Cyclades

The Cyclades are the archipelago most people picture when they picture Greece: some two dozen inhabited islands circling sacred Delos, whitewash and bare rock scattered across the central Aegean.

Destinations

Donoussa

Editor's note. Donoussa is the first island published on the Lodvy Atlas of Hospitality — the debut entry in what will become a slow, hand-curated guide to independent stays across the Mediterranean and beyond. Every atlas page pairs hand-w…

2 stays

Guide

Naxos

Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades, 428 km² of marble mountains, farming valleys, and beaches that stretch longer than the narrow crescents typical of the archipelago. The port town of Naxos (Chora) sits on the west coast beneath t…

1 stay

Guide

About Cyclades

Editor's note. The Cyclades are where the Lodvy Atlas begins — island by island, guide by guide. Not every island is here yet; each one arrives when its page can pair honest editorial with independent stays you can book direct, host to guest, with no platform between you.

The Cyclades are the archipelago most people picture when they picture Greece: some two dozen inhabited islands circling sacred Delos, whitewash and bare rock scattered across the central Aegean. The famous names — Santorini, Mykonos — are real, and really crowded. The quiet ones are just as real: the Small Cyclades, ferry-linked villages where a handful of family-run rooms make up the entire hospitality of the island. Distances are short and the ferry network does the work, so the archipelago rewards slowness — one island held for days beats four collected like stamps. Summers are dry and wind-scoured; the meltemi that rakes the Aegean in July and August is why afternoon swims happen on the lee side. The stays listed in this atlas are independent by definition: small, owner-run, and bookable directly.

Getting there

Ferries: Blue Star and SeaJets from Piraeus reach most of the archipelago; Rafina serves Andros, Tinos and Mykonos faster. Island-to-island connections run daily in summer.
Airports: Santorini (JTR), Mykonos (JMK), Naxos (JNX), Paros (PAS), Milos (MLO) and Syros (JSY) — then ferries onward to the smaller islands.
Getting around: the big islands have buses and rentals; on the small ones you walk, or your host picks you up at the port.

When to visit

BestMay · June · September · early October

AvoidAugust (peak crowds on the famous islands) · November–March (sparse ferries · most stays closed)

Suggested itineraries

5 days

One island, taken slowly. Pick a quiet one, unpack once, learn the beaches by foot.

10 days

Two or three islands on a single ferry line — say Naxos, then down into the Small Cyclades.

2+ weeks

The slow loop: a famous island for the sights, then small ones until the ferry timetable stops mattering.

Edited by James · Published September 2026