10 Enchanting Cycladic Islands You’ve Never Heard Of (Until Now)

Greece

10 Enchanting Cycladic Islands You’ve Never Heard Of (Until Now)

Cyclades are one of the most popular Greek islands and quite frankly, my second home. It is a large archipelago of islands scattered across the Aegean Sea, relatively close to Athens.

During the years, working as a yacht stewardess I can say I’ve visited quite a few.

Some of the Cycladic islands are very popular among tourists and can be very crowded during the holiday season. Couples admire the white houses and churches of Santorini, on the other hand party animals are opting for Mykonos. Let’s not forget about Paros and Naxos which offer plenty of attractions.

However, the Cyclades are also dozens of little-known islands, visited much less frequently, offering just as beautiful beaches (if not better in some cases), places with great history, archeollogical sites, charming harbours and white towns with labyrinths of alleys.

1 Andros

The island covers the area of 380 km2, and its highest point is Petalo (994m above sea level). Andros is a very popular weekend get away among Athenians, especially in the summer, when the light, cycladic breeze brings relief in the heat. You wanna get away from the city life for a couple of days? No problem at all! Thanks to the great ferry connection you can leave Athens on Saturday morning and come back on Sunday evening with a fresh tan.

You can check available ferries and prices here.

Andros is the larges town on the island ( approx. 2 000 inhabitants). Prosperity is visible here on every corner – the main street is paved with marbel slabs. The island is famous for its picturesque, sandy beaches. Locals are growing olives and citrus as well as making wine.

Stenis is the most beautiful village on the island, 6 km north of the town of Andros where the largest watermill in the country is located.

However the main tourist centre is Batsi (approx. 500 inhabitants) on the west cost.

2 Tinos

The mountainous island of Tinos has an area of 195 km and its highest peak is Tsiknias (729m above sea level). It is located between Andros and Mykonos (only 20 min cruise from Mykonos). Tinos is famous for its Venetian dovecots (birds are bred here for meat), of which there are supposed to be over a thousand.

Often in literature the island is called “Greek Lourdes” and that should be enough for its characteristic.

It is as close to the heart of most Greeks as Czestochowa for many Polish people.

There is a church of Panagia Evangelistria on the hill in the town of Tinos. During Marian ceremonies and major holidays, several thousands of people may stay in or around it.

3 Delos

Delos is one of the smallest Greek islands – it is only 3.6 km2, 5 km long and at its widest point a little more than a kilometre wide. You can basically explore the entire island within a little bit more than an hour.

The highest point, Kynthos, reaches 112 m above sea level. Today the island is uninhabited, except for the ruin rangers, archaeologist and researchers at the meteorological station.

The area occupied by the remains of the ancient city, which is the main tourist destination, makes up almost half of the island’s surface. The ruins of ancient Delos are visited by hundreds of tourists daily. The easiest way to get here is by boat from Mykonos. There are several ferries from Mykonos to Delos each day and the trip takes about 45 min. The average price is about 60 euros.

However, if you’re not a fan of crowds I would suggest renting a private boat and coming early in the morning around 9. Make sure to bring some sun protection and plenty of water as there’s not many places on the island to shelter from burning sun.

What’s very interesting is the history of the island. It is said that because of Hera’s jealousy of Zeus and Leto, she ordered all lands to shun Leto, making it difficult for her to find a place to give birth.

Nevertheless, Zeus asked his brother Poseidon to find a secret, safe place for Leto to give birth. She arrived at the island of Delos, and, since the island is not connected to the land, she was able to safely give birth to her twins, Artemis and Apollo.

From that moment onward, the small, rocky island was declared “the most sacred of all islands” by Callimachus in the third century BC in all of Ancient Greece and was devoted to Apollo. It was said to be “bathed in the unique light” of Zeus’ son.

4 Syros

Syros is situated in the middle of Cyclades and covers the area of 82 km2. Its highest hill is Pirgos, (411 m above sea level). Due to its location, Syros is the administrative, political and economic centre of archipelago. Half of the population (who lives from tourism only to a small extent) are Catholics. The island grew rich on trade, forced by unfruitful land.

A visit to Syros will be a nice stop in the pursuit of the sun and the beach. Lia and Megas Lakkos beaches, located on the west coast of the northern part of the island in Grammata Bay are visitors’ favourite as they are rarely crowded.

You can reach them on foot from the nearby village of Kambos.

The beautiful port city of Ermoupolis is the capital of the island. Houses climbing the slopes of two hills make a great impression on travellers arriving by the sea. Both peaks are crowned with temples.

5 Antiparos

My beloved Antiparos, an island that holds a special place in my heart right after Mykonos.

It is the small island with an area of 35km2, located 1.5 km from Paros. The highest point, Mount Prophet Elijah, reaches 308 m above sea level. Antiparos is famous for its cave, full of stastalactites and stalagmites as well as delicious dried octopus. Antiparos is the main town of the island. It is situated in the northern part of the island.

Some of the houses come from the 15th century. The former defense system was based on the castle (castro), of which little has survived, but the plan itself proves the large size of the fortress. It is also worth visiting the seventeenth-century church of Agios Nikolaos (St. Nicholas), the patron saint of the seaman.

