161 Best Sights in The Cyclades, Greece

Built in 1864 as a small-scale version of Milan’s La Scala, the Apollo Theater is another example of Syros's wealth. Severely damaged during World War II, the theater was finally restored and reopened in 2000. Today, operas and other cultural events fill the summer schedule, including the world-famous Festival of the Aegean, which takes place every July.

Syros's Archaeological Museum is located on the left side of the town hall. The small space features artifacts from the island’s rich history. The collection stretches back to the Neolithic era and includes artifacts taken from the prehistoric acropolis at Kastri to the north. Particularly illustrious are the Early Cycladic objects from Chalandriani (just south of Kastri), which indicate an advanced culture in the 3rd millennium BC. The museum, while not extensive, is one of the oldest in Greece and also has finds from Paros and Amorgos.

A very small Archaeological Museum, established by a local mathematician, Michael Bardanis, displays Cycladic finds, including statues and earthen pots dug up from the east coast. The most important of the exhibits are unique dark gray marble plaques from the 3rd millennium BC with roughly hammered scenes of daily life: hunters, farmers, and sailors going about their business.

Reopened in 2024 after renovation, the museum is on the road south of the Gymnasium. It contains most of the antiquities found during excavations on the island: monumental statues of young men and women, stelae, reliefs, masks, mosaics, and ancient jewelry. A spectacular futuristic new structure has been designed to replace the Neoclassical existing building to better display the treasures of Delos but as of yet it remains a speculative venture.

Newly renovated, the museum contains artifacts from the island's millennia of history, which includes pottery, statues, and grave artifacts found mostly at excavations in ancient Thira and Akrotiri, from the Minoan through the Byzantine periods. Should you have time or inclination for only one museum visit on Santorini, however, the Museum of Prehistoric Thera is more instructive.

An elegant Ernst Ziller–designed Neoclassical building contains one of the better island collections. Glass cases house findings from Klima, Nyhia, and Demengaki along with a large burial jar from the 6th century BC. Many pots with sea lilies painted on them, early Cycladic statuettes, and the famous "Lady of Phylakopi" vie for attention with Mycenaean bulls and sculptures from the Hellinistic and Roman periods.

Most visitors, though, come to see the exact copy of the Venus de Milo displayed in the main room. There is a campaign, of course, to see the original statue reunited with her island home but it has so far fallen on deaf ears.

Before setting out on the mandatory boat excursion to the isle of Delos, check out the Archaeological Museum, which affords insight into the intriguing history of its ancient shrines. The museum houses Delian funerary sculptures, many with scenes of mourning. Most were moved to Rineia when the Athenians cleansed Delos in the 6th century, during the sixth year of the Peloponnesian War, and, under instruction from the Delphic Oracle, the entire island was purged of all dead bodies. The most significant work from Mykonos is a 7th-century BC pithos (storage jar), showing the Greeks in the Trojan horse and the sacking of the city.

The Archaeological Museum contains a large chunk of the famed Parian chronicle, which recorded cultural events in Greece from about 1500 BC until 260 BC (another lump is in Oxford's Ashmolean Museum). It interests scholars that the historian inscribed detailed information about artists, poets, and playwrights, completely ignoring wars and shifts in government. Some primitive pieces from the Aegean's oldest settlement, Saliagos (an islet between Paros and Antiparos), are exhibited in the same room. A small room contains archaic finds from the ongoing excavation at Despotiko—and they are finding a lot. In the large room to the right rests a marble slab depicting the poet Archilochus in a banquet scene, lying on a couch, his weapons nearby. The ancients ranked Archilochus, who invented iambic meter and wrote the first signed love lyric, second only to Homer. When he died in battle against the Naxians, his conqueror was cursed by the oracle of Apollo for putting to rest one of the faithful servants of the muse. There is also a monumental Nike and three superb pieces found in the last decade: a waist-down kouros, a gorgon with intact wings, and a dancing-girl relief.

On the main street, near the church, is the small Archaeological Museum; its collection includes a sundial by Andronicus of Cyrrhus, who in the 1st century BC also designed Athens's Tower of the Winds. Here, too, are Tinos's famous huge, red storage vases, from the 8th century BC.

