Cyclades Islands
The Cyclades Islands are the most well known of the Greek Islands and include Santorini and Mykonos which are the two most popular islands in Greece. Ferry trips are four to five hours to the closest islands (Kythnos, Syros, Tinos, Mykonos, Sifnos) and from eight to ten hours to the furthest (Santorini and Anafi) depending on how many stops it makes. The high-speeds take half the time but cost almost twice as much. There are daily ferries from Pireaus to all these islands, with the exception of Kea which you get to from Lavrion, and Andros which you get to from Rafina. Many of these islands can be included in an island-hopping itinerary in the summer. It gets harder in the off-season though because of reduced ferry connections. If you know which islands you want to visit try using the Create-an-Itinerary page and you can find out what is possible and also how much it will cost through a reliable Greek travel agency. I recommend travelers to Greece use a Greek travel agency who can help you put together an individualized itinerary and make sure everything goes according to plan. I have links to the agencies that can assist you with a particular island though any good agency can book you on any island. I have also included links for booking hotels on your own. Whatever you do, don't book hotels on the islands and then look for connecting ferries. That is a recipe for disaster and a mountain of cancellation fees. I also suggest you visit Fantasy Travel's Island-hopping page and Vacation Packages to look for an island combination that fits your needs. You can also use my Greece Hotel Search and Matt's Cyclades Hotels Page to find hotels on the islands and Ferryhopper.com for ferry schedules and tickets.
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You can click on the island names or scroll down to see them all in alphabetical order. | |||||
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To get back to this menu click on 'top'. When you finish you can use this link or the link at the bottom of the page to return to Greek Island Guide Main Menu. You can e-mail me if you have questions about the Greek Islands, itineraries, ferry connections, hotels or anything actually. | |||||
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Amorgos
For hotels bookings contact Aegean
Thesaurus Travel or Search Booking.com's Amorgos
Page |
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Very few tourists go here but maybe that is what you are looking for. Recently there have been more ferry connections in the summer and Anafi is becoming one of those unspoiled Greek islands that end up in Conde Naste Traveler and become spoiled, or if not spoiled expensive. But for now if you are looking for off-the-beaten-path it is still a safe bet. Most of the rooms and restaurants are in the Hora, perched on a hilltop overlooking the sea. There are several nice beaches and the famous Zoodohou Pigis Monastery, one of the oldest in the Cyclades. Sorry I can't tell you more. I have never been there. But my friend Marc Dubin has. For hotels bookings contact
Aegean
Thesaurus Travel or Search Booking.com's Anafi
Page |
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Ferryboats to Andros leave from Rafina to the port Gavrio. Batsi is touristy town, or was when it was a low impact package tour destination, but it has quieted down and it is a nice little seaside village with a port and a decent beach and a number of hotels. Lots of activities and some great restaurants, particularly in the small traditional villages in the hills above. The best place is the main town of Andros, known as Hora, on the other side of the island. No autos are allowed in the village which juts out on a peninsula between two long beaches. There is a shipping museum and an excellent art museum there. Because of the wealth of the village tourism is not encouraged. That is a good reason to go there. Renting a car is recommended. This is a beautiful, green island that even has a small river or two. There are ferry and high-speed connections to Tinos, Syros and Mykonos daily. Each summer the AEGEAN ARTS CIRCLE presents Creative Writing workshops with Award-winning writers. For more information e-mail the center. For Hotels and
island combinations including Andros
contact
Dolphin Hellas or Fantasy Travel. |
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Folegandros For bookings
contact Aegean Thesaurus Travel,
Dolphin Hellas or Fantasy Travel. |
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Arrive by day to a quaint white Cycladic village. By nightfall every house is a disco, bar, fast-food joint or boutique. Not recommended for anyone over 25, at least for not more then a day or so during July or August though after about mid-September it reverts to its original Greek Island form. But in the summer Ios is like an internationalDaytona Beach at Spring break. if you are of college age this place is it! You will meet boys and girls, you will get drunk and you will most likely sleep with them. If you are older, married, and looking for a nice peaceful island forget about Ios. If you are old and feel like you are young at heart this would be a good place to test it. Frequent ferry boats in the summer to and from Pireaus make the 8 hour trip with connections to Paros, Naxos and Syros. There are daily boats to Santorini and a several a week to Sifnos and one boat a week to Crete, sometimes more in the summer. For bookings