Many hotels and guesthouses were built around these buildings. The beaches are safe and the coastal waters are quite shallow, which may be why families with children predominate among tourists. There is very little car traffic in town so if you’re arfter some peace an quiet this is your place.

One of the more magnificent mansions belongs to the American actor Tom Hanks. In summer of 2020 I had a pleasure of cruising right next to his yacht (insert the name), and although there was no significant interaction apart from him waiving at the kids we had currently on board, just the thought of someone like him being within such close proximity for a person like me was quite thrilling.

Directly south of the main town lies the beach officially called Antiparos Beach. 4 km south of Chora you can find Glyfa beach, but the best beach on the island is Soros, south from the Apandima.

A longer stay in Antiparos can be an opportunity to learn to dive.

I feel like a couple of honorable mentions are in order here. If you decide on a longer holidays, do yourself a favour and rent a boat for a day. Cruise to the island of Despotiko located south west of Antiparos., It is uninhabited and only accesible by boat, so you can enjoy an absolute privacy.

The second mention goes to Pateronisi. It is a tiny islet south east from Antiparos, again only accesible by water, usually there’s only a couple yachts at the time, but if you’re lucky you can get a place to yourselfs. Great for snorkling and kite-surfing.

6 Folegandros

Folegandros has an area of 32 km2. The highest point, Agios Elefterios, reaches 415 m above sea level. It is hard to imagine that this island could ever become a favorite destination for tourists, as compering to others, it lacks water, nicer beaches and monuments. The ancient Romans, known for their practical approach to life, sent here political opponents.

However, this rocky, sparsely populated Island, where nothing is happening could be one of the last refuges of a modern European, tired of today’s pace of life. It gives the opportunity not only to get in touch with nature, but most of all with oneself.

7 Sikinos

It is a small (41 km2) mountainous island, the highest point, Troullos, reaches 552 m above the sea level. Due to the small number of permanent residents, there is no police or doctor here. Sikinos is the perfect destination for those looking for solitude and peace. The island was famous in antiquity for wine production, today the cultivation is limited by the lack of water. A large amount of residents currently live from the cultivation of wine, olives and beekeeping, a dozen or so families engage in fishing, for the rest, the source of livelihood are seasonal tourists. People come to this peaceful island primarily for relaxation. Here you can spend time wandering the streets of Sikinos or take a short walk to the surrounding villages. Most tourists stop at the beach in Alopronia, surrounded by tamarisk trees. Other beaches, such as Agios Nikolaos and Agios Georgios, northeast of Alopronia town, can be reached by boat from the port, but only if there are enough volunteers..

8 Amorgos

Amorgos is the easternmost island of the Cyclades. This rocky island covers an area of 123 km2, and its highest peak, Krikelas, rises 781 m above sea level. Traditionally agricultural, famous for the cultivation of olives and the fact that Luc Besson’s “Big Blue” was filmed here. The main town of the island, Amorgos, lies at an altitude of 400 meters above sea level, and is located 5 km from the the picturesque harbour in Katapola town.It is a small but busy port with modern, practical buildings.

One of the best beaches on Amorgos is the rocky Agia Anna on the east coast, formed in a bay below the Panagia Chosoviotissa Monastery.

It is worth starting your tour from the main settlement of Amorgos, with its labyrinth of alleys and wingless mill bodies (apparently each family used to have their own windmill). There are numerous chapels with preserved paintings, often from hundreds of years ago. The remains of the 13th-century Apano Kastro fortress are dominating the scene.

9 Thirasia

You can sail to the island of Thirasia (west of Santorini) on a day trip from Santorini from the port of Athinios or Ammoudi. Thirasia was once part of the rim of the giant Santorinian crater that burst during a volcanic eruption 3,600 years ago. Currently, there are several depopulating villages on the island, such as the port of Potamos, whose name (River) comes from the ravine by which it lies; or Agrilia, the oldest settlement, unfortunately with no permanent residents today. Manolas serves as the “capital”. The only beach on the island is in the village of Riva. Many of the houses here have been carved into the rock, such as in the village of Oia. Out of dozen or so temples, it is worth seeing, for example, the churches (chapels) of Agios Konstantinos from 1874 and Panagia Giatrissa.

10 Anafi

It is one of the smallest (38 km2) Greek islands, with the highest elevation of 582 m above sea level. Anafi owes its present shape to the volcanic eruption on Santorini in the 17th century BC. Until now, untouched by modern tourism, it is one of the poorest in the region. The inhabitants live off of farming and fishing. The local honey is a treat. Anafi attracts visitors with its tranquility, serene beaches and the opportunity of observing the life of the Greek countryside. Some of the locals’ activities have not changed for centuries and you can take part in them, for example by helping to repair fishing nets.

The road from the port to Chora was paved only in 1990. The buildings in the port (Agios Nikolaos) and Chora (Anafi) are actually the only settlements on the island, the rest of the islanders live in lonely houses scattered around the area. Many houses are empty most of the year. In the main town of Anafi, there are neglected ruins of a 14th-century Venetian fortress (castro). Also the white town deserves a moment of attention for its special charm. A walk to the monastery, located 7 km east of Anafi, will take around 2 hours. The Zoodochos Pigi monastery was founded at the beginning of the 19th century, you can get there by taking a boat from the port of Agios Nikolaos to the beach called Monastiri and from there you can go to the monastery above.

Alex Boska

06/10/2024