Greek Island Synopsis

Cyclades Islands

The Cyclades islands are the most well known of the Greek Islands and include Santorini and Mykonos which are the two most popular islands in Greece. Ferry trips are four to five hours to the closest islands (Kythnos, Syros, Tinos, Mykonos, Sifnos) and from eight to ten hours to the furthest (Santorini) depending on how many stops it makes. The highspeeds take half the time but cost twice as much. There are daily ferries from Pireaus to all these islands,with the exception of Kea which you get to from Lavrion and Andros which you get to from Rafina. Click on these links or scroll down. Many of these islands can be included in an isand-hopping itinerary in the summer. It gets harder in the off-season though. If you know which islands you want to visit try using the Create-an-Itinerary page and you can find out what is possible and also how much it will cost.You can use the top button to return. When you finish you can use this link or the link at the bottom of the page to return to Greek Island Synopsis Main Menu

Amorgos

Andros

Folegandros

Ios

Kea

Koufonisi

Kythnos

Milos

Mykonos

Naxos

Paros

Santorini

Sifnos

Serifos

Sikinos

Syros

Tinos

INDEX

You can e-mail me if you have questions about the Greek Islands, itineraries, ferry connections, hotels or anything actually- Matt Barrett

Amorgos
Few beaches but great swimming off the rocks in the main port of Katapola. Many tavernas and nightlife. Most boats arrive at inconvenient times, (like 3 in the morning), which gives a traveler a strange first impression. The Northern port of Agiali has nice beaches and is more of a resort area and is also reached by ferry. The capital town or Chora is up in the mountains. The island grows on you. Fantastic Monastery of Chozoviotissa built into the wall of a cliff on the other side of the island from the port of is definately worth the trip. The small beach below is excellent for snorkling through a maze of boulders that have fallen from the cliffs. Easy connections to Paros and Naxos, the daily (in summer) trip from Pireaus is about 8 hours. The local boat Skopelitos visits the Small Cyclades islands of Schinousa, Donousa, Koufonisi and Iraklia.

For bookings contact Aegean Thesaurus Travel

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Andros:
Boats are from Rafina. The ferryboat goes to Gavrio. The Hermes Flying Dolphin goes to Batsi which is touristy but fun. Lots of activities and some great restaurants, particularly in the small traditional villages in the hills above. The best place is the main town of Andros on the other side of the island. No autos allowed in the village which juts out on a peninsula between two long beaches. There is a shipping museum and an excellent art museum there. Because of the wealth of the village tourism is not encouraged. Good reason to go there. Renting a car is recommended. This is a beautiful, green island that even has a small river or two.
I had a website for this island but it was involved in a small controversy. I have it on my list of things to do. Ferry and Catamaran connections to Tinos, Syros and Mykonos daily.
This summer the AEGEAN  ARTS  CIRCLE  presents Creative Writing workshops with Award-winning writers. For more information e-mail the center.

For Hotels and more information on Andros contact Fantasy Travel or see Hotelsofgreece.com

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Folegandros
Fantastic, they say, especially artists and poets who go to marvel over it's dramatic beauty. It is small and can fill up in the tourist season especially after Conde Naste Traveler called it the most beautiful undiscovered island in Greece or something like that.. The Chora is perched high in the mountains and is alive with tavernas and bars. The ferry stops at the port of Karavostasis where there are restaurants, hotels, beaches and buses to Chora and island beaches. Folegandros is about 9 hours from Pireaus with several boats a week. The island connects with Sifnos, Milos, Santorini, Sikinos and Ios a couple times a week.
For bookings contact Aegean Thesaurus Travel
For hotel descriptions, bookings and rates visit: www.hotelsofgreece.com

Judith Grodowitz will be teaching her workshop in the Alexander Technique. The class has been held annually since 1996.
For more info e-mail: jkgrod@earthlink.net

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Ios
Arrive by day to a quaint white cycladic village. By nightfall every house is a disco, bar, fastfood or boutique. Not recommended for anyone over 25, at least for not more then a day or so. It's like an international Daytona beach at Spring break . if you are of college age this place is it! You will meet boys and girls, you will get drunk and you will most likely sleep with them. If you are older, married, and looking for a nice peaceful island forget about Ios. If you are old and feel like you are young at heart this would be a good place to test it. Frequent ferry boats in the summer to and from Pireaus make the 8 hour trip with connections to Paros, Naxos and Syros. There are daily boats to Santorini and a couple a week to Sifnos and one boat a week to Crete, sometimes more in the summer.

