What is the best place to go to in the Cyclades Greek islands?

Answer 1

Well on preference Delos is the best but you would have to go to Mykonos to stay the night close by. Here is some information:
All guide-books and all guides will tell you that no one is allowed, by law, to stay on Delos overnight, but there is a wonderful story about how Lawrence Durrell, the famous Philhellene and English author, managed to do this and have the most magical night of his life. In his book, The Greek Islands, Durrell explains how he gained the cooperation of a boatman, practiced a slight deception on the men guarding Delos, and spent a romantic and spiritual night on the sacred island under the protection of Apollo himself.

Durrell hired a boatman, named Janko, to take him and his wife to the Bay of Phourni, below the old site of the abandoned Aesculapion. He had with him a sack that contained beer, bread, meat, and fruit and he also had sleeping bags. Janko dropped them off early in a very secluded area and then left. This was not unusual, because it was the custom for small boats to drop visitors off, then return in the early evening to take them back.

The boatman came back to Delos, as Durrell planned, but he returned to Mykonos without his passengers. Janko's part in the deception was to make sure the guards saw the boat leaving from afar. He knew the guards would assume passengers were on board, but they were not. Durrell said the evening was perfect with Appolo protecting them, Zephyr controlling the calm breezes, and Aphrodite orchestrating the sunset. They swam nude by the rising moon and came back to drink the warm soup and coffee from the thermos flasks thoughtfully brought by Janko.

As dusk fell, they snuggled in their sleeping bags, but were awakened at midnight by the brilliant, white light of the moon. Deciding to prowl among the ruins, they climbed over rocks and through barbed wire, but they did not need lights because, according to Durrell, "we could have read a newspaper by the moon's light." They came upon what must have been the floor of a villa and, by the light of the moon, saw what looked like an ordinary fish design. Durrell went to the sea for a pail of water, splashed the sea water over the floor, and, like a photograph developing in a tray, the head of the most beautiful dolphin emerged. It was one of the famous mosaics that would be viewed by the public in later years, but he and his wife saw it long before others. Durrell described Delos as "silent and ominous" at night with snakes and lizards slithering about, but he said it was also magical. When the moon gave up its brilliance, they managed to sleep once again and in the early morning the boatman returned. Reluctantly, they boarded the boat this time and returned to Mykonos.

I am not advocating that you try this stunt, but if by chance the seas are calm and the moon promises to be full, and if by chance you meet a descendant of the boatman, Janko……

What is it that makes Delos so special? Major reasons are that it has been declared a "Sacred Island" by the Greek government and that it contains ruins of one of the most important and glorious civilizations the world has ever known. The island itself is relatively small—six kilometers long and 1,500 meters wide, but it is monumental in Greek history and mythology.

Delos is not only the geological center of the Cyclades, but was once the commercial, religious, and commercial center of ancient Greece.
Delos is the birthplace of Apollo, the god of light. He was born to Leto of the lovely hair as she leaned against or held onto a palm tree. Leto, impregnated by Zeus, gave birth to Apollo and his sister Artemis, goddess of hunting. Zeus chose Delos for the birth because he had to find a sanctuary for Leto, far from the eyes of his jealous wife, Hera. Delos means ""that which appeared" and was so named because it suddenly appeared in the waves and sheltered Leto from Hera's eyes. That is the wonderful myth of Delos.

History tells us, however, that the island was probably first inhabited in 3000 B.C. and at the end of the fourth century it developed into a major commercial center, competing with Rhodes. By Roman times, Delos had roughly 25,000 inhabitants, more or less. Archaeologists uncovered evidence of Ioanians living here in the 7th century B.C., followed through the centuries by Athenians, Delians, Egyptians, Syrians, and Romans.

It was the jewel of the Aegean Sea and was the summer home of the rich and famous of the time. It was magnificent and majestic. Rumor has it that Cleopatra had a summer home here, but there is no archaeological evidence to support it, although the search goes on.
Delos' rule over the sea was established around 478 B.C.. when a Delian confederacy was formed to bring neighboring islands under its influence, thus establishing Delos' supremacy. During this time, lavish festivals were held every five years to honor the gods. Large barges brought animals from neighboring islands for sacrifice and the most nubile Delian maidens were chosen to dance and sing hymns in honor of the gods.

The island was once a burial ground for Delians, but sometime around 426 BC. , in order to secure the favor of Apollo and incidentally, to gain control of the shrine's treasurers, the bones of those who died there were removed to Rhenia, a nearby island where a new burial ground was created. Also, from that point forward, women who were about to give birth were taken to a nearby island for the occasion. In effect, no one was allowed to be born or to die on the island.
The island's fall was sudden and brutal. In 88 B.C.. during the Mithriadic War, all inhabitants—estimates range from 20,000 to 30,000, were slaughtered and the mansions and temples desecrated and demolished. Nest, the island was burned by an army of barbarians and for years after that pirates came to pick over the remains. It was not until late in the 19th century that archaeologists began excavations that revealed the glory of Delos and encouraged the Greek government to establish strict rules for this site.

The French School of Archaeology began excavations in 1872 and in 1904, what is known as "the great excavation" took place. This is when many public buildings and private houses were uncovered and some were partly reconstructed. Work is still in progress. Four of the famous nine lions that are symbols of Delos have been removed to a museum to protect them from corrosion and the magnificent animals now guarding the Path of the Lions are casts of the originals. And it has extremely nice sites.

I hope that this helps and that it was informative.

Answer 2

Depends on when you plan to go - most of the big islands will be packed in summer, and Mykonos is the party capital of the Cyclades.

