The 16 islands to visit in the Cyclades

Visit the Cyclades: what are the best things to do and see in this very tourist archipelago of Greece?

The archipelago of Greece, located in the south of the Aegean Sea, consisting of 250 islands, is inhabited only, the Cyclades form an imaginary circle around the island of Delos. ♪ Greek islands are among the most popular tourist destinations – especially for their history and the beauty of the sea, indigo color and buildings of a bright white - but which islands choose? Here is our selection of the best islands to visit the Cyclades.

North Cyclades

1. Mykonos

What to do in the Cyclades? The party, of course! Island Mykonos , it’s a little Ibiza Spanish from the Aegean Sea. Young Europeans flock by millions to party all night in the seaside clubs, where DJs from all over the world. With Ios, it is the second most fun island in the Cyclades, the Greek paradise to celebrate. Whether you are young, single or friends, chic or casual, young or less young, gay or heterosexual, there are for all audiences and styles. Attention, however: As any busy island, Mykonos promises salty additions, especially during the high summer season. Of course, there is not only music and drink in Mykonos: many walks and hikes are to be done in Marathi Park or going up to Prophet Elias Church, north of the island.

2. Delos

Delos is the archaeological site par excellence in the Cyclades. Uninhabited because of a climate too hostile – too much wind – it has been registered with the world heritage of humanity by UNESCO since 1990, and for cause: it was an island of major influence during Antiquity, when it was provided with drinking water (the island is today arid, but the ancient Greeks collected the water of rain in huge cisterns). The island is an open-air archaeological museum, although it is very small. It houses many ancient sites: the sanctuary of Apollo, the lions of Delos, the terrace of foreign gods, the house of dolphins, the stibadeion of Dionysos, the theatre. Delos played an important religious and commercial role in the region and taking a look at it by visiting the Cyclades.

3. Syros

If it is one of the smallest islands in the archipelago, Syros was elected the capital of the Cyclades. With a population density greater than all its neighbors, it floats there on its great rock, splendid. At the edge of the docks, the tumult of this beautiful town of Ermoupolis takes already the visitor in a local tourbillon. In Syros, the welcome is warm: from the sun that welcomes you, to the hands you tighten, to the heritage you meet, the island tends to charm anyone who passes its doors.

So drop your bags and let yourself be carried by the atmosphere of this capital that has a lot to offer. Along the small streets of Ermoupolis, go to meet the neo-classical style that dresses Syros with a certain character, close to the houses of masters and other buildings. His Apollo theatre when at him, a miniature replica of the Milan Scala, awaits you just behind the square of the city hotel which it too deserves its detour. At the church Agios Nikolaos, go down the small stairs for a bathing and fierce parenthesis on its beautiful beach. You will have understood it, visiting the Cyclades leads a passage to Syros: the small island has decidedly everything from a great one.

4. Tinos

Rather in the shadow, Tinos has a certain discretion that suits him well. And for cause, you will not see its name echo in the tour operators, nor do one of the slipped papers. Prior to the high point of Greek orthodoxy, Tinos wanted to preserve a certain confidentiality that in the end, it was wonderful.

In Tinos, it is a certain authenticity that welcomes you: far from mass tourism, the small island is not really warm at first, yet it stands out from far for travellers looking for a little rural and local. Island with multiple wonders, from Kardiana, to Volax, to Panormos and Loutra it hosts beautiful small villages with white houses, they even loved in beautiful surrounding landscapes, as dry as lunar. Landscapes that, moreover, enjoy a certain contrast that makes them unique: the crystal clear waters and the oasis of greenery cleave the arid rock and the stone a few times austere.

5. Andros

What to do in the Cyclades to enjoy a lush environment? Recognized as the most fertile and greenest island in the archipelago, Andros is the eldorado of hikers, first because it owns more than 100 kilometers of marked trails but also because by borrowing them, we discover sources and other water points not preserved the land.

The port of Gravio, Hora (the capital of the island) or the seaside resort Batsi enjoys a heritage that is also rich in discovery: from museums to Venetian remains, to neoclassical buildings and local taverns... Everyone has their own treasures. Also known for its beaches (saved or landscaped), consider enjoying the sand and crystalline waters of Andros. Among them, Giala, Fellos, Kypri, Psili or Agios Petros!

