The Cyclades

The CYCLADES famous for their cubist white architecture set against piercing blue sea and sky, consist of 39 islands, of which 24 are inhabited. The more popular ones are Amorgos, Anafi, Andros, Antiparos, Delos, Folegandros, Ios, Kea, Kimolos, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Serifos, Sikinos, Sifnos, Syros and Tinos. Although these islands share a common bond in their arid, rocky landscape, their individual characters are varied, ranging from a pair of summer party islands-Ios which attracts the backpacker crowd, and Mykonos, which is Greece’s premier hot spot-to sleepy outposts like Sikinos and Anafi.

Ios

The coastline of the predominantly mountainous island with its countless chapels, its olive trees, its vineyards and its limpid air, is adorned with small, attractive coves. These features combine with the crystal clear sea, the superb sandy beaches and good range of amenities to make Ios a magnet for the tourist. This is an island whose history goes back to prehistoric times. According to Herodotus, the “poet of poets”, the god-like Homer was buried at Plakotos, in the north of the island.

Another characteristic of this small island is the incredible amount of Bars, Pubs and clubs which you will find lining the streets. Many have tried to make it down the entire strip over the course of an evening, to no avail.

Mykonos

Who can resist the call of Mykonos? Known around the world for trendy jet setting, the island has magically managed to retain a unique charm and simplicity. On strolling along the flower-decked lanes, you are greeted everywhere by boutiques full of tempting buys, form gold jewelry to hand-dyed, woven goods.

In addition to shopping, there are dozens of little restaurants by the harbor and in the picturesque upper town, easily accessible beaches to suit every taste from mild-mannered to nude, and bars and discos to satiate any partygoer´s appetite.

Naxos

The largest and lushest of the Cyclades, Naxos beckons the hiker, the medieval history buff and the lover of Byzantine art, as magnificently displayed on the walls of more than 100 churches. In town the Kastro, a fort built on the hill by the Venetians in the 13th century which houses a museum of early Cycladic art is a must see. There is also an unfinished temple on Platia, the islet joined to town by a causeway, and the Archaeological Museum of Naxos which rivals Delos for the best collection of antiquities in the islands.

Inland, the landscape of dramatic mountains, remote villages and lush gardens surpass that of the other Cycladic islands. On the western side of the island lie the best beaches, and you can look forward to good eating and fine wines in many choices of restaurants and outdoor cafes.

Paros

Exploring Paros is delightful, an island famous in history for its marble, which was used by Praxiteles for his glowing white marble, sculptures, such as Venus de Milo. Dating back to 3500 BC, Paros has a large number of ruins scattered about the island, which offers rustic hillsides, with each summit seemingly topped by a private monastery. The most famous church in all the islands, Panayia Ekatondapiliani (Our Lady of One Hundred Doors) was built in 600 AD, and sits right at the port of Parikia.

Nightlife on Paros, particularly in the fishing port of Naousa, rivals that of Mykonos, and offers many water sports and many fine beaches.

Santorini

Santorini´s ancient name was Thira, and some believe it was the legendary island of Atlantis. Called kallaite (the fairest one) by the Greeks, Santorini is beautiful for its black sand beaches, limestone cliffs and vineyards, as well as for its dozens of lazy inviting villages filled with whitewashed architecture.

Thera town (also known as Fira) is the place to sit at a cliff side above the harbor to watch the cruise ships and ferries land, and passenger?s zigzag up by donkey or cable car. Best of all, this spectacular island offers the finest place to catch the sunset, and take some of the most stunning photos of a lifetime.

Tour the island by jeep to explore the ruins of ancient Thera and the charming port town of Oia to the north. In the south, Akrotiri, the town buried in ash around 1550 BC is now being excavated.

The Dodecanese

The islands of the Dodecanese are situated in the south-east of the Aegean Sea, close to the coasts of Minor Asia. Dodecanese means “the twelve islands”, but of course they are eighteen and not twelve which are settled permanently. Rhodes, Kos, and Symi are the most known of these islands, uncounted tourists visit them every summer.

Rhodes
One of the premier vacation spots of the Mediterranean, Rhodes is also one of the most interesting Greek Islands. Consecutive waves if histories have left their vivid marks on this paradise. Gothic fortifications, built 600 years ago by the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, greet you at the harbor where the Colossus stood. Visitors to the capital city of Rhodes will experience contemporary hotel luxury, wining and dining in old tavernas, great nightlife and casino gambling while medieval grandeur of Archaeological Museum lies in the backdrop.

