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We've compiled the best of the best in The Cyclades - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Marcelo's famously cool waters attract Parians on the hottest summer days. You can spend the entire day eating, drinking, swimming, or watching the calm water lap against this long, sandy stretch of coastline, as the beach is well equipped with beach bars and cafés, tavernas, and umbrella rentals. Next to Krios Beach, it's accessible by car, boat, or a 40-minute hike from Paroikía. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: swimming; walking.
The main shopping street, Matogianni, is lined with jewelry stores, clothing boutiques, chic cafés, and candy shops. Owing to the many cruise ships that disgorge thousands of shoppers daily in season—some unload 3,000 jostling tourists—the rents here rival 5th Avenue's, and the more-interesting shops have skedaddled to less-prominent side streets.
One of the largest beaches on Syros, Megas Gialos is also one of the most frequented and organized. Located on the island's southeast corner, the beach is known for its transparent waters and fine sand. The village is populated with room rentals and small hotels as well as restaurants and beach cafés. Some large shady trees dot the beach, but in peak season chairs and umbrellas are for rent. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: swimming.
Built in the square in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral is a small museum that showcases the history of Naxos beginning with the Mycenaean era. Found during excavations in the cathedral, displays include pottery, artifacts, and even a tomb from ancient times used to cover the graves of prosperous Naxians.
Like the Municipal Palace behind it, this expansive palm-ringed marble square was designed by famed Bavarian architect Ernst Ziller and includes a grand statue of revolutionary war hero Admiral Andreas Miaoúlis. Families and couples fill the length of marbled pavement on summer evenings for their evening volta or walk as skateboarding children skid around them. The island's other architectural landmark, the Apollo Theater, is a short walk away.
The pure white sand here is beautifully offset by a rocky hill, turquoise waters, and large, gentle sand dunes. The beach itself is edged by cedar trees. Here, the fierce island winds are welcome to kitesurfers and windsurfers; Flisvos Kite Centre offers equipment rentals and lessons. It's not as developed as other beaches, but a scattering of tavernas and cafés that mostly service sports aficionados can be found nearby. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: surfing; swimming; walking; windsurfing.
On the seafront 500 meters (1,640 feet) east of the harbor, this museum details how Milos's character, history, and wealth derive from it being born from a volcano 2 million years ago. A collection of mining equipment, mineral samples, and artifacts help to explain the island geology, while short films give insight into the human aspect as old miners recollect their working lives. They also have a range of Geo Walks—walking guides to the island that act as detailed introductions to the eerie landscape.
Halfway from Paros Town to Naousa, on the right, the 17th-century Monastery of Logovarda shines on its mountainside. The monastic community farms the local land and makes honey, wine, and olive oil. Only men, dressed in conservative clothing, are allowed inside, where there are post-Byzantine icons, 17th-century frescoes depicting the Twelve Feasts in the Life of Christ, and a library of rare books; it is usually open mornings.
Standing on the highest point on Santorini, which rises to 1,856 feet at the summit, Santorini's largest monastery offers a cinematic vista: from here you can see the surrounding islands and, on a clear day, the mountains of Crete, more than 100 km (62 miles) away. You may also be able to spot ancient Thera on the peak of Mesa Vouno.
Founded in 1711 by two monks from Pyrgos, Profitis Ilias is cherished by islanders because here, in a secret school, the Greek language and culture were taught during the dark centuries of the Turkish occupation. A museum in the monastery contains a model of the secret school in a monk's cell, another model of a traditional carpentry and blacksmith shop, and a display of ecclesiastical items.
Monastery buffs should head to Ano Mera, a village in the central part of the island, where the Monastery of the Panagia Tourliani, founded in 1580 and dedicated to the protectress of Mykonos, stands in the central square. Its massive Baroque iconostasis (altar screen), made in 1775 by Florentine artists, has small icons carefully placed amid the wooden structure's painted green, red, and gold-leaf flowers. At the top are carved figures of the apostles and large icons depicting New Testament scenes. The hanging incense holders with silver molded dragons holding red eggs in their mouths show an Eastern influence. In the hall of the monastery, an interesting museum displays embroideries, liturgical vestments, and wood carvings. The monastery's big festival, which hundreds attend, is on August 15.
