When to go to the Cyclades?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with real weather records
Best time: May to June and September to October
At a glance
Why go to the Cyclades?
The Cyclades are not one destination but an archipelago of some 220 islands, 24 of them inhabited, arranged in a circle around Delos and linked by ferries and catamarans. From one island to the next, the scenery changes dramatically: the black and red caldera of Santorini, the mountains and farmed valleys of Naxos, the white rocks of Milos, the bare coves of the Small Cyclades. You build your trip by choosing two or three islands, not by trying to see them all.
Architecture provides the unity. Whitewashed cube houses, blue shutters, domes, outdoor staircases and alleys laid out as a maze to confuse pirates: the model repeats from Folegandros to Sifnos, with local variations. Inland, the dry-stone villages, the carved dovecotes of Tinos and the Venetian towers tell of centuries of Latin rule, between the Fourth Crusade and the arrival of the Ottomans.
The season matters more here than elsewhere. July and August bring the crowds, the highest prices and the meltemi, the north wind that blows for several days at a stretch and cancels ferry sailings. May, June, September and early October offer 24 to 28°C, a sea still warm at the end of summer and villages that can breathe. In winter, most hotels close, sea links are cut back and the small islands slow right down.
Map of the Cyclades: what is where?
The map shows the 6 places covered in this guide, to picture the distances and plan your route.
- Santorini
- Naxos
- Milos
- Paros
- Mykonos and Delos
- Folegandros
How much does a trip to the Cyclades cost?
The Cyclades cover the whole range, from a €50 room on Naxos to a four-figure caldera suite. On a multi-island itinerary, ferries and vehicle hire weigh almost as much as accommodation. Travelling in May, June or September cuts the bill by 30 to 40% compared with August.
| Style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | €60-90/day | Studio or campsite, gyros and the grocer's, buses and a shared scooter, affordable islands such as Naxos and Milos |
| Comfort | €130-200/day | Hotel with a view, a car for a few days, a fish taverna, two or three crossings |
| Premium | €400+/day | Caldera hotel on Santorini, a private sailing trip, tastings and reserved tables |
The currency is the euro and cards are accepted almost everywhere, but small tavernas and water taxis often stick to cash. ATMs are plentiful on the big islands and scarce in the Small Cyclades: withdraw before you board. Tipping is not obligatory; rounding up the bill is enough.
Is the Cyclades safe?
The Cyclades rank among the safest regions in the Mediterranean, with very little crime, even in villages where doors are left open at night. The real issues are natural. The meltemi, the summer north wind, blows for several days at a stretch and leads to cancelled ferry sailings: leave a margin before a flight home. At sea, it whips up a short swell and currents on north-facing beaches, where swimming calls for care. On land, hired scooters cause most accidents involving travellers, on narrow, unlit and sometimes sandy roads; helmets are compulsory and many insurance policies exclude two-wheelers. Finally, the heat and lack of shade make midday hiking inadvisable in July and August.
What to see and do in the Cyclades
- Santorini caldera
- Akrotiri archaeological site
- Ancient Delos
- Chora windmills on Mykonos
- Portara of Naxos
- Climbing Mount Zas
- Sarakiniko beach on Milos
- Naoussa village on Paros
Santorini
A caldera 12 km by 7, born of the volcano's collapse around 1600 BC, ringed by cliffs 200 to 300 metres high. Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia line the ridge, linked by a path of around ten kilometres. Below lie the black-sand beaches of Kamari and Perissa, and the site of Akrotiri under its protective roof. The island makes a dry white from assyrtiko, on vines trained into crowns lying on the ground to withstand the wind. Allow three days, more for the wineries.
Naxos
The largest island in the Cyclades, about 430 km², and the only one that lives off farming as much as tourism. The Chora stacks its alleys beneath a Venetian kastro, and the Portara has marked the harbour entrance for 2,500 years. Inland lie the villages of Halki, Apiranthos and Filoti, the marble quarries with their abandoned kouroi, and Mount Zas. On the west coast, some ten kilometres of unbroken sand run from Agios Prokopios to Plaka, with good windsurfing spots.
Milos
A volcanic island of colourful rocks, famous for the Venus found by a farmer in 1820 that ended up in the Louvre. Sarakiniko lines up its white tuff shelves, Kleftiko its sea arches reachable only by boat, Firiplaka and Tsigrado their ochre cliffs. A day-long boat trip round the island remains the best way to see the southern coves. Plaka, the hilltop village, overlooks the bay of Adamas, and the early Christian catacombs can be visited below.
Paros
The hub island of the ferry network, which makes it a practical base for exploring. Parikia and its harbour, Naoussa and its half-submerged Venetian fort, Lefkes and its stepped alleys in the hills. Parian marble, translucent to a depth of a few centimetres, was used for the Venus de Milo and statues by Praxiteles; the old galleries at Marathi can be visited freely. Golden Beach, in the south-east, hosts windsurfing competitions when the meltemi sets in.
Mykonos and Delos
Mykonos runs in two registers: the Chora, its windmills, its Little Venice and white alleys, and the southern beaches, Paradise and Super Paradise, where the clubs open in the afternoon. Prices here are the highest in the archipelago. Some thirty minutes away by boat, Delos offers the opposite: hectares of excavations without a single inhabitant, with the sanctuary of Apollo, the Terrace of the Lions and mosaic-floored houses. The last boat back leaves in the early afternoon.
Folegandros
An island of about 32 km² between Milos and Santorini, left off the main ferry runs. The Chora sits on a cliff nearly 200 metres above the sea, with three squares shaded by mulberry trees and no cars. A paved path climbs in twenty minutes to the Panagia church, lit up at night and visible from afar. The beaches of Katergo and Agali are reached on foot or by water taxi. It suits those who want the Cyclades without the queues.