One of the most evocative and recognizable sights of Delos is the 50-meter-long (64-foot-long) Avenue of the Lions. The five marble beasts, which were carved in Naxos, crouch on their haunches, their forelegs stiffly upright, vigilant guardians of the Sacred Lake. They are the survivors of a line of at least nine lions that were erected in the second half of the 7th century BC by the Naxians. One statue, removed in the 17th century, now guards the Arsenal of Venice (though with a refurbished head); the remaining originals are in the Delos Archaeological Museum on the island.

As one of the closest organized beaches to Ermoupoli, Azolimnos attracts its share of crowds in the height of summer. The coast is a mixture of small rocks and sand with a picturesque little dock that juts out into the bay and two jetties to dive from. Tamarisk trees offer natural shade, and lounge chairs and umbrellas are available for rent. The small road that backs the beach is lined with various options for food, coffee, drinks, and supplies. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming.

The closest sand beach to Ia is handy when you don't feel like making the trip to the more famous beaches on the south end of the island. It's not that there's anything wrong about this lovely spot: the strip of black sand and pebbles is rarely crowded and the cliffs provide welcome shade, it is just that the summertime meltemi winds can churn up the surf and sand. Islanders used to grow fruits and vegetables down here, and the name comes from the Turkish word for garden, baxes. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: swimming.

This 17th-century stonework tower, considered one of Naxos's most beautiful Venetian-era monuments, dominates the landscape as you approach the center of the island from Naxos Town. Functioning as the Monastery of the True Cross (Timios Stavros), during the Turkish occupation it served as an illegal school, where children met secretly to learn the Greek language and culture. It was abandoned in 1834 and later bought by the Bassegio family, whence its modern name derives. It has been renovated into a museum and cultural space, and a full calendar of exhibitions, concerts, and events takes place under the aegis of the Naxos Festival.

The graceful Bellonia Tower (Pirgos Bellonia) belonged to the area's ruling Venetian family, and like other fortified houses, it was built as a refuge from pirates and as part of the island's alarm system. The towers were located strategically throughout the island; if there was an attack, a fire would be lit on the nearest tower's roof, setting off a chain reaction from tower to tower and alerting the islanders. Bellonia's thick stone walls, its Lion of St. Mark emblem, and flat roofs with zigzag chimneys are typical of these structures.

The first of the island's wineries to open to the public puts on a good show, with a bright, view-filled tasting room surrounded by vineyards. A distinctly Santorini experience is a taste of Kallisti, a version of the Assyrtiko variety, and the exceptional Estate Argyros Vinsanto, an international award winner.

This long, quiet sandy stretch of beach is located off a small path leading from the Antiparos Camping campground and just north of Antiparos Town. The view is peaceful: just the neighboring inlet of Diplos and a turquoise sea. One area is frequented by nudists—it's one of Greece's recognized naturist beaches. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: nudists; solitude; walking.

Just a short walk from Trypiti, the early Christian catacombs consist of 126 vaulted graves carved into the soft volcanic rock, linked by a series of tunnels. Some 5,000 bodies were buried in the three corridors that stretch back 200 meters (656 feet), making these the largest catacombs in Greece. The earliest known Christian site in Greece, they are thought to date from the 1st century AD, when St. Paul was shipwrecked on Milos. Look out for inscriptions left by grave robbers, intrepid visitors, and marauding pirates who etched their names into the walls over the years.

Built by Marco Sanudo, Venetian founder of the Duchy of the Aegean, in the 13th century, this grand cathedral was restored by Catholic families in the 16th and 17th centuries. The marble floor is paved with tombstones bearing the coats of arms of the noble families. Venetian wealth is evident in the many gold and silver icon frames. The icons reflect a mix of Byzantine and Western influences: the one of the Virgin Mary is unusual because it shows a Byzantine Virgin and Child in the presence of a bishop, a cathedral benefactor. Another 17th-century icon shows the Virgin of the Rosary surrounded by members of the Sommaripa family, whose house is nearby.

In the 19th century the most famous sight in the Aegean was the cave of Antiparos, and it still draws many visitors every year. Greece's oldest known cave sits on the southeastern part of Antiparos. It's filled with shapely stalactites and stalagmites of which the oldest is said to be 45 million years old. The natural wonder was first discovered by a French ambassador in the 17th century and myths, legends, and stories have been associated with it along the way. You'll need to take exactly 411 steps down into the cave's 100-meter-deep (328-foot-deep) core to explore. Look for Lord Byron's autograph among many graffitied on the stalactites. Audio tours are available. Outside is the church of Agios Ioánnis Spiliótis, built in 1774.