Southeast of the Sanctuary of Apollo are the ruins of the Monument of the Bulls, also known as the Neorion, an extremely long and narrow structure built, it is thought, to display a trireme (an ancient boat with three banks of oars) that was dedicated to Apollo by Antigonas Gonatas, thankful for a naval victory over the Ptolemies. Maritime symbols were found in the decorative relief of the main halls, and the head and shoulders of a pair of bulls were part of the design of an interior entrance.
A dirt path leads up the base of Mt. Kynthos, which is the highest point on the island. Here lie the remains of many Middle Eastern shrines, including the Sanctuary of the Syrian Gods, which was built in 100 BC. A flight of steps goes up 368 feet to the summit of Mt. Kynthos—from which the name "Cynthia" was derived—where Greek mythology says Zeus watched the birth of his son, Apollo, on the slope. There are amazing views of Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, and Syros from the top of the mountain. The path is completely unshaded, so be prepared for the heat, and the top is usually breeze-battered.
Located on Matogianni street, the Public Art Gallery of Mykonos, formerly the house of Mykonian painter Maria Iglessi, changes exhibitions often, giving Greek and international artists a great place to showcase their work.
The Municipal Palace, also known as the Town Hall, was built in 1876 by Ernst Ziller whose credits include Athens’s famous Grande Bretagne hotel and the nearby Miaoúli Square. The building is an impeccably maintained Neoclassical landmark of Ermoupoli. During working hours, you can stroll in and take in the elegantly designed marble rooms. Local town officials still hold meetings here in the presence of grand oil paintings of King George I and Queen Olga. The building also houses the municipal courts, which deal with legal cases from all the Cycladic islands, since Syros is the administrative capital.
This is the treasure house that displays frescoes and other artifacts from the famed excavations at Akrotiri. Many of the finds have been sent off to the Archaeological Museum in Athens, but the most charming fresco remains here: a colorful depiction of women in dresses, gathering saffron from the stamens of crocuses. Also in this small collection are fresco fragments with the famous painted swallows, the island's favorite design motif, that still flock to Santorini to roost on the cliffs. The fossilized leaves from 60,000 BC prove the olive tree to be indigenous.
The marble-working tradition of Tinos survives here from the 19th century and is going strong, as seen in the two adjacent museums: Museum Yannoulis Chalepas is the renowned sculptor's former house and his tragic story is narrated here along with artifacts from his life, and the Museum of Tinos Artists next door houses some of his work.
This museum displays a 16th-century windmill, outdoor oven, waterwheel, winepress, and dovecote, with the intention of illustrating and preserving the traditional rural life of the island.
Across the water from Little Venice, set on a high hill, are the famous Mykonos windmills, echoes of a time when wind power was used to grind the island's grain. Once a poor barren land stricken by pirate raids, the only source of income was from passing ships. The area from Little Venice to the windmills is called Alefkandra, which means "whitening," as women once hung their laundry here to bleach in the sun.
This little museum shows costumes, ceramics, farming implements, and other items from Naxos's far-flung villages, giving insight into how life was on the island beginning in the 18th century.
To peer into a live, sometimes smoldering volcano, join one of the popular excursions to Nea Kameni, the larger of the two Burnt Isles. After disembarking, there's a 130-meter (430-foot) hike to the top and a walk around the edge of the crater, and wondering if the volcano is ready for its fifth eruption during the last 100 years—after all, the last was in 1956. Some tours continue on to the island of Thirasia, often described as how Santorini was 50 years ago.