For bookings also contact Aegean Thesaurus Travel or Dolphin Hellas

Read my review of Ios: Where Spring Break lasts All Summer

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Kea or Tzia
Quiet and traditional. Like going to the most remote island in the Aegean, but it's close to Athens. The ferry leaves from Lavrion, an hour plus bus ride and is best known for being used as a stand-in for war-torn Sarajevo when it was too dangerous to film there. Lavrion has come a long way since Theo Angelopoulos made Ulysses Gaze and the city is actually getting attractive. But because the ferries to Kea don't leave from Pireaus it is overlooked despite being one of the Cyclades islands. Kea itself is not quite ready for prime-time international tourism but it is a very interesting and beautiful island with a long history and is very popular with Athenians, many who have summer houses here or come for weekends. The village of Ioulis is a fantastic labarynth of white cycladic houses perched on the side of a mountain, with a small main square. Nice beaches and many of them are off the road and reached by hikes through beautiful settings. Because it is an island popular with Greeks there are lots of good restaurants including the famous Rolando's in Ioulida, known for his fresh fish. Few connections to the rest of the Cyclades though several times a week there is a ferry to Kythnos and Syros where you can make other connections. There are other lines leaving from Lavrion to various islands. Anyway if you take the ferry and a taxi you can be in Pireaus in about two and a half hours and go just about anywhere. Most foreigners come here by sailboat and stay in the small harbor of Vourkari which has a row of fish tavernas, the best of which is Thalia's Ouzerie. Kea is known for its extensive ancient road network which is still largely intact making it a paradise for hikers.

I know this island really well because we live here so see my website for Kea at www.greektravel.com/greekislands/kea

CULINARY TOURS
Join famous Greek chef Aglaia Kremezi and friends on a culinary experience on the island of Kea at www.greektravel.com/greekislands/kea/keartisanal  

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Koufonisi
The two Koufonisia islands are located south-east of Naxos and west of Amorgos. Pano Koufonisi (or just Koufonisi) is  one of the smallest inhabited islands of the Cyclades. It is  just 4 square kilometers and has only 300 permanent residents. However, it has something that many travelers seek such as its slow pace, fresh fish and beautiful beaches. Chora is the island's only settlement and it is built on the south-western side directly above the harbor. There are tavernas, a few shops, two super-markets and two bars. To the east of the harbor is the main road of the island, which extends only for a few kilometers to the beach of Finikas. You can continue by foot to the beaches of Fanos and Platia Pounta,the famous beach of Koufonisi.

For hotels see www.hotelsofgreece.com/cyclades

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Kythnos
The first island on the Western Cyclades route that includes, Serifos, Sifnos and Milos, Kythnos is an untouristy island with hot springs, some nice beaches and a favorite stop-over for sailboats and yachts journeying to the rest of the Cyclades. For hotels and travel information contact Aegean Thesaurus Travel Agency in Sifnos.

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Milos
Like Santorini, a volcanic island with spectacular rock formations and hot springs. Bikes or car useful if not essential. This is a beautiful island with fantastic beaches like Paliochori, Hivadolimni and the tiny cove of Sarakiniko, one of the most interesting places to swim on earth. The village of Pollonia has great swimming, restaurants and you can take a boat to the island of Kimilos. The main village of Plaka is made up of the cubic white houses which the Cyclades are known for. The island is rich with archeological sites including Christian catacombs, a roman ampitheatre, venetian castles and museums. Those of you who took art history should recall that the famous Venus de Milo was found here. Daily boats to and from Pireaus connect the island to Sifnos, Serifos and Kythnos. It's about a 7 hour trip to Pireaus. There are also 3 boats a week to Ag. Nikolaos in Crete and one or two a week to Folegandros, Sikinos, Ios and Santorini. Daily highspeeds in the summer take about 3 hours. I went here the summer of 2005 and LOVED it. Perfect island in combination with Sifnos.

See my webpage for Milos at www.greektravel.com/greekislands/milos

For bookings contact Aegean Thesaurus Travel or see www.hotelsofgreece.com

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Mykonos
Expensive, decadent, and fun for gays, staight people and familes too. Intense nightlife with clubs that never stop, and if you can't handle it there are frequent boats to escape to other less wild islands. For a little culture there are trips to the uninhabited ancient island of Delos and the extensive ruins there. Plenty of excellent if not crowded beaches but people don't come to Mykonos to escape but to party and people-watch. Bring money and credit cards. Ferry trip is about 5 hours from Pireaus and three from Rafina. Catamarans and Dolphins do it in half the time. Easy connections to Syros, Tinos with several ferries a day. Daily connections to Paros, Naxos, Ios, Santorini, Andros and other islands during the summer. Also less frequent connections to Sifnos, Samos, Ikaria, the Dodecanese, Crete and Thessaloniki. There is also an international airport.

For hotel descriptions, bookings and discounted rates, and island hopping packages that include Mykonos visit Fantasy Travel or Dolphin Hellas.

