I did not go here but include it for completeness sake. There were no ferries from Crete (except weekly).
The Cyclades lie at the heart of the Aegean and are so named because they form a kyklos (circle) around the island of Delos, the most important ancient site in the Aegean. When one pictures Greece, this is what they think of – the glittering Aegean with bone-white cubist settlements and limestone outcrops nestled against hills.
They are also the tourist mecca of the country with beaches, nightlife, archaeology, small galleries and adventurous island hopping.
SANTORINI (Thira) (pop 13,000)
The crown jewel, it is surrounded by 16 kilometres of cliffs, many 300m above the sea. It is formed on the edge of a sea-drowned caldera, the vast crater left by one of the biggest volcanic eruptions in history. Lesser islands are scattered along the western edge of the caldera. White/blue Cycladic houses line the cliff tops sometimes tumbling down the terraced rock.
The Santorini sunset is a breathtaking spectacle. Experiencing a sunset from the centre of the caldera is even more special. Surrounded by the deep blue sea, the light illuminates the volcano and the small volcanic islets.
BEACHES. The island slopes gently down to sea level on its eastern and southern sides and you’ll find dark-coloured beaches of volcanic sand that get very hot. Perissa is the busiest. Perivolos and Agios Georgios are further south. Red Beach, near Ancient Akrotiri, has high red cliffs and smooth, hand-sized pebbles submerged under clear water.
Vlyhada is also on the south coast.
THIRA (Fira) (pop 2300)
Santorini’s main town of Thira sits on the edge of the caldera layered with hotels, cave apartments, infinity pools and swanky restaurants, all backed by a warren of narrow streets full of shops and even more bars and restaurants. The rush of fellow tourists somewhat diminishes the attraction of the landscape. Santorini is famous for its wine.
Museum of Prehistoric Thira. Near the bus station, this museum houses finds that were from Akrotiri. Most impressive is the glowing gold ibex figurine, measuring around 10cm in length and dating from the 17th century BC.
Church of the Seven Martyrs. Ancient Thira. First settled in the 9th century BC, Ancient Thira consists of Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine ruins of temples, houses with mosaics, an agora (market), a theatre and a gymnasium. There are splendid views from the site.
OIA (pop 1000). A NM “small town” on the northern tip of the island, it is reached by a cliff edge walkway and road through a series of link settlements. After the devastating earthquake of 1956, restoration and upmarket tourism transformed it into one of the loveliest villages in the Cyclades. Built on the steep slope of the caldera, many of its houses are in niches hewn into the volcanic rock. From the bus station, head uphill to the central square and the main street that skirts the caldera. The tiny port of Ammoudi is 300 steps below Oia at the base of red cliffs.
Oia is best known for its sunsets.
Ancient Akrotiri. This Minoan outpost was buried during the eruption of 1613 BC. Excavations uncovered an ancient city buried under the ash: buildings, some 3-stories high, frescoes and ceramics.
Nea Kameni. This unpopulated islet in the centre of Santorini’s caldera is still volcanically active and surrounded by deep green, sulphurous water. From the quaint port you can walk up to the volcano’s crater. Reach by boat tour.
Aspronisi. This tiny speck of an island is a fabulous place for swimming in the warm water.
Palia Kameni. This islet has natural hot springs. Water reaching temperatures of around 33°C bubbles to the surface and then pours into the sea. Relax among the copper-coloured rocks, soak in the warm volcanic waters or join the regulars in slathering yourself with sulphurous mud.
Thirasia. Once part of the main island, Thirasia separated from Santorini following the earthquake in 236 BC. Its relaxed, cliff-top old town is unspoilt and offers wonderful views back to Santorini. Reach by boat tour.
Other Towns. Inland lie charming villages such as Vourvoulos, to the north of Thira, and Pyrgos and Megalohori to its south.
MYKONOS (pop 8,000)
This glamorous island is dubbed ‘Little Venice’, its bars and clubs are clustered along the water and in the old town’s maze of alleyways. Be prepared, however, for the oiled-up lounger lifestyle of the island’s packed main beaches, the jostling street scenes and partying.
Mykonos has two ferry quays: the Old Port, 400m north of town, where some conventional ferries and smaller fast ferries dock, and the New Port, 2km north of town, where the bigger fast ferries and some conventional ferries dock.
