Anafi

Map of Anafi

A ninety-minute boat ride to the east of Santorini, Anafi, the 16th bigger island of the Cyclades with 271 population and 38,636km² extension, is the last stop for ferries. It was so for the Argonauts who prayed to Apollo for some land to rest. He let the island emerge from the sea for their repose. Tourists visit Anafi for weeks in midsummer to enjoy exactly that: its seclusion. Although idyllic geographically, Anafi is a harsh place, its mixed granite and limestone core overlaid by volcanic rock spewed out by Santorini's eruptions. Apart from the few olive trees and vines grown in the valleys, the only plant that seem to thrive are prickly pears. The quiet, unassuming capital, Hora, provides a daring dash of white in a treeless, shrub-strewn hillock, its narrow, winding streets offering protection from the occasionally squally gharbis wind that comes unencumbered from the southwest.

Sikinos

Map of Sikinos

Sikinos has so small extension and population -40km² and 270 residents- that the mule ride or walk from the port up to the capital was only replaced by a bus in the late 1980s. At roughly the same time the new jetty was completed. Until then Sikinos was the last major Greek island where ferry passengers were still taken ashore in launches. With no extravagant characteristics and no nightlife to speak of, few foreigners make the short trip over here from Folegandros or Ios. The end result, however, is the most unspoilt rural countryside in the Cyclades where the image of a priest riding a donkey can suddenly materialize from over a hill.

Hora or Sikinos , the capital, consists of the double village of Kastro and Horio. Most of the facilities are in the larger, northeastern Kastro, whereas Horio is mainly residential. Northeast from Hora is Paleokastro, the patchy remains of an ancient fortress. In the opposite direction , a ninety-minute walk takes leads to an old path throufh a steeply terraced landscape to Episkopi, where elements of an ancient temple-tomb have been incorporated into a seventh-century church - the structure is known formally as the Heroon, though it is now thought to have been a Roman mausoleum rather than a temple of Hera.

Tinos

Map of Tinos

Tinos is the 4th larger islands of the Cyclades with 8.636 population and 194km² extension. A few foreigners have discovered its beaches and unspoilt villages, but most visitors are Greek who visit Tinos every year to see the church of Panayia Evangelistria, a grandiose shrine erected on the spot where a miraculous icon with healing powers was found in 1822. A local nun, now canonized as Ayia Pelayia, was directed in a vision to unearth the relic just as the War of Independence was getting under way, a timely coincidence  that served to underscore the links between the Orthodox Church and Greek nationalism. Today, there are two major annual pilgrimages, on March 25 and August 15, when Tinos is inundated by the faithful, and at 11am, the icon bearing the Virgin's image is carried in state down to the harbor.

Mykonos

Mykonos has become the most popular, the most high profile and the most expensive island of Cyclades. Boosted by direct air links with Europe, it sees several million tourists a year pass through, producing some spectacular August overcrowding on the island's 86 square kilometers. Its striking capital is one of the most photogenic Cycladic towns with whitewashed houses concealing a dozen little churches, shrines and chapels.

Map of Mykonos

The cosmopolitan Mykonos is famous for its lively and hectic nightlife and this is one of the many reasons that attracts many visitors from Greece and abroad every year. The narrow streets in the country begin to fill with people in the afternoon, while traffic is increased in the evening. Bars and nightclubs with loud music for all tastes from well known dj's marks the nightlife of Mykonos.

Mykonos is the 10th bigger island of Cyclades with 86km² extension and 10.134 population. Mykonos Town or Chora is the capital of the island. The best time to explore the capital is in early morning when most people head out to the beaches. The labyrinthine design of the capital was supposed to confuse the pirates who plagued Mykonos in the 18th century, and it has the same effect on today's visitors. Getting lost in the convoluted streets and valleys is half the fun of Mykonos, although there are few places worth seeking out, like Archaeological museum, Maritime museum and Folklore museum. But the best place to enjoy coffee and the magical landscape is Little Venice, named by the high, arcaded Venetian houses built right up to the water's edge on its Southwest side.