For descriptions and photos of hotels see www.hotelsofgreece.com/cyclades

For bookings you can also contact Aegean Thesaurus Travel or visit the website of the Princess of Mykonos Hotel on Saint Stefanos Beach where I stayed. I loved it. Fantasy Travel has special discounted rates there.

See My review at www.greektravel.com/greekislands/mykonos

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Naxos
Another overlooked gem in the Aegean, Naxos is big, green and may have the best beaches in Greece. It's close to the popular islands of Mykonos, Ios, Paros and Santorini with frequent ferry connections. Lively harbor town with restaurants, cafes, clubs and shops. Rent a car and see the whole island. Beautiful valleys that are like paradise if you enjoy walking, particularly the area known as Tragaia. The best beach they say is at Plaka with other nice ones at Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna, Mikri Vigla, and Kastraki, any of which would be the prized beach on any other island. The fishing village of Apollon is a popular location for day trips, with good seafood restaurants and a giant unfinished statue of the God Apollo laying in the ancient marble quarries since 600bc. The ferry trip is about 7 hours from Athens and stops in Paros and there can be five or more a day in the summer, fewer in the winter. Summer highspeeds take around three hours to get here. There are daily connections to Mykonos, Ios and Santorini. There are also less frequent connections to Crete, the Dodekanese, Ikaria, Samos, Amorgos, the small Cyclades islands, Skiathos, Crete and Thessaloniki.

For hotel descriptions, bookings and rates visit www.fantasytravelofgreece.com or www.hotelsofgreece.com
or Aegean Thesaurus Travel

See my Naxos Guide at www.greektravel.com/greekislands/naxos

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Paros
Grand Central Station of Aegean ferry system, many boats stop here and Paros (along with Naxos) is a good island to include on your itinerary since you can easly get to Mykonos, Ios and Santorini. Town is full of foreigners, many who live here and there are plenty of cool bars. The tiny idealic fishing village of Naousa is so crowded in August that you have to stand in line to walk past the cafes that surround the port so come in June or early or July, or even better in September. The beaches of Paros though popular are also quite nice. Paros is known for its windsurfing. The beach at Parosporos (or is it Porosparos) has incredible body-surfing when the wind is coming from the north (I think). Paros is a very popular island and people who visit are pretty happy there.

The ferry trip is about 6 hours from Athens and continues on to Naxos and Santorini. There are several daily connections to Mykonos, Ios and Santorini in the summer. There are also less frequent connections to Crete, the Dodekanese, Ikaria, Samos, Amorgos, the small Cyclades islands, Skiathos, Crete and Thessaloniki. There are also Hydrofoils, Catamans, sea-jets and other strange and speedy craft that stop at just about every island around. The travel agencies in the port list the daily boats and this is about the only accurate way to keep track of them all.

For programs that include Paros with or without other islands see www.fantasytravelofgreece.com and see their Island Hopping section.

For hotel descriptions and rates visit www.hotelsofgreece.com
For bookings you can also contact Aegean Thesaurus Travel or Dolphin Hellas at www.greecetravel.com/dolphinhellas

See my Guide to the Island of Paros at www.greektravel.com/greekislands/paros

Antiparos has nice beaches and cafes and is more relaxed then Paros. There is also the gigantic Cave of Antiparos which is the most popular site on the island. There are ferries connecting the two islands leaving every half hour or so from the town of Pounta, plus excursion boats that leave every morning from Parikia.
Summer of 2004 brought many celebraties to Antiparos including Brad Pitt and Tom Hanks so who knows what the future holds for this small island. For Hotels and transportation visit Aegean Thesaurus at: www.greecetravel.com/aegean

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For hotel descriptions, bookings and rates visitand programs that include Santorini visit Fantasy Travel or Dolphin Hellas or to work with a small local Travel agency specializing in Santorini, Sifnos and the Cyclades visit Aegean Thesaurus Travel (especially if you want to combine Santorini with a less touristy island like Sifnos which many people do).

Honeymooners! Before you commit to anything (besides each other of course) take a peak at Fantasy's VIP Honeymoon Package on their website. Santorini is also the island that everyone wants to get married on since it is one of the most beautiful and romantic places in the world. For wedding information visit www.greecetravel.com/weddings or check the wedding programs on Fantasy Travel's website.

The Volcano View Villas on the Cliffs of Santorini, with 3 swimming pools and a view so spectacular you may never leave the premises. The Ether Traditional Houses are in the village of Oia which is a little quieter.  It is also inexpensive with Caldera View rooms for 115 euro and sometimes cheaper when there is a special. If you are looking for an affordable house to rent on a weekly basis check out the Villa Patricia, a restored 17th Century house and the Villa Athina, its newer and smaller cousin next door.