Across to the island of Lindos, and yet another era will greet you with the Temple of Athena topping an acropolis above the sea. As all islands of the Dodecanese do, Rhodes offers fabulous beaches for miles and miles.

Kos
Consider a visit to Kos, the birthplace of Hippocrates, the father of medical science. Today, almost 2,500 years later, lush and peaceful Kos is still a place of health and beauty. It offers many fine beaches, quiet hill towns and a museum of fascinating ancient mosaics. In the main town of Kos one finds ruins of the Ancient Greeks and Roman, as well as a Crusades Fortress. Outside town are the remains of the great Asklepion, built in honor of Hippocrates. While the ancients favored Kos for its beauty and mild climate, today?s visitors also come for the sandy beaches on both sides of Kos town. Easily Accessible from Rhodes by Ferryboat, Kos is ideal for an island hop.

Symi
The Symi may be popular with day visitors from Rhodes, but island hoppers staying longer will fall in love with this lovely picture postcard island. You´ll arrive by boat at the port of Yialos, and discover that no modern development has spoiled this tiny town?s original charm, nor the panorama of its neoclassical red-roofed homes that ascend steeply up the horseshoe-shaped island. Restaurants and tavernas, shared by fisherman and visitors alike, ring the harbor. You´ll certainly want to visit the 18th century monastery of Panormitis, or take a water taxi to Symi´s best beaches.

The Sporades
Green, fertile and bursting with pine and olive groves-consist of Alonissos, Skiathos, Skopelos and Skyros, and lie off the eastern shores of mainland Greece.

Skiathos & Skopelos
Skiathos and Skopelos are two very remarkably beautiful, and unspoiled islands. Sophisticated Skiathos is the ideal holiday destination. The main town is filled with attractive little cafes, taverns, bars & fine boutiques, amid private houses. There are over 60 beaches on the island and many of them are reached only by water taxi. Skiathos is served by air from Athens, with ferryboat service available to and from nearby Skopelos, Alonisos and Skiros. This island is an ideal destination offering tranquil beaches, and an active nightlife.

Skopelos is adorned with white churches and houses with red tile roofs. In total there are 300 churches, and two of the finest nunneries near Skopelos town are open to the public. Skopelos offers a lush landscape, which attracts a multitude of tourists who can indulge in either a sophisticated vacation or a peaceful stay.

The Aegean Islands

The majority of the Greek islands are located in the AEGEAN SEA. Some are isolated, like Crete to the south; Ikaria, Hios and Lesbos to the east; and Thassos and Samothrace to the north. Others form groups, such as the Cyclades, the Sporades and the Dodecanese. The largest are Crete and Euboena.

The Eastern Aegean Islands
At the Easternmost part of the Aegean sea are the islands of Lesbos (Mytiline), Chios, and Samos. These islands played an important role in the development and creation of the Greek State. They achieved prominence around the 2nd millennium B.C. and enjoyed great prosperity, cultural and commercial success as demonstrated from ongoing archaeological excavations.

Crete

Few islands can compare with Crete´s ancient sites, mix of Mediterranean cultures and spectacular physical beauty. Europe´s first civilization, the Minoan, evolved on Crete some 3,500 years ago, and today we see such treasures as labyrinth-like palace with 1,300 rooms still standing at Knossos, as well as fine Minoan palace remains at Phaestos.

Both are close to the island´s capital of Heraklion, still surrounded by massive walls and home to a first-rate museum. Crete´s attractions also include ruined palaces and Venetian fortresses, Byzantine monasteries and frescoed churches, museums and ancient monuments, vineyards, orchards and fishing villages.

Along the north coast, Rethemnon lies on the island´s longest sandy beach and is known by visitors as the hidden jewel of Crete. Since 1400 BC the Minoans, Venetians, Turks and Cretans have built their ancient cities and citadels at this location.

Winding narrow streets, a fishing village and a lighthouse create an old-warm charm that is complimented by fine deluxe resorts offering private beaches, tennis, sailing and other water sports.

Other areas of interest in Crete are Agios Nikolaos, Chania, Elounda Bay, and Hersonissos.

Lesbos
Lesbos is the third largest of the Greek Islands, after Crete and Eubioa, with a population of approximately 100,000 inhabitants. Mytilene is the capital city of the island. The island is served by air from Athens and Certain European cities.