contact Aegean Thesaurus Travel,
Dolphin Hellas or Fantasy Travel. See Matt's Guide to Ios: Where Spring Break lasts All Summer |
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Quiet and traditional, like going to the most remote island in the Aegean, but it's close to Athens. The ferry leaves from Lavrion instead of Pireaus so Kea is overlooked despite being one of the Cyclades islands nearest to Athens. Kea itself is a very interesting and beautiful island with a long history and is very popular with Athenians, many who have summer houses here or come for weekends. The village of Ioulida is a fantastic labyrinth of white Cycladic houses perched on the side of a mountain, with a small main square. Nice beaches and many of them are off the road and reached by hikes through beautiful settings. Because it is an island popular with Athenians there are lots of good restaurants. Few connections to the rest of the Cyclades though several times a week there is a ferry to Kythnos and Syros where you can make other connections. If you take the ferry to Lavrion and a taxi you can be in Pireaus in about two and a half hours and go just about anywhere. Most foreigners come here by sailboat and stay in the small harbor of Vourkari which has a row of fish tavernas, bars and cafes. Kea is known for its extensive ancient road network which is still largely intact making it a paradise for hikers. The ancient city of Karthea is reached by boat or on foot. It really is an ancient city. For bookings
contact Aegean Thesaurus Travel,
Dolphin Hellas or Fantasy Travel I know this island really well so see Matt's Kea Guide |
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The smallest of the Cyclades, Kimolos is only known to a few travelers. Located a half a mile from Milos with a small ferry running back and forth from Pollonia, the island also has connections to Pireaus and several of the other western Cyclades Islands. Like Milos it is volcanic and has spectacular beaches and rock formations. There is one main village and several settlements and enough accommodations and restaurants to service the few visitors the island gets. You can find more accommodations by using the Kimolos Hotels Search Page or Aegean Thesaurus' Kimolos Accommodation Page. |
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The first island on the Western Cyclades route that includes, Serifos, Sifnos and Milos, Kythnos is an un-touristy island with hot springs, some nice beaches and a favorite stop-over for sailboats and yachts journeying to the rest of the Cyclades. It also has an excellent scuba dive center, one of the best in Greece, in the town of Loutra which is famous for its hot springs which flow right into the sea. You can get to Kea several times a week directly or by connecting through Lavrion which also has ferries to Kythnos. Rent a car and check out the double beach of Kokonna. The main Hora is inland and has lots of nice cafes, bars and ouzeries serving traditional mezedes. For hotels and travel
information contact Aegean Thesaurus Travel
Agency in
Sifnos. See Matt's Guide to Kythnos. (It has great photos that will make you want to go here) |
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Like Santorini,
Milos is a volcanic island with spectacular rock
formations and hot springs and amazing views.
Bikes or car useful if not essential though many
people come and park themselves on a beach and
are perfectly happy not seeing the rest of the
island. But Milos is a beautiful island with
fantastic beaches likePaliochori, Hivadolimni
and the tiny cove
of Sarakiniko,
one of the most
interesting places to swim on
earth. The village of
Pollonia has great
swimming, restaurants and you can take a boat to
the island of Kimilos. Milos' main village of
Plaka is made up of the cubic white houses which
the Cyclades are known for. The island is rich
with archeological sites including Christian
catacombs, a roman amphitheatre, Venetian castles
and museums. Those of you who took art history
should recall that the famous Venus de Milo
was found
here.Daily
boats to and from Pireaus connect the island to
Sifnos, Serifos and Kythnos. It's about a 7 hour
trip to Pireaus. There are also 2 or 3 boats a
week to Crete and every day during the summer to
Folegandros, Sikinos, Ios and Santorini. Daily
highspeeds in the summer take about 3 hours.
Perfect island in combination with
Sifnos
or
Santorini.
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Expensive,
decadent, and fun for gays, straight people and
families too, an island that was created to look
good in postcards and photos posted on Facebook.
