The Cyclades

The Cyclades are the islands most people picture when they think of Greece: a scatter of some two hundred sun-bleached rocks in the central Aegean, of which a couple of dozen are inhabited. Their name comes from the ancient Greek for circle, describing the rough ring they form around the sacred island of Delos, mythical birthplace of Apollo and once the religious centre of the Aegean world.

What unites them is a look — cubist white houses and blue-domed churches stacked above the sea, bare treeless hills, and a clarity of light that has drawn painters and travellers for generations. What divides them is character. Santorini and Mykonos are the glamorous, world-famous pair, drawing cruise ships and summer crowds; Naxos and Paros are larger, greener and more rounded, good for families and longer stays; Syros is an elegant working capital; Tinos a place of pilgrimage and marble; and a long tail of quieter islands — Milos, Andros, Sifnos, Folegandros and Amorgos among them — rewards those willing to slow down.

Travellers typically island-hop, stringing two or three together by ferry from the ports of Piraeus and Rafina near Athens. Fast catamarans and conventional boats criss-cross the group all summer, and a handful of islands have airports for those short on time. The meltemi, a strong northerly wind, is a defining feature of July and August, cooling the heat but sometimes disrupting sailings.

The season runs roughly from Easter to October. July and August are hot, bright and busy; late spring and September bring warm seas, softer light and more room to breathe. In winter many islands wind down almost completely, though the larger ones keep a quiet year-round life.