161 Best Sights in The Cyclades, Greece

Separated from Kamari Beach by a huge slice of rock, Mesa Vouno, Perissa is almost identical, but that mountain helps to protect it from the meltemi winds. It is a long, black-sand beach that is popular with the summer crowds and where a lively beach resort town has grown to appreciate the view. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Pretty much an extension of Perissa Beach, Perivolos features the same famous volcanic black sand but with just a tad fewer restaurants, beach bars, and cafés, making it a quieter beach enclave to seek out most times of the year. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

The Jersey tiger moth returns year after year to mate in Petaloudes (Butterflies Valley), a lush oasis of greenery in the middle of this dry island. From May to September, you can watch them as they lie dormant during the day, their chocolate-brown wings with yellow stripes still against the ivy leaves. In the evening they flutter upward to the cooler air, flashing the coral-red undersides of their wings as they rise. A notice at the entrance asks visitors not to disturb them by making a noise or shaking the leaves.

One of the most popular beaches on Paros's southeastern coast, Piso Livadi has trees offering natural shade, but lounge chairs and umbrellas are also available to rent. The small resort town of Piso Livadi, once an ancient port for the marble quarries, surrounds the sandy stretch of well-developed beach and is filled with tavernas, restaurants, and cafés. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: swimming.

South of town, Plaka Beach is a natural extension of Agia Anna Beach. It's a gorgeous 4-km (2½-mile) stretch of sand filled with dunes and bamboo groves. Most of the beach is undeveloped, but you can still find sun beds to rent in organized areas. Come early to grab one in the peak season. There is a range of tavernas, restaurants, and café-bars within walking distance. At the southern end is Orkos, haven to wind- and kitesurfers. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.

Walkable from Plaka along an old donkey path, Plathiena is quiet and charming. The beach is sandy and faces west, offering shelter from the prevailing north winds, and the water shelves gently. Tamarisk trees offer some shade if you don't want to take advantage of the sun beds and umbrellas. The sublime sunsets are best taken from the pretty little beach bar with a drink in hand. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming.

Spacious, sandy, and pleasant, Platis Gialos is a popular southern beach that's protected from the island’s strong summer winds. Kids enjoy playing in the shallow waters, while adults head to deeper waters to try out the numerous water-sports rental options. The array of taverns, restaurants, and cafés is perfect for any food break. The beach is lined with rental umbrellas and chairs, and getting to it is easy by water taxi and bus service. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: swimming.

Although the capital town is primarily beloved for its Venetian elegance and picturesque blind alleys, Naxos's most famous landmark is ancient: the Portara, a massive doorway that leads to nowhere. The Portara stands on the islet of Palatia, which was once a hill (since antiquity the Mediterranean has risen quite a bit) and in the 3rd millennium BC was the acropolis for a nearby Cycladic settlement. The Portara, an entrance to an unfinished Temple of Apollo that faces exactly toward Delos, Apollo's birthplace, was begun about 530 BC by the tyrant Lygdamis, who said he would make Naxos's buildings the highest and most glorious in Greece. He was overthrown in 506 BC, and the temple was never completed; by the 5th and 6th centuries AD it had been converted into a church; and under Venetian and Turkish rule it was slowly dismembered, so the marble could be used to build the castle. The gate, built with four blocks of marble, each 16 feet long and weighing 20 tons, was so large it couldn't be demolished, so it remains today, along with the temple floor. Palatia itself has come to be associated with the tragic myth of Ariadne, princess of Crete.

Ariadne, daughter of Crete's King Minos, helped Theseus thread the labyrinth of Knossos and slay the monstrous Minotaur. In exchange, he promised to marry her. Sailing for Athens, the couple stopped in Naxos, where Theseus abandoned her. Jilted Ariadne's curse made Theseus forget to change the ship's sails from black to white, and so his grieving father Aegeus, believing his son dead, plunged into the Aegean. Seeing Ariadne's tears, smitten Dionysus descended in a leopard-drawn chariot to marry her, and set her bridal wreath, the Corona Borealis, in the sky, an eternal token of his love.

The myth inspired one of Titian's best-known paintings, as well as Strauss's opera Ariadne auf Naxos.

North of Palatia, underwater remains of Cycladic buildings are strewn along an area called Grotta. Here are a series of large worked stones, the remains of the waterfront quayside mole, and a few steps that locals say go to a tunnel leading to the islet of Palatia; these remains are Cycladic (before 2000 BC).