Intense nightlife with clubs that never stop and
some of the finest restaurants and hotels in
Greece, this is a true jet-setters island though
not out of the affordability realm of normal
travelers. For a little culture there are trips
to the uninhabited ancient island of
Delos and the extensive ruins
there, among the best in Greece. Plenty of
excellent if not crowded beaches. People don't
come to Mykonos to escape but to party and
people-watch. Bring money and credit cards
because you won't want to leave and you may end
up canceling your flight home and worrying about
how to pay for it later.Ferry trip is about 5 hours
from Pireaus and three from Rafina. Catamarans
and Dolphins do it in half the time. Easy
connections to Syros, Tinos with several ferries
a day. Daily connections to Paros, Naxos, Ios,
Santorini, Andros and other islands during the
summer. Also less frequent connections to Sifnos,
Samos, Ikaria, the Dodecanese, Crete and
Thessaloniki. There is also an international
airport. The Princess of Mykonos Hotel on Saint Stefanos Beach is where I stayed. I loved it. Fantasy Travel has special discounted rates there, probably cheaper than you will find anywhere else. Also check out the new Grand Beach Hotel which is on the beach and within easy walking distance of the nightlife of Mykonos town. I prefer the Hotel Adonis which is right in town but within crawling distance of Megali Ammos Beach. I recommend Fantasy Travel's program The Pursuit of Pleasure which is 12 Days and 11 nights in Athens, Mykonos and Santorini including hotels, ferries, transfers, tours, admission to archaeological sites and breakfast starting at 879 euros per person. These are in good centrally located hotels in Athens and the islands. You can't beat this price for these hotels and this itinerary. Or how about a 13 day program that features 3 nights each in Mykonos, Santorini and Athens plus a Greek Island/Turkey cruise? Check this out... you get on the cruise in Mykonos and get off in Santorini. For those who want to go on a cruise but also want to spend more time on an island than a cruise usually allows this is the answer. See Fantasy Travel's Smart 7 For hotel bookings
at discounted rates, cruises, and island hopping
packages that include Mykonos visit
Fantasy Travel
or
Dolphin Hellas or Aegean Thesaurus
Travel See my Matt's Mykonos Guide |
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Another overlooked gem in the Aegean, Naxos is big, green and may have the best beaches in Greece. It's close to the popular islands of Mykonos, Ios, Paros and Santorini with frequent ferry connections in the summer. Lively harbor town with restaurants, cafes, clubs and shops. Rent a car and see the whole island. Beautiful valleys that are like paradise if you enjoy walking, particularly the area known as Tragaia. The best beach they say is at Plaka with other nice ones at Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna, Mikri Vigla, and Kastraki, any of which would be the prized beach on any other island. The fishing village of Apollon is a popular location for day trips, with good seafood restaurants and a giant unfinished statue of the God Apollo laying in the ancient marble quarries since 600bc. The ferry trip is about 7 hours from Athens and stops in Paros and there can be five or more a day in the summer, fewer in the winter. Summer high-speeds take around three hours to get here. There are daily connections to Mykonos, Ios and Santorini. There are also less frequent connections to Crete, the Dodekanese, Ikaria, Samos, Amorgos, the small Cyclades islands, Skiathos, Crete and Thessaloniki. For hotel bookings
and rates and island hopping
itinerariesvisit Fantasy
Travel or
Dolphin Hellas or Aegean Thesaurus
Travel |
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Paros
(and
Antiparos) The Grand Central Station of Aegean ferry system, many boats stop here and Paros (along with Naxos) is a good island to include on your itinerary since you can easily get to Mykonos, Ios and Santorini, at least in the summer. Town is full of foreigners, many who live here and there are plenty of cool bars and restaurants, not all of them Greek. The former fishing village ofNaousais so crowded in August that you have to stand in line to walk past the cafes that surround the port so come in June or early in July, or even better in September or May when Paros is at its best. The beaches of Paros though popular are also quite nice. Paros is known for its windsurfing. The beach at Parosporos (or is it Porosparos) has incredible body-surfing when the wind is coming from the north. Paros is a very popular island and people who visit are pretty happy there. The ferry trip is about 6 hours from Athens and continues on to Naxos and Santorini. There are several daily connections to Mykonos, Ios and Santorini in the summer. There are also Hydrofoils, Catamans, sea-jets and other strange and speedy craft that stop at just about every island around. For programs that include
Paros with or without other islands
visit
Fantasy
Traveland see
their Island Hopping section. You can also
contact Aegean Thesaurus
Travelor
Dolphin Hellas Travel |
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For Hotels and
transportation visit Aegean
Thesaurus |
