Villas in Cyclades

Santorini is the Cyclades choice for caldera views and a special occasion. Mykonos suits groups who want beach clubs and nightlife; Paros and Naxos have the best sandy beaches and a more relaxed, family-friendly pace; Kea, an hour's ferry from near Athens, is the quiet option. Expect strong summer winds and high prices in July and August.

Where

Villas: 74
From, per week: £506
Cheapest month: December
Nearest airports: Santorini and Mykonos have direct summer flights from the UK, around four hours from London. Paros, Naxos and Milos have smaller airports with flights from Athens. Kea and Andros have no airport: fly to Athens and take the ferry from Lavrio (Kea) or Rafina (Andros). Strong wind can delay or cancel ferries, so leave slack before your flight home.

Where to stay in Cyclades

Santorini: Akrotiri and Oia

Most of our Santorini villas are around Akrotiri, a village at the quieter south-western tip of the island. The excavated Bronze Age town of ancient Akrotiri is close by, and the lighthouse at the end of the headland is a sunset spot without Oia's crowds. Oia, at the northern tip, is the famous blue-domed sunset village. Santorini airport is around half an hour from Akrotiri.

Best for: Couples marking a special occasion with sunsets and caldera views

Not for you if: You want soft sandy beaches: Santorini's beaches are dark volcanic sand and pebble, and Oia is packed at sunset.

Paros: Naoussa, Parikia and Ampelas

Paros combines good beaches with real working towns. Naoussa, in the north, has a small fishing harbour lined with tavernas and bars, and Parikia is the main port. Ampelas, a few kilometres east of Naoussa, is a small fishing village with a shallow, sandy beach that suits children. Paros airport has flights from Athens, and Naxos is a short ferry hop away.

Best for: Families and couples who want sandy beaches and lively harbour towns

Not for you if: You want a direct flight from the UK: Paros is reached by ferry or a domestic flight from Athens.

Mykonos

Mykonos Town has the whitewashed lanes, windmills and the Little Venice waterfront, with the south-coast beaches a short drive away. Boats run to Delos, one of Greece's great archaeological sites, in roughly half an hour; you cannot stay overnight on Delos, so it is a day trip. Mykonos airport is a few minutes from town, with direct summer flights from the UK.

Best for: Groups and couples who want beach clubs, restaurants and nightlife

Not for you if: You want peace or value in July and August: Mykonos is the busiest and most expensive island in the group.

Kea

Kea, also called Tzia, is the closest Cycladic island to Athens. Ferries from Lavrio take around 40 minutes to an hour and run all year, and Lavrio is within an hour's drive of Athens airport, so you can be on the island the day you land. There is no airport and no big resort: expect walking trails, small coves and fish tavernas.

Best for: A quiet, unfussy island within easy reach of Athens

Not for you if: You want the classic whitewashed postcard or any nightlife: Kea is low-key and fills up with Athenians at weekends.

Naxos

Naxos has some of the best sandy beaches in the Cyclades, running south of Naxos Town past Agios Prokopios and Plaka. The town has a Venetian quarter and the marble Portara gateway by the harbour, and the mountain villages inland are worth a day. Naxos airport, about 3 km from town, has flights from Athens, and Paros is a short ferry ride away.

Best for: Families who want long sandy beaches and plenty to explore

Not for you if: You want a compact island where everything is close: Naxos is the largest of the Cyclades, so you will be driving.

Syros, Andros, Tinos and Milos

Syros has the elegant capital Ermoupoli, Tinos is known for its marble villages and its pilgrimage church, Andros for green valleys and walking trails, and Milos for its volcanic coastline and the white rocks of Sarakiniko. Andros is reached by ferry from Rafina, close to Athens airport, while Milos has flights from Athens.

Best for: Return visitors after a quieter, more local island

Not for you if: You want a wide choice: we have only a handful of villas across these four islands.

When to go to Cyclades

June and September are the best months for most people: the sea is warm, the days are long and there are fewer people than in July and August. The meltemi, a strong, dry north wind, blows on and off from around mid-May to mid-September, strongest in the afternoons, and can delay ferries and make exposed beaches choppy. August is the busiest and most expensive month. From November to March many restaurants and beach bars close and ferry timetables thin out.