However, Mykonos in September is one of my all-time favourite places for a great holiday, especially if you want to travel by yourself or with just (a) friend(s). The party crowd is all but gone, and the weather is still gorgeous but not too hot. To get there, you can fly to Athens and then take the ferry to Mykonos - my preferred way of landing on the island, the view of the town is just fabulous from the sea. If you don't want to book accomodation in advance, no problem. There will be plenty of vacancies, and the tourist office on the harbour will help you find a place. They can even arrange transportation. To get to the beach, you can take a bus to Platy Yialos (ca. 20 min, every half hour), and then stay there or take a taxi boat to one of the beaches further out.

Santorini is also a lovely island. Try to stay in Oia, it's simply beautiful and not as touristy as Fira. However, there will be an overwhelming crowd of couples everywhere, especially at the western end of the island when it's time to watch the sunset. "Sooo romantic." But really worth a visit. The other downside about Santorini is that there are not really any good beaches near Oia, and public transportation is scarce, so you'd be well-advised to rent a car or moped.

I guess in the summer your best bet would be to try and get to one of the many smaller islands that are not as exploited by the tourist industry. Be aware, however, that they will also be harder to get to and to get away from, so bring plenty of time and patience :)

Answer 3

AMORGOS ! dream-island - a hidden treasure: deserted - quiet - romantic, off the beaten track : if you're in for those things --- maybe only reachable from santorini

-- that's how we got there: actually we just tried to escape from Santorini because that place is completely overrated: commercial, touristic, noisy campings, people are nervous and aggressive trying to sell a hotel-room or a camping place when you arrive.

when you go to amorgos, it's like you'll have the island for yourself. There is a little haven with party-lights, some terraces and the rest of the island is dark. when you arrive a blue-eyed bus driver will be waiting to pick you and other backpackers up and he'll take you on a bus ride of an hour through the mountains to a small town in a bay. Amorgos is just chilling ... kind of rocky, hippie atmosphere -- campfire on the beach, nude beaches reachable if you know how to climb rocks. There's not a lot to do -- still there are a few beach pubs along the shore where you can drink cocktails all night long and chill with your feet in the sand. The film "le grand bleu" was recorded on the island. I LOVED IT -- it'll be your private blue lagoon !

Answer 4

Every island has its own beauty in Cyclades.There are many common things among them(like the same architecture etc) but every island has its own different style.It depends on what you are looking for.
If you look for nightlife and clubbing you should visit Mykonos,Paros, Naxos, Santorini or Sifnos.
If you want to find great beaches you should go to Serifos, Milos, Koufonisia, Sikinos, Kea or Paros.
If you want to find the most extraordinary place you have ever been you should visit Santorini or Folegandros.
If you want to be with wealthy people,Mykonos or Andros or Syros is your island.
There is also Delos for those who like archeology and Tinos for those who believe to God(it has a great monastery there)
If you like isolation it is very good to go to Kithnos, Serifos, Folegandros, Kimolos, Ios, Amorgos, Anafi and Koufonisia.
I can not decide which is my favourite( I adore them all)
Cyclades is the most beautiful place of the world

PS : Maybe Serifos is my favourite or Folegandros or Santorini.Mmmm,Syros is good too and Kea is also a small paradise very close to Athens.Well,I don't know it's complicated...

Answer 5

Agree with all those who say naxos absolutely beautiful, of the small cyclades iraklia is a must. Just east of santorini is a lovely small island called anafi

Answer 6

Try Tinos for a great cultural experience...This island produced the finest artists in Greece and its no coincidence - the landscape is truly inspirational, unusual, almost surreal. In a place called Volax there is a strange array of round granite monoliths - the legends say they fell from the sky when the Titans hurled stones against each other...Plus the night life is good, shopping is a treasure-hunt and there is a lot of art-related exhibitions, while the island has superb beaches, great village accomodation in traditional houses, very nice cuisine (try the local cheeses and cheese pies) and traditional music. The locals are friendly and helpful. Tinos has everything - from windmills to fantastic tavernas and from sailing boats (that take you on daily cruises to close-by Islands) to unique dovecote buildings...I have been there and can thoroughly recommend it!

Answer 7

Anti-Paros used to be good but may now be too popular. Naxos still has a lot to offer. The 'mikri Cyclades' (small islands to the south east of Naxos are super cool.

Answer 8

can no longer answer you that. As I write this i'm on my crusing boat roaming around the Aegean. there is 6000 islands to chosen from and each and each has its very own specific style and ask your self. I truly have many favorites to pass with assorted moods and prerequisites. Shinousa, Nea Heraklia, Anafi, Astypalaia, Kythera, and specific Mykonos Paros, Tinos, Naxos, Santorini, Folegandros, Milos, too many to chosen from. and how approximately Samothraki, Chios, Alonissos???? So I merely island hop for the previous 30 years and characteristic nonetheless no longer considered all of them.

Answer 9

There is considerable contrast in the numerous Cycladian Islands. Which one is best to you is very difficult for one to say. With travel between them easy I suggest you sample a few. TINOS in the north is verdant, pretty and fairly quiet. SYROS is the administrative capital. Ermoupolis the main city is awsome and not heavily touristy.
In the centre theres PAROS & NAXOS, attractive & tourist friendly.
MYKONOS AND SANTORINI are postcards trampled to death by tourists.
There are many more to the west. For Island hopping use http://www.gtp.gr/RoutesForm.asp for ferry details

Answer 10

Milos Island. Absolutly breath taking! Search and youll see! I go every summer and say 3 months with the family! But only because its soo beautiful and the nightlife is great too! Def! Need a car though!

Answer 11

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=What+is+the+best+place+to+go+to+in+the+Cyclades+Greek+islands%3F+&fr=FP-tab-web-t500&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8
Good Luck!