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Visually spectacular like no other place on earth. Were you impressed with the Grand Canyon? This is better. OK, just as good. Thira is touristy with cruise ships arriving daily and sending people up on donkeys and a ski-lift. Oia had the reputation of being quieter but no more as thousands of people descend on the whitewashed village to watch the sunset. (There are actually better places to watch it but for some reason everyone goes to Oia). The daytime action is at the beaches, Perissa, Perivolos and Kamari. Good raki (moonshine) and domatokeftedes (fried tomato-balls) are culinary favorites.Santorini has some of the best wine in Greece and most of the wineries offer tours and programs that feature wine tasting and food pairing. There is more about this on my Santorini Wine Page. Ruins of Ancient Thira are worth the trip if you are unimpressed by the most spectacular sunsets on this planet. Most people want to stay in the beautiful hotels overlooking the caldera but if you have children you will sleep a lot easier a few meters inland rather then on the edge of a 1000 foot cliff, and save money as well. (Beach hotels are much cheaper). Great nightlife, excellent beaches, spectacular scenery and romance make this one of the world's top destinations for honeymooners. The ferry ride from Pireaus is about 8 hours with stops along the way at Paros, Naxos and Ios and sometimes Sifnos. The high-speeds only take about 5 hours. Daily connections to Mykonos and Crete and other Cyclades in the summer by high-speeds. There are less frequent ferry connections to a few other islands. There is also an international airport. They say this is the one essential island. They may be right if this will be your only trip to Greece though I spent several happy summers in Greece before my first trip to Santorini. Fantasy Travel's Smart 7 is a 13 day program that features 3 nights each in Mykonos, Santorini and Athens plus a Greek Island/Turkey cruise. Check this out... you get on the cruise in Mykonos and get off in Santorini. For those who want to go on a cruise but also want to spend more time on an island than a cruise usually allows this is the answer. I also recommend Fantasy Travel's program The Pursuit of Pleasure which is 12 Days and 11 nights in Athens, Mykonos and Santorini including hotels, ferries, transfers, tours, admission to archaeological sites and breakfast starting at 940 euros per person. These are in good centrally located hotels in Athens and the islands. You can't beat this price for these hotels and this itinerary. Keep in mind that because of the popularity of Santorini, the hotels with caldera view that have received endless praise on sites like Tripadvisor, can charge astronomical rates. Lesser known hotels that may be just as good can cost half as much. The Volcano View Villas on the Cliffs of Santorini, with swimming pool and a view so spectacular you may never leave the premises is one and I stayed here. This is a lot of hotel for the price. Also have a look at the new Petit Palace, also on the caldera, with private pools and the Caldera's Liliam Villas. But the smartest thing to do is ask a Greek travel agent to find you the best caldera view hotel for the money. If you want to combine Santorini with other islands I suggest using my Create-an-itinerary form For hotels
and programs that include
Santorini visit Fantasy
Travel or
Dolphin Hellas orAegean Thesaurus
Travel Visit Matt's Guide to Santorini which I think is one of my best. |
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Visually attractive and still Greek, Sifnos is one of my favorite islands since I first came in the early seventies. For the thirty and older crowd, single or married with children though young people not looking to party Ios style will like it here because it is quiet but not too quiet. Apollonia, in the center of the island, has fun nightlife. Great beaches all around the island. Fantastic food and wine. Port of Kamares is nice combination of beach, restaurants and a few bars all within walking distance. The newly renovated Stavros Hotel is great place to stay with a view of the beach and harbor from your balcony. The cleanest port in the entire Aegean. Houses and villas for rent all over the island. Pension Morpheas is a small family run hotel on the beach and it is a bargain. Vathi is quiet with excellent food at Manolis Taverna. Kamares is one of the best beaches in Greece for families because it is a long sheltered bay that is very shallow so you don't have to worry if you turn your head for a few moments while your child is playing in the sand (and you are sitting in the Kima Cafe a few feet away.) People who visit Sifnos come back year after year. My Sifnos Guide was the first website I ever made. There are daily ferries doing the 5 hour trip from Pireaus and there are daily connctions with Serifos, Kythnos and Milos.During the summer there are daily or almost daily connections to Santorini, and in good years to Paros, Naxos, Mykonos, Ios, and Syros by Highspeed. There is also a daily or almost daily highspeed that gets you from Pireaus to Sifnos in about 3 hours. Aegean Thesaurus Travel Agency is one of the most respected and reliable full-service agencies in the Cyclades. Not only can they arrange your trip and accommodations in Sifnos but they can take care of your hotel needs in Athens and on any of the Greek islands. They can also do weddings on Sifnos. For my suggested itinerary that includes Sifnos