Centre Cyclades

6. Naxos

Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades. It is also the most fertile and greenest in the region. It is often blocked by visitors who come to visit the Cyclades to party or admire sunsets, but it has everything to please: paradisiacal beaches of fine sand, beaches where to do aquatic activities ( kitesurf , windsurfing, snorkeling), a massive and culminating point of the Cyclades with Mount Zeus (1001 meters), a charming hinterland, authentic and popular villages, marble quarries, vertiginous peaks where to go hiking... Do not miss the Portara and the temple of Apollo, the city of Chora and its medieval castle – the Venetian Kastro – and the Catholic Cathedral. The Chora Archaeological Museum houses statues dating from at least 5,000 years before J-C! The Kouros, the temple of Demeter in Gyroulas, and the beaches (Agios Georgios, Agios Prokopios, Agia Ana, Plaka, Mikri Vigla).

7. Paros and Antiparos

Often chosen by the travellers who visit the Cyclades, Paros seduced by its Greek charm. From blue, white, from house to lime, beautiful small beaches, the port, and the small villages it houses like Livadi and Alyki make it a pearl of the archipelago. In Paros, you will enjoy a certain authenticity: the locals are warm, the crystal clear waters, the heavenly beaches and the life both quiet and festive at nightfall. If you ask that you do in the Cyclades in this small island, know that you will have anything to occupy your days and evenings, whether cultural or fierce. Discover the small villages of Syros to discover a heritage worthy of the most beautiful postcards (including Parikia its capital, or the beautiful fishing village of Naoussa), stroll through the alleys and get out of the beaten paths for some hikes in the landscapes like the Byzantins trail.

In short, Paros unsurprisingly integrates the must-sees in the archipelago, especially since here life is cheaper than in Mykonos for example. Therefore, consider anticipateing your coming, especially on the housing side. If you have enough time on Paros, don’t miss visiting Antiparos.

8. Amorgos

Amorgos is the most eastern island of the Cyclades. It is well known to hikers for its steep cliffs, Amorgos being relative to a rock rises above the sea. The French sometimes represent more than 75% of its visitors, as it is taken by them. This island was the filming place of L. Besson The Great Blue in 1986. Perhaps this film reveals to the audience of the Hexagon the aesthetic and island charm of Amorgos. The advantage of this island is also that the steep topography prohibits the formation of enfilades beaches as on the other islands of the Cyclades. The result is desolate and rocky landscapes, a weaker affluence, which makes the island the destination of tranquillity lovers. If you are looking for a corner of nature where to hike to visit the Cyclades, this island is for you!

West Cyclades

9. Milos

Milos has a wide selection of heavenly beaches and cribs in their cliffs. Milos is considered one of the most beautiful Greek islands and Cyclades. However, Milos often provokes the disappointment of travellers: this island has been exploited since Antiquity and has undergone the industrialization of the 19th century. The wind and the sea shaped an rugged coastline, with white tuft walls, arches and cavities to Kleftiko, lunar rocks in Sarakiniko, basaltic organ in Glaronissia. At the foot of the cliffs, we do not wash the shades of turquoise blue taken by the sea. Milos has 75 beaches, the most beautiful of which are in Sarakiniko, Firiplaka and Kleftiko. The villages of Klima, Mantrakia and Plaka – the capital of the island – will sublimate your trip to the Cyclades.

10. Sifnos

Another safe secret from the Cyclades! Like Milos, Sifnos is the ideal destination for family holidays. And for cause, the island enjoys a certain calm, far from mass tourism. Here, rest and tranquility are set: between two fierce sessions in the few superb beaches that the island has (we recommend that of Faros), we like to discover a preserved and unusual heritage through the small medieval villages, sometimes cycladic (Appollonia, Aghios Loukas, Artemonas, Katavati...), chapels, houses to the famous blue and white pallet. Also known for its living environment, Syros is greeted for its local cuisine with olive oil, cereals, wine, cheese, fruit and honey.

11. Serifos

Wilder, beautiful Serifos is the picturesque island of the archipelago. Visiting the Cyclades through these lands is a perfect parenthesis if you are looking for a ground foot away from tourists. After seeing Chora, his capital, and his small Livadi port, go out of the beaten paths to discover the true face of Sérifos which enjoys raw and natural beauty. Choose a stopover among the 72 beaches and coves that counts the island (Platis Gialos, Mesianou, Psili Ammos ...) : often far from everything and requiring a little effort to access it, the beaches of Sérifos have this particularity to seem out of time. After playing the Robinsons, discover the small chapels and other architectural wonders scattered all over the island, programme hikes (especially to go to White Cape) and discover the particularity of the island: its mining area located on the side of the seaside resort Megalo Livadi . Finally and because it is part of the trip to the archipelago, taste local gastronomy, especially the revithada , pasteli honey and local wine.