A community has grown around this pretty and sandy beach, which is considered one of the most family-friendly on the island—despite there being little room for kids to play in between the umbrella and chair rentals. A good selection of beach hotels, tavernas, restaurants, cafés, and shops make up Ornos Bay, and there is bus service from Mykonos Town. It is also the launch point to take a boat to other beaches. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming.
Secluded in a cove east of Tinos Town, Pachia Ammos is named for its thick sand, which has a unique green hue that complements the surrounding short shrub hills that roll into the turquoise blue sea. It is undeveloped, and getting to the beach requires a 10-minute walk on an unmarked path. The effort, however, is rewarded in basking in one of the prettiest and most peaceful places on the island, with views across to Mykonos and a giant sand dune to explore. To get there, drive 10 km (6 miles) on the main road east toward Agios Ioannis Beach and turn off at the signs for Pachia Ammos. Park in the car park at the top, walk through the country club that overlooks the beach, and then descend on one of the paths. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: solitude; swimming.
Just below Moni is one of Naxos's most important churches, Panagia Drosiani, which has rare Byzantine frescoes from the 7th and 8th centuries. Its name means Our Lady of Refreshment, because during a severe drought all the churches took their icons down to the sea to pray for rain but only the icon of this church got results. The fading frescoes are visible in layers: to the right when you enter are the oldest—one shows St. George the Dragon Slayer astride his horse along with a small boy, an image usually only seen in Cyprus and Crete. According to legend, the child fell into a well and our intrepid saint fatally struck a dragon to rescue him. Opposite him is St. Dimitrios, shown killing barbarians. The church is made up of three chapels—the middle one has a space for the faithful to worship at the altar rather than in the nave, as became common in later centuries. Next to the altar is a very small opening that housed a secret school during the revolution.
With its distinct red roof, this is one of the most important Byzantine churches. Restoration work has uncovered five layers of frescoes from the 6th through the 13th century, and the church has remained alive and functioning for 14 centuries. According to tradition it was named Protothronos because it was the first to be built on Naxos.
The modern Greek Orthodox cathedral is a major landmark. It's worth a look inside for a view of the frescoes by local artist Christoforos Asimis. You will quickly note how the local priests, with somber faces, long beards, and black robes, look strangely out of place in summertime tourist-jammed Fira.
The sandy beach fronts the lovely fishing village of Panormos, which at one point was the island's main harbor. Located north of Tinos Town, most visitors also make it a point to visit the nearby inland village of Pirgos or beach-hop to little beaches to the east and west of Panormos Beach. When the island winds are right, windsurfers take on the waters. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: swimming; windsurfing.
The beach that brought tourism to the island in the 1960s is no longer the beach of hippies but famous the world over for its party scene. Young, fun, international crowds hop straight to Paradise Beach where there's music, dancing, clubbing, and drinking at most hours of the day, but beach parties typically pick up around 4 pm and go on well into the next morning with people dancing on tabletops, including sexy male and female models hired to get things moving. When partiers take a break, sun beds and umbrellas are available for lounging, and a full line of restaurants and fast-food options provide nourishment. Scuba diving and water-sport rental shops are open for business. The bus from Mykonos Town frequents the beach often at the peak of summer. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers.
Small and stunning, and surrounded by a picturesque rocky coastline that juts out against a sparkling turquoise bay, Paraga Beach—sometimes also spelled Paranga—is not only pretty, it is also one of Mykonos’s liveliest party beaches. Several bars and beach clubs organize events every summer attracting a young, international crowd that gathers to mingle, dance, and drink. Hotels, rooms, a minimarket, and a large campground surround the beach. Umbrellas and chairs are available to rent at any of the beachside tavernas and cafés. A footpath to the east leads to neighboring party beach, Paradise, or offers you another view of the sea; it's about a 10-minute walk. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); toilets. Best for: partiers.
This large sandy beach is surrounded by a few shady trees, but umbrellas are available for rent in the summer season. The clear turquoise water gets deep fast, making it ideal for swimming. There are a couple of beach clubs on-site that add a little beach-party fun. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: partiers; swimming.
