Mykonos
Mykonos is world famous. It is no coincidence that this, the most cosmopolitan of all Greek islands, atracts so many visitors from all the globe, including large numbers of artists and intellectuals. She covers an area of 85 km2.

Here the steep mountains to be encountered in most of the Cyclades islands give way to low, rocky hills which combine with superb beaches to make up the landscape of the island.

The capital Hora, with its colorful harbour in which little fishing boats nest happily side by side with luxury yachts, presents quite a different picture from that of the majority of Aegean island towns. While it is usual for island villages to be built on naturally amphitheatrical sites, Mykonos is spread out over a flat area and conveys an impression of solid aesthetic cohesion.

Along the whitewashed streets stand brilliant white cubic houses with stepped walls for sitting on wooden doors and windows and brightly coloured balconies.

Naxos
Area 448 sq. km. Distance from Piraeus 103 nautical miles).Naxos, the largest and most fertile of the Cycladic islands, lies almost at the centre of the Aegean. Meadows running down to vast beaches, cliffs sinking suddenly into the sea, rocky mountains side-by-side with fertile valleys, abundant springs and streams these are just some of the features of a natural environment marked for its variety. The coastline of Naxos is abrupt on the south side and more sheltered to the west, with numerous inlets and sandy beaches.

Hora stands on a naturally amphitheatrical site on a hillside on the north-west side of the island and is one of the most attractive towns in the Cyclades. As the visitor walks from the harbour high up to the Venetian castle, he will be struck by the beauty of the narrow winding lanes and the old stone houses lining them.

There are also good swimming beaches at Agios Prokopios, Mikri Vigla, Kastraki, Alikos, Pirgaki, Agiassos (on the west side), Apolonas, Psili Amos, Panormos, Pahia Amos and elsewhere. The superb beaches of island, its attractive villages and its wealth of monuments draw thousands of visitors to the island each year.

Paros
Paros the third - largest of the Cyclades after Naxos and Andros has developed into an important centre of tourism in recent years.

Gently rolling hills surround the centre and south-east of the island, which is predominantly agricultural and is occupied by endless vineyards, and lock within themselves the famous Parian marble.The coastline is indented, with numerous small inlets and two large bays, those of Naoussa in the north and Parikia in the west.

Parikia the island's capital and port, stands on the site of an ancient city. There is a picturesque and ruinous Venetian castle, and the courtyards of the ho uses of the town - all of them painted white - are full of pots of basil and hung with jasmine and honeysuckle.A broad paved avenue leads to the church of Ekatondapiliani or Katapoliani, one of the most important Byzantine monuments in the whole of Greece and a place that figures largely in legend.

Naoussa, one of the prettiest villages in the Cyclades, with whitewashed houses, narrow paved alleys, arches and tiny chapels, can also offer a range of excellent beaches and attracts many visitors each summer.

Among the beaches near Naoussa, special mention should be made of Kolimbithres, where huge rocks eroded into strange shapes remind the visitor of sculptures embedded in the sand.

Marpissa is an attractive large village of Paros with a Venetian castle and beautiful churches.

Santorini
Santorini is a small island, located at the south end of the Cyclades island complex, but one of the best-know, differ from the other islands in the group thanks to its geological morphology, the result of action by a volcano now dormant. Her name is officially Thera but Santorini is how the island is calls most of the time. She covers an area of 96 km2 and has a total coastline of 69 kilometres.

The landscape on the western side of island,where towering cliffs crowned by tiny and blindingly-white houses plunge straight into the depths of the sea.

The steep coastline of the west is countered by the vast beaches of the east side ,some of them sandy and others with pebbles.

Syros
The northern part of Syros is mountainous and the island stands out in general for the variety of the landscape in its hinterland, where hills alternate with low-lying farming areas. The coastline is indented with inlets of all sizes between capes. There are two large bays, of Ermoupoli to the east and Finikas to the west.

Ermoupoli, "Queen of the Cyclades", is the capital and main harbour It is also without doubt the capital of all the Cyclades. Ermoupoli stands on a naturally amphitheatrical site, with neo-classical buildings, old mansions and white houses in the island style cascading down to the harbour. The centre of the town, where Miaouli Square stands ringed with cafes, has a grandeur all its own.

Among the most important buildings are the Town Hall and the Apollo Municipal Theatre, which is a copy in miniature of La Scala, Milan. There is also a statue of Admiral Miaoulis. Ermoupoli has numerous magnificent churches, the most interesting of which are those dedicated to the Transfiguration, the Dormition of Our Lady, St Demetrius, the Three Hierarchs, and the St Nicolas.

Ano Syros, with its walls, narrow lanes and arches, has kept much of its medieval character. The steep streets and countless steps lend the town the charm of a bygone age. At very top of the town is the Catholic Cathedral of St. George, next to which stands the Centre for Historical Studies. Not far below are the monasteries of the Jesuits and Capucins. In the centre of the town is the Town Hall, and the Museum devoted to the popular composer Markos Vamvakaris, revered as one of the masters of Greek music.

On the north-east side of island are Halandriani and Kastri hill, where important prehistoric finds have been made. The beaches of north-west Siros are difficult to reach.

The best beaches are also here, including Galissas, a fine, large resort with a long sandy beach; Possidonia or Delagratsia, a coastal area with a good beach at Agathopes and neo-classical houses of great architectural interest; Vari, with an attractive beach, Finikas bay, Kini and Gialos.