Holiday in Cyclades

About Cyclades

The Cyclades are the epitome of the Greek island dream: snow-white cube houses with blue domes, windmills by the sea, narrow streets filled with bougainvillea, and the endless blue of the Aegean. The name means 'circle' — the approximately 220 islands (of which 24 are inhabited) form a ring around the sacred island of Delos, which was revered in antiquity as the birthplace of Apollo and today is a fascinating open-air museum. Each Cycladic island has its own character: Santorini impresses with its volcanic caldera and legendary sunsets, Mykonos with its cosmopolitan nightlife, Naxos with the longest sandy beaches and the Temple of Apollo gate, Paros with charming villages and windsurfing spots. Lesser-known gems like Milos with its 70 beach formations, Folegandros with its spectacular Chora on the cliffs, Sifnos as a gourmet island, and Tinos as a pilgrimage site of the Greek Orthodox Church offer more authentic experiences away from mass tourism. The Cycladic light — clear, dazzling, and sharply contoured — has inspired artists and photographers for centuries. The architecture of the Cyclades is more than a postcard motif: the whitewashed cube houses reflect the heat, the narrow streets protect from the Meltemi wind, and the blue domes mark the church locations. Island hopping by ferry or speedboat is the most popular way to explore the Cyclades — the connections between the islands are excellent in summer. The best travel time is from May to June and September to October, when temperatures are pleasant and the islands are less crowded.