving the island's dwindling population, the scheme offers new residents a monthly stipend of €500 for the first three years - and I'm not going to lie: the offer is... tempting.
But, jokes aside, the situation at Antikythera was urgent. It is located next to the larger island of Kythera (whose name literally means "opposite Kythera"), approximately between Crete and the Peloponnese, covering an area of only 20 square kilometers and with only 20 permanent residents. 24 people. According to Andreas Harhalakis, the mayor of Antikythera, most of these residents are over 70 years old. Hahalakis said this means the island is facing a demographic crisis, Greek City Times reported. "If no action is taken, the island will be abandoned," the mayor said, asking them to "close the doors of Antikythera" in just five years.
Hence the resettlement project: According to Hahalakis, "significant incentives" will be offered to people - especially families - to encourage them to move to Antikythera in the coming years. Lonely Planet reports that "the selection process is very careful and gives priority to Greeks," but those selected for the program will receive a house, a plot of land on which to farm or start a business, and a monthly stipend. Their first three years on the island cost 500 euros (about $564). A family has moved from Athens to Antikythera, allowing the island's schools to reopen for their three children. The school had previously been closed for 27 years.
Antikythera is famous for an ancient shipwreck discovered off its coast in 1900. A number of important artifacts were recovered from the wreck, including the Antikythera Mechanism - a device dating back to 200 B.C. and thought to be the world's oldest analog computer - and a Bronze sculpture known as Antikythera Ephebe. However, as the Los Angeles Times points out, that's not all the island has to offer. For one thing, it has its own water source—a feature unusual for small Greek islands, which often have to rely on water brought in by tankers. It also has its own power station, hundreds of migratory bird species stop here during their migrations, and due to its location it is an excellent location for studying climate change. The island also has many fascinating landmarks and monuments, including the remains of an ancient fortress, a temple dedicated to Apollo, several medieval monuments and as many as seven churches.
Still, this is definitely a place where you'll find a slower, more unplugged pace of life. Andreas Harhalakis told Greek news outlet Ifimerida that by the end of 2018, fishermen, livestock farmers, builders and bakers will be able to live a prosperous life on the island of Antikythera life; as Hahalakis said (via Google Translate), "These people could earn a decent salary in Antikythera."
There are three settlements on the island: Portamos, Garañana and Chachariana. Potamos is the island's main base of operations; it serves as Antikythera's main port and arrival point, according to Lonely Planet. Kythira.info also notes that the Antikythera Community Office is located in Potamos, but many officials work locally in Kythira. Contact information for the Antikythera community can be found here.
Antikythera was not the only town to start offering incentives to people willing to move to resettle in declining areas. For example, the Italian town of Ollolai has a euro house. Meanwhile, the Spanish village of Punga offers subsidies of 3,000 to 6,000 euros to couples willing to move there to start a family.
In fact, without an infusion of new blood, many of these towns and villages could be lost forever, which is no joke - so here's hoping some people will find the quieter life in these areas appealing. And, I mean, wouldn’t you jump at the chance to move to a beautiful, historic place in Europe if you could?