A well-organized beach with many eating options located in the southwest part of Syros, it features smooth, yellow sand with scatterings of small pebbles. It may be known by two names, but it is also famed as one of the best beaches on the island. It shares the same views of the islets and the lighthouse at Cape Viglostasi as neighboring Agathopes beach. Small boats and yachts often park here, adding to the quaint views. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: swimming.

Also known as Paros Kite beach, the winds here are good and consistent and make it a haven for windsurfers, kitesurfers, and other sports enthusiasts. Wide and sandy, the beach is a treat but sun worshippers can get sandblasted. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); toilets. Best for: surfing; windsurfing.

Within walking distance of Antiparos Town, this beach has two parts, referred to by locals as Psaraliki One and Psaraliki Two. Yellow, soft sand fills both and each is dotted with natural shade trees; lounge chairs and umbrellas are available during the summer months. The shallow waters make it a favorite for families, and its southeasterly placement on the island keeps it sheltered from gusty Cycladic winds. A couple of beach bars are close by. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: swimming; walking.

With shiny yachts moored in its clear, pretty waters, sandy Psarou attracts international VIPs, Greek TV stars and singers, and the rich and famous. There are a couple of very expensive restaurants that host afternoon and evening parties that are fun but not crazy. If you drive from Mykonos Town, a steep scenic road leads to the beach, but once you get there you'll notice parking options are slim—many opt for valet parking run by private companies. You can also reach Psarou by taking a short walk from nearby Platis Gialos. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); water sports. Best for: partiers; swimming.

Not to be confused with its namesake on the west coast, Pounta is the party beach of Paros where beach bars throb with teens and twentysomethings doing their best to get noticed. Sandy and attractive, the beach itself has gotten lost under a sea of sun beds and umbrellas. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers.

One of the island's quietest beaches is a stunning, wide cove of fine sand bordered by green cedar trees. Its name comes from a nearby hill that was used to scout for pirates back in the day. Today, its beauty remains mostly free from development. Only a few tavernas and restaurants surround this corner of beach, which rarely gets crowded. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: solitude; swimming.

A backdrop of red-and-black volcanic cliffs adds no small amount of drama to this strand of multicolored pebbles and red-hued sand, and the timelessness of the place is enhanced by the presence of nearby ancient Akrotiri. Crowds pile in during July and August, and a few too many loungers and umbrellas detract from the stunning scenery, but for the most part this is one of the quieter beaches on the south side of the island. There's a rough path from the parking area to the beach. Be warned, though, the beach is officially closed due to the danger of rocks falling, and entering is at your own risk. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Rizes means roots, and this 5-acre farmstead is the starting point for a journey to the traditional heart of Mykonos. The Zouganeli family have worked this land for generations and love sharing their experiences of a daily life far removed from the excesses of Mykonos town. Enjoy collecting eggs from the farm chickens, harvesting fruit and vegetables, then joining in to make bread fired in a stone oven. Cooking classes are offered using authentic Mykonian products and the on-site restaurant is rightly renowned for its vivid flavors. There are even five historic houses, decorated with family heirlooms, where guests can stay over and immerse themselves in island culture.

Located in the next cove southeast of Panormos Beach, Rohari remains popular in the summer as a favorite northern beach destination. Fully organized, the beachfront cantinas are the perfect spot for a cool drink; there are beach umbrellas and chairs for rent. It's within close proximity to the village of Panormos, which has a wide selection of tavernas and cafés for a beach-day break. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: swimming.

Next to the Greek Orthodox Cathedral is the Roman Catholic Cathedral, the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, from the Venetian period. The name and coat of arms of the Ghisi family, which took over Mykonos in 1207, are inscribed in the entrance hall. Dedicated in 1668, it is the only non-Orthodox church on the island and mass is celebrated on Sunday and Holy Days.

Dating back to the Hellenistic period in the 3rd century BC, the original site was destroyed and rebuilt in Roman times. Holding 7,000 people in its heyday, today only the first seven rows have been restored and it plays host to cultural events from time to time.

Discovered in 1735 by the wandering Jesuit monk Nicholas Sarrabat, excavations began in 1816 and famously unearthed the Venus de Milo in what is thought to have been the gymnasium. A small plaque commemorates the site of the find, and there is a plaster copy of the statue in the archaeological museum.

A short distance north of the Monument of the Bulls is an oval indentation in the earth where the Sacred Lake once sparkled. It is surrounded by a stone wall that reveals the original periphery. According to islanders, the lake was fed by the river Inopos from its source high on Mt. Kynthos until 1925, when the water stopped flowing and the lake dried up. Along the shores are two ancient palaestras (buildings for physical exercise and debate).