HORA (also known as Mykonos), it’s the islands port and capital, is a warren of narrow alleyways between white-walled buildings. You will soon pass the same junction twice. It’s entertaining at first, but can become frustrating as throngs of equally lost people, fast-moving locals and disdainful Mykonos veterans add to the stress. For quick-fix navigation, familiarize yourself with main junctions and the three main streets of Matogianni, Enoplon Dynameon and Mitropoleos, which form a horseshoe behind the waterfront.
In the heart of the Little Venice area (Venetia), tiny churches, trendy boutiques, galleries, jewelers, music bars, brightly painted houses and crimson bougainvillea around every corner.
Della Rocca-Barozzi Venetian Museum, a 13th-century tower.
Halki , a historic village at the heart of the island’s mountainous interior where a distillery cranks out traditional kitron
Agia Anna is a stretch of glistening white sand. Hora Venetian Kastro
Panagia Paraportiani.
Aegean Maritime Museum. Has the usual nautical paraphernalia, including ships’ models.
Windmills of Kato Milli.
BEACHES Mykonos has a good number of beaches and most have golden sand in attractive locations. They’re not so big that you’ll escape from the crowds, especially from June onwards.
Malaliamos. The nearest beaches to Hora, also the island’s least glamorous.
Tourlos. Tiny and crowded, it’s 2km to the north of town
Agios Stefanos. Just west.
Ornos About 3.5km south of Hora is packed and noisy, from where you can hop onto boats for other beaches.
Agios Ioannis The sizeable package-holiday resort of Platys Gialos is 4km from Hora on the southwest coast. All of the above beaches are family orientated.
Platys Gialos is the caïque jumping-off point for the glitzier beaches to the east, such as Paradise and Super Paradise .
North-coast beaches can be exposed to the meltemi (dry northerly wind), but Panormos and Agios Sostis are fairly sheltered.
DELOS
The Cyclades fulfil their collective name kyklos by encircling the sacred island of Delos, a few kilometres off the west coast of Mykonos. A World Heritage Site, it is one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece and the most important in the Cyclades.
It was the mythical birthplace of the twins Apollo and Artemis and was first inhabited in the 3rd millennium BC. From the 8th century BC it became a shrine to Apollo, and the oldest temples on the island date from this era. The dominant Athenians had full control of Delos – and thus the Aegean – by the 5th century BC.
Delos reached the height of its power in Hellenistic times, becoming one of the three most important religious centres in Greece.
The Romans made Delos a free port in 167 BC bringing great prosperity due largely to a lucrative slave market that sold up to 10,000 people a day. During the following century, as ancient religions lost relevance and trade routes shifted, Delos began a long, painful decline.
Boats for Delos leave Hora around six times a day (fewer boats outside July and August) and return between 11am and 3pm. Delos has no permanent population and overnight stays are forbidden. Bring water and food.
NAXOS (pop 13,000)
Naxos is the largest of the Cyclades and has the mountains to prove it. It offers the best of both worlds, a classic island experience balanced by being pleasantly landlocked in the deep heart of the mountains. There are numerous sandy beaches and the island is a great place to explore on foot along the many surviving paths between villages, churches and other sights.
It was on Naxos that an ungrateful Theseus is said to have abandoned Ariadne after she helped him escape the Cretan labyrinth. But there are certainly worse places to be left behind. Naxos was a cultural centre of classical Greece and of Byzantium, while Venetian and Frankish influences have also left their mark.
Naxos is the Cyclades’ land of plenty – lush and fertile – citrus fruit, corn, potatoes, fresh olives, figs, grapes and wine are produced here in abundance.
HORA (pop 6800)
On the west coast of Naxos, is the island’s port and capital. It’s a large town, spread well beyond the harbour area and divided into two historic neighbourhoods of the Venetian era:
Bourgos, where the Greeks lived. To see the Bourgos area, head into the winding backstreets behind the northern end of Paralia.
Kastro. The most alluring part of Hora is the hill-top residential Kastro, where the Roman Catholics lived. Marco Sanudo made the town the capital of his duchy in 1207, and several Venetian mansions survive.
BEACHES
Agios Georgios. Conveniently located just south of the town’s waterfront, Naxos’ town beach. It’s backed by hotels and tavernas at the town end and can get very crowded, but it runs for some way to the south and its shallow waters mean the beach is safe for youngsters.
Agios Prokopios .The next beach south of Agios Georgios, it lies in a sheltered bay to the south of the headland of Cape Mougkri. It merges with
Agia Anna, a stretch of shining white sand, quite narrow but long enough to feel uncrowded towards its southern end. Development is fairly solid at Prokopios and the northern end of Agia Anna.