For more hotels on Santorini see www.hotelsofgreece.com

Visit my Santorini page at www.greektravel.com/greekislands/santorini

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Aegean Thesaurus Travel Agency
Whatbegan as the island's only travel agency has now become one of the most respected and reliable full-service agencies in the Cyclades. Not only can they arrange your trip and accommodations in Sifnos but they can take care of your hotel needs in Athens and on any of the other Cycladic islands. They can also do weddings on Sifnos. For Info on accomodations go to their webpage at  www.greecetravel.com/aegean

For my suggested itinerary that includes Sifnos and Santorini see www.greecetravel.com/tours

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Serifos
Less wealthy neighbor of Sifnos. Relatively undeveloped outside of main port. Nice beaches. Like Sifnos, Milos, and Kythnos, for older travelers though they have an excellent campground at Livadakia near the port. I finally went there summer of 2006 and loved it. As Arnold says: "I'll be back". I stayed at the Hotel Maistrali right in the port. Great location and very friendly owner whose passion happens to be Serifos and can give you directions to some of the best beaches in the Cyclades. Their main village on a mountain overlooking the bay is one of the most spectacular villages in the Cyclades. Serifos is about 4 hours from Athens by ferry and there are daily connections to Sifnos, Milos and Kythnos.
See my Serifos page at www.greektravel.com/greekislands/serifos

For bookings contact Aegean Thesaurus Travel

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Sikinos
Not ready for Prime-time.That's more then enough reason to go there. Very little tourism, it is an island of mostly fishermen and farmers. There are rooms to rent in the twin villages of Kastro and Chora situated in the mountains and in the quiet port town of Alopronoia.

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Syros
A working class island. The capital of the cyclades with a century old ship yard servicing ocean going freighters and tankers, right in the harbor. Beautiful town, more like a small city. Two or three of the best restaurants in Greece. Extremely nice beaches too. I am convinced that the town of Hermiopoulis, will one day be a popular destination in the off-season. The reason is the architecture. In the late 1800's the town was the main port for Greece and is full of old buildings, churches and mansions that have now been restored. It has cobblestone streets and great cafes. If you love old buildings and good food, come here. Great old hotel called the Hotel Hermes right on the waterfront. Ask for a room with a balcony and you will never want to leave. There is a beach right in the back yard and the port in the front. It is also a few steps from the excellent Yaninea taverna-psistaria.  There are daily ferries from Pireaus and the trip is about 4 hours or 2 hours by highspeed. There are daily connections to Tinos and Mykonos and a ferry which originates here goes to all the Cyclades islands doing a different route every day. There are also Flying Dolphins and a High-speed ferry from Rafina. On some nights there is a ferry to Chios and Lesvos, currently the only connection between Lesvos and the Cyclades. The ferry fast Aeolis Express of the NEL Lines is your best bet to get here quickly and comfortably though the Hellas Flying Dolphins are good too. The Blue Star are somewhere between a ferry and a highspeed.
For hotels on Syros see www.hotelsofgreece.com
For bookings contact Aegean Thesaurus Travel or Dolphin Hellas

Take a look at my Syros web page at www.greektravel.com/greekislands/syros

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Tinos
Beautiful island close to Mykonos with excellent beaches, traditional villages, beautiful landscape and a rich history. Perhaps the most spiritual island of all, the wonder-working icon in the church of the Panagia Evangalestria attracts people from all over Greece in need of a miracle and around the 15th of August the island is packed with pilgrims, as is every boat going to Mykonos that stops here. Hotels are so full that people sleep on the streets. But except for the two weeks around that date, Tinos is generally a quiet island and is not only worth a visit, you could spend your entire holiday here and be quite satisfied. (And if you crave a little action, Mykonos is 15 minutes a way by highspeed ferry.) There are daily ferries from Pireaus, about 4 hours away and also Rafina. Daily connections to Andros, Syros and Mykonos.

Don't stay in Tinos town. Go to the area of Ag Ioannis Porto on the eastern tip of the island an area of small farms, summer homes and a smatering of hotels and fish tavernas. We stayed at the Porto Raphael Apartments and it would be hard to imagine a better run, friendlier, clean, well located place to stay, right above the beach. See www.hotelsofgreece.com/cyclades/tinos/porto-raphael

For more hotels or rooms in Tinos see www.hotelsofgreece.com or contact Aegean Thesaurus Travel or Dolphin Hellas  

Be sure to visit my website for Tinos at www.greektravel.com/greekislands/tinos

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Many of these islands can be included in an isand-hopping itinerary in the summer. It gets harder in the off-season though. If you know which islands you want to visit try using the Create-an-Itinerary page and you can find out what is possible and also how much it will cost.

If you are a budget traveler and you think you are too poor to go through a travel agent think again and see this page: www.greecetravel.com/budget-travel

Main Index

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Saronic

Ionian

N. Aegean

Sporades

Other Islands

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