How many days, and which itinerary?
A week allows two islands without spending your days on ferries. Ten to twelve days allow three, with a spare day in case the meltemi cancels a sailing.
🗺️ Day-by-day itinerary · 📓 Free printable Cyclades guide (PDF) · 🌍 All of Greece
First trip (1 week)
Fly to Santorini for three nights on the caldera: the Fira to Oia path at first light, Akrotiri under its roof, an assyrtiko tasting and a black-sand beach. Ferry to Naxos, about two hours, then four nights: the Chora and the Portara, the inland villages, a day on the west coast and a sunrise climb up Mount Zas. Home by flight from Naxos or by fast ferry to Piraeus. Book crossings as soon as they go on sale in spring.
Three islands in 12 days
Start with Milos, four nights: a boat trip round the island to Kleftiko, Sarakiniko at sunrise, Plaka and the catacombs. Ferry to Folegandros, four nights in the Chora, with the climb to the Panagia and the beaches of Katergo and Agali. Then Naxos, four nights, for the inland villages, the marble quarries and the west coast. Keep a spare day at the end: the meltemi regularly cancels sailings in July and August.
The Cyclades with children (10 days)
Paros as a base, six nights: Parikia, Naoussa, water taxis to Kolymbithres and Santa Maria, the Valley of the Butterflies and a day on Antiparos, ten minutes away by ferry. Then Naxos, four nights, for the shallow beaches of Agios Prokopios and Plaka, easy with young children, and for the mountain villages. The two islands are linked by a thirty to forty-five-minute ferry, several times a day in season.
Getting there and getting around
Ferries leave from Piraeus and Rafina. Allow five to eight hours to Santorini on a conventional ship, half that on a fast catamaran, and €40 to 80 a crossing. Tickets can be booked online as soon as they go on sale, usually in February or March.
Five islands have an airport: Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros and Milos. Santorini and Mykonos receive direct flights from many European cities in season. The others are reached via Athens, with a domestic flight of about forty minutes and several rotations a day.
Between islands, links are frequent on the Santorini, Ios, Naxos, Paros, Mykonos axis, and far rarer to the Small Cyclades. Check the number of weekly sailings before planning a sequence: some islands are only served two or three times a week.
On the islands, buses serve the main beaches for €2 to 3 a journey. A scooter costs €20 to 30 a day, a small car €45 to 70 in season. Book your vehicle in advance in August, when agencies have nothing left a few days ahead.
Where to stay in the Cyclades?
Studios and rooms in private homes remain the most common format: €50 to 90 a night outside July and August, often with a kitchenette and terrace. On the small islands, owners still meet the ferries at the port holding a sign with the name of their house.
Caldera hotels on Santorini, with pools carved into the cliff, run from €300 to over €1,000 a night in high season. They drop significantly in April and October, when the light is better and the paths almost empty.
Naxos and Paros offer the best value for comfort in the archipelago: beach hotels at €100 to 160, family apartments at €90 to 130, often a few minutes' walk from the sand and the bus stop.
Campsites remain open on Naxos, Paros and Mykonos, at around €15 to 25 per person, with wooden bungalows and a shuttle to the port. Wild camping is banned and regularly fined, even on isolated beaches.
Our places to stay, stop by stop, at three budgets →
What to eat in the Cyclades?
Fish is ordered by weight, at €50 to 70 a kilo for the prized species: ask for the price and weight before it's cooked. Small fried fish, bogue and picarel, cost a third as much and are eaten whole, with a squeeze of lemon.
Each island has its cheese: graviera from Naxos, the tangy kopanisti of Mykonos, the manoura of Sifnos cured in grape pomace. Village grocers sell them by the slice, often far cheaper than the shops at the port.
Santorini grows cherry tomatoes, fava, a purée of yellow split peas served warm, and capers. They all come together in tomatokeftedes, tomato fritters served as a starter for €6 to 9 a portion in almost every taverna.
Santorini's assyrtiko, a dry, mineral white, can be tasted at some fifteen wineries on the island, for €15 to 30 a guided tasting. On the other islands, local wine is often served by the jug, at around €6 for half a litre.
Entry requirements
Schengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
Rules change: check your own government's travel advice before you go.
Frequently asked questions about the Cyclades
Which islands should I choose for a first trip?
Santorini for the caldera and Naxos for the villages, beaches and mountains: the two are linked by a ferry of about two hours and offer very different scenery. Paros is an easier alternative with children. Mykonos is worth it mainly for Delos and the nightlife, at noticeably higher prices.
How long do the ferries take?
Piraeus to Santorini takes five to eight hours on a conventional ship, about four on a fast catamaran. Between neighbouring islands, allow thirty minutes to two hours. Always plan a spare night in Athens before a flight home: the meltemi cancels sailings for several days at a stretch in summer.
When should I go to the Cyclades?
May, June, September and early October: 24 to 28°C, a warm sea at the end of summer, uncrowded villages and reasonable prices. July and August bring the crowds, the highest rates and the meltemi. From November to March, many hotels close and sea links are sharply reduced.
Should I hire a car?
On Naxos, Paros and Milos, a car or scooter opens up the inland villages and the coves without buses. On Santorini and Mykonos, traffic and parking are difficult in summer, and buses and taxis are often enough. Allow €45 to 70 a day in August, half that out of season.
Can you visit Delos independently?
Yes. Boats leave from the old port of Mykonos in the morning, a crossing of about thirty minutes, and return in the early afternoon. Entry to the site costs about €12, the crossing around twenty euros. Guides accompany groups, but independent visits are allowed. There is no accommodation or restaurant on the island.
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