Cyclades Honeymoon Guide

Enjoy island hopping on a honeymoon or romantic getaways holiday through the islands of the Cyclades. Take a day trip or stay longer to explore sugar-cube villages and relax on stunning beaches in Mykonos, Santorini, Naxos and Ios.

The Cyclades island group comprises Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Ios and Mykonos, plus a number of smaller islands. The Cyclades are located in the Aegean Sea, south-east of mainland Greece.


Mykonos


The most glamorous and expensive of all the Greek islands boasts everything you need for a perfect Greek island honeymoon holiday.

Discover picturesque whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches, classy boutique shopping, exciting nightlife and a selection of long sandy beaches ranging from family-friendly and cosmopolitan to secluded and clothing optional.

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Santorini

The glamorous island of Santorini is often considered the most dramatically beautiful of all the Greek Islands and, along with Mykonos, is also one of the most expensive.

But don’t let the cost put you off travelling here, for Santorini offers all the necessary ingredients for the perfect Greek Islands holiday.

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Ios

The famous ‘party island’ of Ios is just a short ferry ride from Santorini, making it a great option for day trip.

Of course you can always stay longer with a choice of holiday accommodation and activities, from simply relaxing on some of Greece’s best beaches, to swimming, diving, windsurfing and water skiing.

Read more about Ios


Naxos

Naxos is the largest and most fertile island in the Cyclades, famous for its long golden-sand beaches and crystalline turquoise waters.

Away from the coast, discover a mountainous interior scattered with traditional whitewashed villages and a network of old footpaths – perfect for hiking – that snake between hilltop villages, old Byzantine churches and ancient Venetian ruins.

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Paros

With its picturesque landscape of undulating verdant hills sprinkled with whitewashed villages, unspoiled fishing villages, lively nightlife and beautiful beaches, Paros offers all the ingredients you need for a perfect Greek Islands honeymoon holiday.

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Milos

This beautiful island is famous for its surreal coastal landscape indented with caves, colourful volcanic rock formations and magnificent beaches shelving into turquoise coves.

Inland sit picturesque villages of sugar-cube houses and whitewashed windmills. It was on Milos (pronounced mee-loss) that the famous statue of Aphrodite of Milos was discovered in 1820.

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Delos

Discover the World Heritage-listed Delos, one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. This tiny uninhabited island is the mythical birthplace of the twins Apollo and Artemis.

Hike up the rocky Mount Kythnos to get a stunning view of the surrounding islands. Stroll around the magnificent Sanctuary of Apollo and the much-photographed Terrace of the Lions, featuring five crouching stone lions, guardians of the Sacred Lake.

Don’t miss the Archaeological Museum with its exhibits of archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman sculptures, including the Archaic Sphinx of the Naxians and Acroteria from the Temple of the Athenians.


Tinos

Apart from picturesque mountain villages, beautiful beaches and tranquil coves, Tinos is noted for its huge and impressive Church of the Panagia (Church of the Virgin Mary), which contains the icon of the Panagia Evangelistria.

During August, this is one of the most important pilgrimage sites of the Greek Orthodox Church.

One of the best beaches on Tinos is Kolympithra Beach, located 20 kilometres north of Tinos. Here, nestled beneath rocky hills and fringed by trees, are two beautiful white-sand beaches protected from winds and offering crystal clear waters ideal for swimming. Facilities include nearby tavernas and café-bars.


Siros

Discover farming communities, archaeological remains, stunning beaches and the busy port of Ermoupolis, with its collection of elegant town houses and handsome Venetian and neoclassical buildings in one of the most beautiful towns in Greece.

Stroll uphill from the harbour to Ano Siros (upper Siros) to discover the old city walls, narrow cobbled streets, arcades and an old fortress or head to a secluded beach.

Siros is also one of the centres of rembetika, a form of Greek traditional music with roots in Asia Minor.

The tree-lined golden sands of Galissas Beach, located just 5km from Eroupolis, offer sheltered waters that are ideal for children and families. Beachside facilities include sun beds, umbrellas and water sport activities including windsurfing. The beach sits close to a choice of hotels, tavernas, cafes and bars.


Sifnos

The most popular of the western Cyclades, Sifnos is a green island of gently undulating hills, ravines, mountaintops and natural, unspoilt secluded beaches.

Don’t miss picturesque Apollonia in the central hills, with its distinctive white sugar-cube houses, flowered balconies, shady squares, the medieval kastro (castle) and Platis Yialos, a quiet beach resort.

Explore the island on foot, swim at a secluded beach such as Vroulidia, Chrissopigi, Faros or Heronissos, and in the evening head to one of the many bars and nightclubs along the waterfront of Kamares and in the narrow alleyways of Apollonia.


Folegandros

Free of cars, Folegandros is one of the most beautiful and least spoiled of the characteristic villages in the Cyclades.

Stroll along narrow cobblestone paved streets and alleys past typical Cycladic houses with whitewashed walls and colourful windows and doors, then cool of with a swim at one of the many unspoilt beaches that typically nestle in small rock framed coves.

Try the quiet, tiny white-sand beach at Ambell, around 8km northwest of Folegrandros town or the slightly larger and more popular Agali Beach, with ideal swimming conditions and beachside tavernas just 5km from Folegrandros town.


Best time to visit the Cyclades

The best time to visit the Cyclades is during spring and early summer, from April to June, and the first two weeks of September, when the excessive summer heat has passed – the seawater is still warm, the crowds have left and all the facilities are still open.

July and August are the peak summer months when all the islands see the most visitors and prices sky-rocket.

The Cyclades enjoys a Mediterranean climate with long hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.

Summer, from June to September, enjoys daily averages of 29°C (84°F) peaking around 35°C on occasions. You can expect average highs of 27°C (81°F) in June, 30°C (86°F) in July, 29°C (84°F) in August and 27°C (81°F) in September.

A cool refreshing sea breeze - the Meltimi – is fairly consistent throughout summer. Sea temperatures peak around 25°C (77°F) in August.

Spring temperatures average a high of 15°C (59°F) in March, 18°C (64°F) in April and 23°C (73°F) in May.

Autumn sees an average high of 22°C (72°F) in October and 17°C (63°F) in November.

Winter averages 13°C (55°F) from December to February, with January the coldest month with a high of 12°C (53°F) and a low of 6°C (43°F).

October, November and December are the wettest months, with light showers during spring and autumn and occassional rainfalls in summer.

Seasons

High season: July and August, when hotel and restaurant prices sky-rocket.

Low season: From March to June – the temperature is cooler, hotel prices are more reasonable and the crowds non-existent.

Note: The winter off-season, from November through February, is generally quiet everywhere; many hotels, restaurants and bars close down and the beaches are deserted. Ferry and air services are dramatically reduced.


Getting there

By ferry, Mykonos is half an hour from Tinos and Syros, one and a half hours from Naxos, one hour from Paros, less than three hours from Ios and six hours from Santorini and Piraeus (the port of Athens).

High-speed catamarans make the journey from Pireaus to Mykonos in three hours. Time-pressed couples can fly direct to the main islands of the Cyclades in less than one hour, with daily flights from Athens.


More about the Cyclades…


Latest update: Where to Honeymoon in the Cyclades: 3 June, 2024



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