and Santorini see www.greecetravel.com/tours Visit Matt's Guide to Sifnos |
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Serifos |
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Not ready for
Prime-time. That's more then enough reason to go
there. Very little tourism, it is an island of
mostly fishermen and farmers. There are places to stay in the twin
villages of Kastro and Chora situated in the
mountains and in the quiet port town of
Alopronoia. For hotels with reviews and
photos search Booking.com's Sikinos
Page For more information see Matt's Guide to Sikinos |
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The most unique in the Cyclades since it is the capital, Syros is one of my favorite islands. Hermoupolis has a century old shipyard servicing ocean going freighters and tankers, right in the harbor. Beautiful town, more like a small city that looks a lot like Smyrna pre 1922 and a joy for architects. Two or three of the best restaurants in Greece are here. Extremely nice beaches too. I am convinced that the town of Hermopoulis, will one day be a popular destination in the off-season. The reason is the architecture. In the late 1800's the town was the main port for Greece and is full of old buildings, churches and mansions that have now been restored. It has cobblestone streets and great cafes. If you love old buildings and good food, come here. Great old hotel called the Hotel Hermes right on the waterfront. Ask for a room with a balcony and you will never want to leave. There is a pebble beach right in the back yard and the port in the front. It is also a few steps from the excellent Yaninea taverna-psistaria. There are daily ferries from Pireaus and the trip is about 4 hours or 2 hours by high-speed. There are daily connections to Tinos and Mykonos and a ferry which originates here goes to all the Cyclades islands doing a different route every day. There are also high-speeds and ferries from Rafina. Search Hotels on Syros |
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This island is close to Mykonos has excellent beaches, traditional villages, beautiful landscape and a rich history. Perhaps the most spiritual island of all, the wonder-working icon in the church of the Panagia Evangalestria attracts people from all over Greece in need of a miracle and around the 15th of August the island is packed with pilgrims, as is every boat going to Mykonos that stops here. Hotels are so full that people sleep on the streets. But except for the two weeks around that date, Tinos is generally a quiet island and is not only worth a visit, you could spend your entire holiday here and be quite satisfied. (And if you crave a little action, Mykonos is 15 minutes a way by high-speed ferry.)There are daily ferries from Pireaus, about 4 hours away and also Rafina. Daily connections to Andros, Syros and Mykonos. Don't stay in Tinos town. Go to the area of Ag Ioannis Porto on the eastern tip of the island an area of small farms, summer homes and a handful of hotels and fish tavernas. We stayed at the Porto Raphael Apartments and it would be hard to imagine a better run, friendlier, clean, well located place to stay, right above the beach. Search Hotels in
Tinos |
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There are actually about a
dozen baby Cyclades, but only four are inhabited
in our times: Donoússa, Páno Koufoníssi,
Skhinoússa, and
Irakliá. They are strikingly
different from one another, each with their
particular clientele – though none now rank as
undiscovered, and all of them, given limited
accommodation, are no-go areas from mid-July to
September 1 unless you have a rooms reservation –
or are happy to camp out. Athens agencies are
unlikely to be able to help with advance lodging
reservations, except on Páno Koufoníssi and
Skhnioússa which have some luxury complexes. Páno
Koufoníssi also has the best beaches, with
Donoússa not far behind; Irakliá has the best
walking, with again Donoússa running second.
Accommodation can be on the cheap side, but
dining out is definitely not – little islands do
not mean little prices. While all four have a
bank ATM apiece, best not rely on these but come
equipped with plenty of cash.
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More Cyclades Islands InformationMany of these islands can be included in an island-hopping itinerary in the summer. It gets harder in the off-season though. If you know which islands you want to visit try using the Create-an-Itinerary page and you can find out what is possible and also how much it will cost with no obligation to purchase. If you are a budget traveler and you think you are too poor to go through a travel agent think again. See Fantasy Travel's Special Offers Page I recommend Fantasy Travel's Island Hopping Page where you can choose the program that contains the islands you want to visit. For those who want to book on your own you can find hotels by using my Greece Hotel Search or Matt's Best Hotels in Greece Page and then coordinate the ferries with www.ferryhopper.com |
Antiparos
Return to Greek Island Index
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