South Cyclades

12. Santorini

Santorin is undoubtedly the best known of the Cyclades. The visitors flock by millions every year to visit the Cyclades, and it is not without reason: huge brown, red, ochre cliffs, overlooked by beautiful white houses entangled on each other, looking at the bright indigo blue of the sea. It is the destination of couples looking for a wedding trip or a successful romantic stay. The island is stretched around a caldeira that is buried 3,500 years ago, one of the most prosperous civilizations of the ancient era. In Santorini , we don’t get tired of the flamboyant sunset from the village of Oia, the chapels and their domes – the typical landscape of Greece – but the reverse of the medal doesn’t delay getting felt: the island is the most touristic of the Cyclades, and therefore the most expensive. We recommend that you visit the Cyclades in off-season. More information about activities in Santorini .

13. Ios

Ios is assaulted by noctambul Anglophones – sometimes adolescents – who come to celebrate. Hora in high season is to be avoided if you are looking for serenity, but it is still one of the most beautiful islands to visit the Cyclades. Because the island still has vast uninhabited areas, very quiet, and others where the premises perpetuate a traditional way of life with sublime deserted beaches. A real paradise if you ask what to do in the Cyclades!

14. Folegandros

Between Milos and Sikinos, Folegandros offers an experience to her. Visiting the Cyclades is also going through this jewel out of time. With its three villages, 32 km2, steep cliffs, windy trails and beautiful beaches, Folégandros illustrates a wild side that has no price. Its natural beauty and the authenticity of its heritage will certainly make you fall under the charm of that which is also known as “the arid and steeped rock”.

15. IslandAnafi

The Ile d’Anafi is an arid island of 37.5 km2 with less than 300 inhabitants! Guaranteed compensation.

16. Small Cyclades

The small Cyclades form an archipelago of small Greek islands south of Naxos between the Ios and Amorgos islands. The archipelago consists of six main islands: Iraqlia , Schinoussa, Donoussa, Kato, Koufonissia and finally Kéros. Today only Iraklia, Schinoussa, Donoussa and Koufonissia are inhabited.

Can't you make a choice?

You still can’t choose an island of the Cyclades where to spend your stay? We advise you to visit "Explora Project" , the agency that offers you unforgettable escapades. With their stay « Cyclades : sailing and exploration under the eye of Éole » , you will dive into the heart of the mythical islands. Accompanied by a local guide, it is a program for small onions that awaits you: beautiful hiking trails, discovery of islands according to the winds and learning of daily sailing life. Unbelievable!

How to go to the Cyclades?

Most travellers land in Athens, then take a connecting or ferry to the islands. During the summer, several charter companies also provide direct flights to Santorini and Mykonos. Olympic Air in particular serves these islands, as well as Syros, Páros, Náxos and Milos in the Cyclades. To find a cheap flight to the Cyclades, you can take a look at our partner's website Ulysses .

How to get around in the Cyclades?

Once on site, the ideal is rent a car as soon as you arrive. In addition to ensuring a certain freedom of movement, having your own vehicle will allow you to fully enjoy a visit to the island where you are located (please be aware that there is also a bus network, but it is definitely less convenient).

To move from island to island, the Cyclades have a network of ferries that provide connections up to several times a day in high season. Santorin, Paro and Naxos make bets of the islands most served by the companies. But which company choose? What route optimized according to your trip? To prepare your stay in the Cyclades and anticipate your trips, visit our article « How do I travel by ferry to the Cyclades? ".

Where to stay at the Cyclades?

Apart from Délos, it is possible to stay on each island of the archipelago. According to the island and depending on the season at which you leave, there will be accommodations to prefer: the hotel offer can be less present on some islands, so learn about the rental platforms. Santorini , Milos , Mykonos , Amorgos , Naxos , Ios , Folégandros or Samos ... Whatever the islands of your choice, you can find hotels that offer good rates. You can also opt for a holiday home or apartment on the site Airbnb Here again, according to your tastes, colors and pretensions, there are for all budgets.

Main photo credit: Flickr – Wolfgang Staudt