Fast efficient and modern ferryboats provide regular service from Athens. The island has a well-known history and produced many notable poets, writers and philosophers, (Pittakos, Alkaios, Sapho, Myrivilis, Elytis, and the painter Theophilos).

Chios
Chios lies 27 nautical miles south of Lesbos together with the smaller islands of Psara and Oinouses. These islands occupy a distinctive place in the history of ancient and modern Greece. Chios claims to be the birthplace of Homer.

The island of Psara made a valiant contribution to the war of Independence from the Ottoman Empire. The hero of the revolution Konstantinos Kanaris was from Psara. The adjacent island of Oinouses produced some of the world?s well-known shipping tycoons who still maintain summer mansions on the island.

Samos
Samos is situated in the Eastern most part of the Aegean, very close to Asia Minor, and has a population of 40,000 inhabitants. Regular air service and ferry boat service is available from Athens. It?s proximity to Turkey gives access to Ephesus (Kusadasi) by ferryboat. It presents an ideal condition for a visit to the important ancient city.

Samos has a long distinguished history dating back to 3,000 B.C. The island joined the Athenian League and fought alongside with Athens against Sparta, during the Peloponnesian war. Afterwards it passed in the hands of Macedonia, Egyptians, Romans, Venetians, and the Ottomans.

Wonderful beaches and green landscape are the main feature in Samos, and so are vineyards producing the first Sauterne wined in Greece.

The Ionian Islands
If you like you’re islands green and the air a little cooler, make for the Ionian, which were Odysseus’s realm. The IOANIAN Islands, off the western shores of Greece; Zante, Ithaca, Corfu, Cephallonia, Lefcas, Paxi and Kithira-have always been a special link with Western Europe, evident even today in the diposition and manners of the people. The endless acres of olive groves, Venetian architecture and tiny cutaway bays, make these islands ideal for those sailing the islands.

Corfu
Set in the Ionian sea off the western coast of Greece, Corfu is possibly the most beautiful of all islands, with lagoon like coves on the east coast and dramatic cliffs and golden beaches on the west. The scarcity of classical sites on this island, make this an ideal spot to spend vacation time on scenery, sea, sun, recreation and nightlife, with Corfu town offering an array of friendly cafes, tavernas, bars and clubs.

There are however key places to visit, such as the Venetian fortress overlooking Corfu harbor, the Achilleion Palace with its gardens and casino, and the Archaeological Museum.

Daily excursions head off to the island of Paxi, which like Corfu is covered with olive groves and has beautiful limestone cliffs and caves on its north coast. Antipaxi is another island off of Corfu, offering one of the most idyllic beaches in the Ionian Sea.

The Saronic Islands
The Saronic Gulf, which is the stretch of sea linking the shores of Attica to those of Peloponnese, contains another group of smaller islands: Salamis, Aegina, Poros, Hydra and Spetses, which adds its variety to the legend of Greece.

These islands are accessible by fast and frequent service from Athens. The three top island choices here are Aegina, Hydra and Spetses. Aegina, 45-minute hydrofoils ride from Piraeus, offers the group’s most important ancient site, featuring the Temple of Aphaia.

From Aegina, 40 more minutes will take you to Hydra. This is the beauty of the Saronics. It has one real village, dotted with the stone mansions of the 19th-century merchants, and at last count, just two motor vehicles, both used for collecting the garbage.

It’s another 40-minute hop to Spetses, which is much greener than it’s neighbors, with a pine-covered interior and boasting the finest beach, Ayii Anaryiri.

The Island of Crete
Few islands can compare with Crete’s ancient sites, mix of Mediterranean cultures and spectacular physical beauty. Europe’s first civilization, the Minoan, evolved on Crete some 3,500 years ago, and today we see such treasures as labyrinth-like palace with 1,300 rooms still standing at Knossos, as well as fine Minoan palace remains at Phaestos.

Both are close to the island’s capital of Heraklion, still surrounded by massive walls and home to a first-rate museum. Crete’s attractions also include ruined palaces and Venetian fortresses, Byzantine monasteries and frescoed churches, museums and ancient monuments, vineyards, orchards and fishing villages.

Along the north coast, Rethemnon lies on the island’s longest sandy beach and is known by visitors as the hidden jewel of Crete. Since 1400 BC the Minoans, Venetians, Turks and Cretans have built their ancient cities and citadels at this location.

Winding narrow streets, a fishing village and a lighthouse create an old-warm charm that is complimented by fine deluxe resorts offering private beaches, tennis, sailing and other water sports.