Destinations ~ Cyclades Islands

Santorini

Santorini has the world’s most striking sunset. When the sun dives behind the tiny island of Thirassia, you can find your perfect spot on Santorini to experience the majesty of the caldera from Fira and Oia villages. Santorini is an island-phenomenon, because on this legendary island in the Cyclades, all your senses seem magnified, a product of its many contrasts: black earth against whitewashed homes clinging to the cliff-side, or wild volcanic sculptures against sleek Cycladic lines.

Mykonos

Mykonos, the definition of island luxury with the most iconic sights as cosmopolitan Hora, with its cobbled alleys, iconic windmills and wave-lashed Little Venice. Mykonos has been attracting an international crowd like a magnet since the 1960s and has been voted a top summer holiday destination time and again. Exceptional beaches, award-winning restaurants, legendary parties, expensive yachts, dreamy villas, luxury hotels and 5-star service.

Syros

Syros, one of the most cultured Greek islands. Stately Ermoupoli is one of the most regal settlements in the Cyclades. Along with neoclassical buildings, it is famous for Syros’ Apollo Theatre, a miniature of La Scala in Milan. The capital of the Cyclades, Syros is an island of many faces. Ermoupoli (Hermes’ town) is stately and grand, topped by an Orthodox church and above it, Ano (Upper) Syros is a typically Cycladic village crowned with Catholic monasteries and churches.

Andros

Andros was the home of many of Greece’s best-known captains and ship-owners. Walk the main town to get a glimpse of the neoclassical buildings, which blend harmoniously with the medieval architecture. Andros is the greenest of the Cyclades islands as well as the second-largest after Naxos. You can find Venetian castles and untouched beaches, rushing rivers and abandoned watermills, a world-class modern art museum and the grand mansions of local ship-owners.

Serifos

Serifos, a wildly beautiful island in the Cyclades with one of the most beautiful island towns built amphitheatrically on the top of an arid hill. Stroll through the alleys and discover the ruins of the Venetian castle. If you like rugged countryside, you’ll be impressed by the wonderful shapes nature has sculpted into the hillsides, and around the island are beaches with blue-green waters. Meanwhile, in the port of Livadi, memories of older, more innocent times come flooding back.

Milos

Milos, a volcanic gem full of local traditions. Milos is the most exotic island in the Aegean Sea because of its extraordinary colours and landscape and it is, without doubt, one of the most impressive in the Cyclades. Volcanic rocks paint the beaches red, pink and orange. Sarakiniko and Kleftiko beaches, with their white rock formations, emerald green waters and caves eroded by the sea, are steeped in stories of pirates — rivalled by early Christian catacombs and the multicoloured settlements of Klima, Emborios and Mandrakia.

Tinos

Tinos, symbol of Greece and the Cyclades. The wonder of Tinos isn’t only the miraculous icon of the Virgin, which gave this island its fame — it’s the wild beauty that excites you: rocks eroded by the wind, beaches with deep blue water and traditional Cycladic villages that climb up the hillsides. All around Tinos are 750 chapels and churches (Catholic and Orthodox), 600 ornate dovecotes and 34 settlements.

Amorgos

Amorgos, a sanctuary in the Aegean. Humble but mesmerising, the unspoilt villages of Tholaria and Langada are the ideal place for those who seek serenity and inspiration. Take a boat ride from Katapola or Aigiali, the island’s two ports, and sip nightcaps of rakomelo, the homemade honeyed firewater.

Paros

Paros, in the heart of the Aegean, is an island that combines the modern with the traditional. If you are a romantic soul, you should visit the little port of Naoussa, while adventurers should go hiking to the mountain villages of Lefkes, Marpissa and Prodromos.

Paros has the potential to offer whatever you desire — beaches large and small, secret and well-known all around the island. And if you chase the wind, you’ll rejoice in the world-famous kitesurfing and windsurfing sites.

Naxos

Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades. You’ll find plenty of history, ruins from every era, an extraordinary array of landscapes, friendly locals and wonderful food in the most beautiful part of the Aegean. Entering the harbour of Naxos, you’re greeted by the ancient Portara — the massive marble gateway. Inland, you’ll find isolated villages untouched by time, like Tripodes, Filoti, Halki and Apeiranthos, that invite you to explore their beauty.

Sifnos

Sifnos stands out among the Cyclades islands for its architecture and natural beauty. Once a thriving gold and silver mining location, it has since ancient times cultivated a reputation for the finer things in life. Today, it combines the picturesque with a rich tradition in cuisine and local crafts. And yet, despite its refined culture and “Cycladic chic” ambience, Sifnos retains a low profile that instils a sense of peace in the visitor.

Sifnos offers a wide array of beaches, from Panagia Chryssopigi, where you can dive from rocky ledges, to more organised swimming at Kamares, Platys Gialos and Vathy. The town of Artemon is defined by its beautiful neoclassical homes and well-tended narrow streets, and the surrounding villages stand out for their whitewashed courtyards, deep-coloured bougainvillea and finely crafted terracotta chimney tops.