East of the Agora of the Competialists you’ll find the entrance to the Sacred Way, which leads north to the Temple of Apollo. The Way was once bordered by beautiful marbled statues and monuments created by various kingdoms and city-states of ancient Greece. It was also the route used by pilgrims during the holy Delian festival.

Beyond the Sacred Way is one of the most important sites on the island, the Sanctuary of Apollo. Three separate temples originally stood here flanked by altars, monuments, and statues, although not much remains of them. The main temple was grand, fittingly called the Great Temple of Apollo (circa 480 BC). Inside the sanctuary and to the right is the House of the Naxians, a 7th- to 6th-century BC structure with a central colonnade. Dedications to Apollo were stored in this shrine. Outside the north wall a massive rectangular pedestal once supported a colossal statue of Apollo (one of the hands is in Delos's Archaeological Museum, and a piece of a foot is in the British Museum in London). Near the pedestal a bronze palm tree was erected in 417 BC by the Athenian general Nikias to commemorate the palm tree under which Leto gave birth. According to Plutarch, the palm tree toppled in a storm and brought the statue of Apollo down with it. In The Odyssey, Odysseus compares the Phaeacian princess Nausicaa to a palm he saw on Delos, when the island was wetter.

Immediately to the right of the Archaeological Museum is the small Sanctuary of Dionysus, which was erected in about 300 BC. Outside the sanctuary you'll find one of the more boggling sights of ancient Greece: several monuments dedicated to Apollo by the winners of the choral competitions of the Delian festivals, each decorated with a huge phallus, emblematic of the orgiastic rites that took place during the Dionysian festivals. Around the base of one of them is carved a lighthearted representation of a bride being carried to her new husband's home. A marble phallic bird, symbol of the body's immortality, also adorns this corner of the sanctuary.

The main reason to come to this small community northwest of Tinos Town, apart from the beach, is to visit the large, untended Sanctuary of Poseidon, also dedicated to the bearded sea god's sea-nymph consort, Amphitrite. The present remains are from the 4th century BC and later, though the sanctuary itself is much older. It was a kind of hospital, where the ailing came to camp and solicit the god's help. The marble dolphins in the Tinos archaeological museum were discovered here. According to the Roman historian Pliny, Tinos was once infested with serpents (goddess symbols) and named Ophiousa (Serpent town), until über-masculine Poseidon sent storks to clean them out. The sanctuary functioned well into Roman times.

Sandy footpaths from the main road lead you to one of Paros's most popular beaches. Little fishing boats dock in the distance from the sandy cove, which is filled with sand dunes and lined with green brush. There's no natural shade, but in peak season it's well equipped with umbrella rentals from a couple of loud beach bars. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; water sports. Best for: swimming.

In an old Neoclassical mansion, damaged in the 1956 earthquake, the museum has an enticing collection including ships' figureheads, seamen's chests, maritime equipment, and models that reveal the extensive nautical history of the island, Santorini's main trade until tourism took over.

Founded in 1870, the Koutsoyannopoulos Winery offers a tour of its old facility, now a multiroom museum that is picturesque, authentic, and mostly underground. Tools, techniques, and the original business office are from a world long gone but the wines, as the ensuing tasting proves, are contemporary and refined; Wine Spectator rated their Assyrtiko among the world's top 100 whites. Open all year round, it is fun way to spend an hour or two.

A cliff-side house built after the 1956 earthquake has been cleverly repurposed as a contemporary art space. A permanent collection of installations is joined by seasonal exhibitions and events from international artists. The views across the caldera are some of the finest, while Gary's bar a couple of streets away serves up a cocktail menu devised by the visiting creators.

Beautiful and picturesque, Agios Stefanos is a tiny chapel built into a cave right above the sea. An hour walk from Galissas with views to Finikas and beyond, it was built by a fisherman who prayed to the saint to help him after being entangled in the tentacles of a giant octopus. Twice a year—August 19 and December 26—celebrations are held and after the liturgy attendees are offered loukoumi, the local sweet.

Within walking distance of Tinos Town, this beach is a peaceful little corner of Tinos. One or two tavernas are nearby, but Stavros beach is really known for its fine sand and its beautiful surroundings. The turquoise waters remain clear, and shady green trees dot the area surrounding Agios Stavros, the pretty whitewashed church that gave the beach its name. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: sunset; swimming.