A 15-minute walk or two-minute drive back toward Paros Town from the Valley of Butterflies leads to the convent known as Christos sto Dasos (Christ in the wood), from where there's a marvelous view of the Aegean. The convent contains the tomb of St. Arsenios (1800–77), who was a schoolteacher, an abbot, and a prophet. He was also a reputed rainmaker, whose prayers were believed to have ended a long drought, saving Paros from starvation. If you want to go in, be sure to wear long pants or skirt, and a shirt that covers your shoulders, or the sisters will turn you away.

Little Kambos (population 222) is the unlikely setting for a contemporary art gallery. A giant steel dragon snakes its body around the former schoolhouse-turned-museum next to the childhood home of Costas Tsoclis, a renowned international artist. The museum operates as a living space for culture and creativity and hosts performances throughout the summer months.

Founded in 2002, the Cultural Foundation of Tinos, housed in a large and splendid Neoclassical building at the south end of the quay, remains active in promoting the splendid art, history, and culture of the island. The center revolves around a full schedule of traveling exhibitions, lectures, performances, and other events. It has a permanent exhibit of work by Tinian sculptor, Iannoulis Chalepas. There’s also a nice café with harbor-front views.

This small beach is known for its pretty water and relaxed atmosphere. It’s also known around the island for Magaya, a colorful beach bar serving Thai food. In the summer, beach chairs and umbrellas are available for rent, so grab one and settle in to enjoy the view of Paroikía Bay. There’s a small rocky islet with an underwater cave in the near distance, popular for swimmers to head to, but beware, the seabed here is often full of sea urchins. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: swimming.

Growing the best Greek grapes has everything to do with the land, and the oenologists at Domaine Sigalas, on the ancient plain of Ia, are happy to share their knowledge of the unique Santorini soil and over three millennia of wine making on the island. A respected name in Greek wines, the family-run winery has opened up its lush inland vineyard at Baxes for tastings and food-pairing sessions. Groups are kept small and are priced from €70 per person.

The unusual 13th-century "double church" of St. John exemplifies Venetian tolerance. On the left side is the Catholic chapel, on the right the Orthodox church, separated only by a double arch. A family lives in the tower, and the church is often open. From here, take a moment to gaze across the peaceful fields to Chora and imagine what the islanders must have felt when they saw pirate ships on the horizon.

Exhibits reconstruct traditional farming life with remains of an olive and winepress. There are panoramic views of the island and the surrounding seas. The adjacent church of Agios Panteliemon celebrates the feast day of St. Panteliemon on July 27, and seemingly the whole island visits.

Long, tranquil, and beautiful, Elia is a popular option for those who seek beach relaxation. Attracting a predominantly LGBTQIA+ crowd, this southern beach is also popular with those who want to relax on a soft sand beach that’s protected from the north winds that sweep through the island from time to time. Umbrellas and sun beds are for rent and water-sports facilities pop up during the peak summer months. Dining options are plentiful with several cafés and tavernas close by. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: nudists; swimming.

Sheltered from the summer island winds, Finikas Beach is the perfect spot for those seeking a calm beach day southwest of Ermoupoli. Boasting the island's second-largest port, yachts often dock here and there's typically a picturesque scene of fishing boats bobbing on the calm waters. Tamarisk trees dot the beach providing natural shade, although beach umbrella and chair rentals are available during peak season. There are plenty of eateries to choose from as well. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: swimming.

Housed in an 18th-century house originally built for Captain Nikolaos Malouchos, this museum exhibits a bedroom furnished and decorated in the fashion of that period. On display are looms and lace-making devices, Cycladic costumes, old photographs, and musical instruments that are still played at festivals.

The Folklore Museum is set in a garden full of large models of traditional windmills, dovecotes, churches, and other such famous Cycladian monuments, making for an utterly charming setting. It also showcases the lifetime hobby of fisherman Benetos Skiadas, who loves to make detailed models of ships, and his scrupulous craftsmanship is on view here.