CYCLADES

Jewels of the Greek Islands

The Cyclades (Greek: Κυκλάδες) are undoubtedly the most famous archipelago of Greece and include the most beautiful islands in the world.

Almost everyone knows the photos of beautiful blue-and-white houses clinging to steep cliffs with breathtaking views of the open sea. Add to that beautiful beaches, ubiquitous windmills, scattered lonely churches, traditions, Greek music, typical hospitality - and you get a cocktail that will suddenly transform even the most desolate landscape into an oasis of peace and tranquility with experiences of a lifetime.

The Cyclades are among the most popular tourist areas in Greece.

These islands form an imaginary circle around the sacred island of Delos, where, according to legend, the goddess Artemis and her brother Apollo were born. And it is from the imaginary circle (the Greek "cyclades" can be translated as islands in a circle) that the archipelago got its name.

The islands located outside this circle were then named Sporades (Greek "sporádes" means scattered).

The Cyclades include 30 larger islands and around 190 smaller islets. Most of the islands are arid, almost without forests and suffer from a lack of water.

The most famous islands of the Cyclades include Santorini (also Thira or Thera), Mykonos, Milos, Naxos, Paros, Andros, Delos, Amorgos, Ios, Folegandros, Syros, Tinos, Kea, Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, Sikinos, Anafi, Kimolos and Antiparos.

In addition to the classic summer season, you can also go to the Cyclades in April or May, when the islands are still green, full of flowers and have a pleasantly fresh climate. However, you must take into account that many accommodations, taverns and shops will still be closed.

Despite their great popularity and the associated high number of visitors, the Cyclades still retain their distinctive character. The Cycladic islands have similar features, but each island is unique and exceptional in something.

How to get there

The gateway to the Cyclades is the international airports on Santorini and Mykonos. Some islands have local flights to Athens. If you are driving your own car, the starting point will be the ports of Piraeus, Rafina or Lavrio, from where ferries depart to all the Cyclades islands.

Climate

All the islands in the Aegean Sea, including the Cyclades, are affected by a wind called the "meltemi" during the summer months.

The meltemi is a strong, dry, northerly wind that blows mainly in the Aegean Sea and the eastern Mediterranean from late May to late September. It is caused by the pressure difference between Europe and the Middle East.

In the Cyclades region, the meltemi gains great strength because there are no obstacles in its way north of the Cyclades. In addition, the Cyclades are located in the narrowest part of the Aegean Sea between the Greek and Turkish mainlands. All this means that the Cyclades islands are exposed to very strong winds.

The meltemi can reach considerable strength, up to 7-8 degrees on the Beaufort scale.

While it provides refreshing cooling in the summer heat, it also causes large waves and gusts of wind, especially in the narrow straits between the islands, making shipping difficult. It is a great pleasure for water sports enthusiasts such as windsurfing and kiteboarding.

If you like sunbathing on the beach, I will give you a good advice - avoid open, unprotected sandy beaches, which are located on the northern and northwestern coasts of the islands in the Aegean Sea. Meltemi will be a very unpleasant companion for you. Not only because you will have sand literally everywhere, but most likely you will not even be able to swim because of the big waves.

he meltemi gains its greatest strength in the strait between the islands of Rhodes and Crete, where the islands of Karpathos and Kasos are located. That is why Karpathos is called the "island of the winds".