Sandy beaches continue down as far as Pyrgaki and include Plaka , Kastraki and Alyko.
Mikri Vigla. One of the best of the southern beaches, where golden granite slabs and boulders divide the beach into two.
Mt Zeus (1004m) is the Cyclades’ highest peak and dominates the island’s interior. To climb Zeus, from the road-end parking, follow a walled path past the Aria Spring, a fountain and picnic area, and on to a very rough track uphill to reach the Cave of Zeus, a large, natural cavern at the foot of a cliff. The path leads on from here steeply to the summit of Zas, a stiff hike of several kilometres.
Tragaea. The Tragaea region is a vast plain of olive groves and unspoilt villages, couched beneath Mt Zeus.
Filoti , on the slopes of Mt Zeus, is the region’s largest village. From Filoti, you can reach the on the slopes of Mt Zeus. There’s a junction signposted Aria Spring and Zas Cave, about 800m south of Filoti.
Halki. This historic village lies at the heart of the Tragaea, about 20 minutes’ drive from Hora. The best example of historic Naxos, it is full of the handsome facades of old villas and tower houses, legacy of a rich past as the one-time centre of Naxian commerce.
Paths and lanes radiate from Halki through peaceful olive groves and flower-filled meadows. The atmospheric 11th-century Church of St Giorgios Diasorites lies a short distance to the north of the village. It contains some splendid frescoes.
Since the late 19th century, Halki has had strong connections with the production of kitron, a unique liqueur. The citron (Citrus medica) was introduced to the Mediterranean area in about 300 BC and thrived on Naxos for centuries. The fruit is barely edible in its raw state, but its rind is very flavourful when preserved in syrup as a ghlika kutalyu (spoon sweet). Kitroraki, a raki, can be distilled from grape skins and citron leaves, and by the late 19th century the preserved fruit and a sweet version of kitroraki, known as kitron, were being exported in large amounts from Naxos.
ANDROS
Satisfyingly remote in places, Andros is a mix of bare mountains, green valleys and out-of-the-way beaches. Neoclassical mansions and Venetian tower houses contrast with the rough unpainted stonework of farm buildings and patterned dovecotes. A network of footpaths is also maintained, and the island has a fascinating archaeological and cultural heritage.
AMORGOS
This lovely island rises from the sea in a long dragon’s back of craggy mountains. There’s plenty of scope for beaching, but Amorgos is much more about archaeology and the outdoor world – there’s great walking, scuba diving and a burgeoning rock-climbing scene for experienced climbers.
SIFNOS
As you approach by sea, Sifnos seems a barren place of heavy hills until the port of Kamares appears. Beyond the port and between the flanking slopes of rugged mountains lies an abundant landscape of terraced olive groves, almond trees, juniper and aromatic herbs. Plenty of unspoilt paths link the island villages, and the island has a tradition of pottery making, basket weaving and cooking.
NOMAD MANIA Greece – Cyclades (Mykonos, Santorini, Milos)
Tentative WHS:
Ancient Greek Theatres (16/01/2014)
Ancient Towers of the Aegean Sea (16/01/2014)
Sights:
Koufonisia
XL:
Anafi island
Donousa island
Villages and Small Towns: Chora (Folegandros)
Festivals: Up Festival – Upper Koufonisi
The Dark Side: Yaros Prison Island
Islands:
ANDROS
KEA
KYTHNOS
SEIFOS
SIFNOS
AMORGOS Religious Temples: Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa
IOS Beaches: Manganari Beach
MILOS
Religious Temples: Church of Panagia Tourliani
Windmills: Milos Windmill
Beaches: Kleftiko Beach
MYKONOS
World Heritage Sites: Delos
Sight
Airports: Mykonos (JMK)
Religious Temples: Panagia Paraportiani
Maritime/Ship Museums: Aegean Maritime Museum
Windmills: Windmills of Kato Milli
NAXOS
Airports: Naxos (JNX)
Beaches: St. George Beach
PAROS
Airports: Paros (PAS)
Religious Temples: Church of Panagia Ekatontapiliani
SANTORINI Sight
Villages and Small Towns: Oia
Airports: Santorini (JTR)
Museums: Thira: Museum of Prehistoric Thira
Religious Temples: Church of the Seven Martyrs
SYROS
Sights: Hermoupolis Neoclassical Town
Museums: Ermoupolis: Industrial Museum
Festivals: International Festival of the Aegean, Syros
TINOS
Religious Temples: Church of Panagia Megalochari
