Today, the archipelago is divided into Eastern, Western, and Southern Cyclades.

Kea, Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, Kimilos, and Milos belong to the Western Cyclades. The Eastern Cyclades consist of Andros, Tinos, Mykonos, Delos, Rhinia, as well as of Syros, Paros, Antiparos, Naxos, and Amorgos.

The so-called Small Cyclades with the islands of Donoussa, Koufonissi, Iraklia, Schinoussa, and Keros also belong to this region.

The Southern Cyclades include the islands of Folegandros, Sikinos, Ios, Santorini, and Anafi.

There are airports on the islands of Naxos, Paros, Mykonos, and Santorini. You can fly to these islands, either directly or with a connecting flight in Athens.

You can reach all the Cyclades islands by ferry. Therefore they are particularly suitable if you are interested in the popular island hopping and backpacking trips.

There are two main ferry lines from/to Piraeus: One line connects the Western and Southern Cyclades with Athens. The other line serves the Eastern Cyclades with the exception of Andros, Tinos, and Kea.

If you would like to travel to the latter three islands, you will find regular ferry connections from Lavrio or Rafina east of Athens. You can research and book your ferry connection here.

The best time for your visit to the Cyclades is from April to October. Spring is particularly beautiful for your island holiday. In April and May, you will find the otherwise rather barren islands transformed into an ocean of flowers.

September and October also have their charm. Then the sea is wonderfully warm after the heat of the peak summer months. During these months, as a swimming enthusiasts you can be sure to get your money’s worth!

Are you a windsurfer or kite surfer? Then the summer months of July and August are for you, when the Meltemi blows especially strongly.

As a sailor, however, you should avoid these two months if possible.The sea is then often very rough and crossings to the nearby islands are often not possible due to the wind.

The most frequently visited Cyclades islands are Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, and Paros. This is most likely because you can reach them the easiest. Nevertheless, they are charming in their own right. They await you with a spectacular scenery and incredibly beautiful beaches. In most cases, however, popular also means quite crowded and comparatively high prices.

If you’re looking for a quiet place to holiday, then check out our insider tips for lesser-known jewels of the Cyclades.

Are you looking for the true gems? The treasure chest of the Cyclades contains a number of islands that can still be considered real insider tips.

Such jewels include the islands of Amorgos, Sifnos, Serifos, and Folegandros. These four islands are particularly enticing when you love hiking. Also Syros is an insider tip for you. The island capital Ermoupolis is also the capital of the Cyclades and one of the most beautiful cities in Greece. With its sea of pastel-coloured houses, the town stands out strikingly from the typical Cycladic settlements.

Among our favorites are the Small Cyclades too. They are especially worth a visit for their very authentic small-island atmosphere. If you are interested in geology, the volcanic islands of Milos and Antiparos will be the most exciting islands for you.

Two islands with exceptionally beautiful, fine-sand beaches are Seriphos and Kythnos. You will also find fantastic sandy beaches on Kea, Ios, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, and Paros.

Also the volcanic beaches of Santorini are particularly charming. They were named Red Beach, White Beach, and Black Beach after their characteristic colors.

The name Cyclades comes from the ancient Greek work ‘kyklos’ meaning circle. Originally, the name only referred to the eastern islets that formed a magical circle around the sacred islands of Delos. The so-called Cycladic culture is considered the cradle of western civilization.

While holidaying in the Cyclades, you can expect a whole range of culinary delights. The Cycladic cuisine is influenced by the geology of the islands. Not much grows here, but what does grow tastes all the better.

The culinary choices range from pulses of all kinds to tomatoes. They have a low water content and are therefore very aromatic, to olives, citrus fruits, and capers. The Cyclades are also particularly famous for a wide variety of cheeses that cannot be found anywhere else.

Fava from Santorini is one of the most popular dishes. The delicious dish is usually served at room temperature with caramelized onions, capers, olive oil, and lemon. If you like hummus, you’ll love fava too!

Capers are also very popular. In the Cyclades, the pickled fruit is not the only part of the plant served with Greek salad and various other dishes. The leaves are also pickled in olive oil and sea salt. Don’t miss to taste their wonderfully spicy, slightly peppery flavour.

Sheep’s cheese in puff pastry with sesame seeds and honey is another Cycladic speciality. Baked in the oven and with a creamy consistency, this food melts in your mouth: An absolute must for you when you love salty-sweet contrasts!

Almost all the islands in the Cyclades have small archaeological sites and museums that you can visit during your holiday. But there are also a number of truly spectacular cultural highlights that you shouldn’t miss!

Would you like to discover the roots of European culture? Then visit the archaeological site of Akrotiri on Santorini. Buried by a volcanic eruption in 1600 BC, this Bronze Age city is also known as the ‘Pompeii of the Aegean’. The gigantic eruption preserved a truly unique snapshot of the prehistoric settlement. A visit to Akrotiri will catapult you back to life in the Aegean almost 3,500 years ago in the blink of an eye.

The smallest Cycladic island is called Delos and lies not far from Mykonos. It is home to one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. As the birthplace of the twin gods Apollo and Artemis, Delos was considered a holy island by the ancient Greeks. The city is built around the sanctuary of Apollo. It was home to more than 25,000 inhabitants in its heyday during the Hellenistic period. By the standards of the time, this was the equivalent of a real metropolis. The cosmopolitan city maintained trade relations with the entire known world at that time. Today, Delos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.