Cyclades Holiday Guide

UK tour operators offer charter flights to Santorini and Mykonos in the summer; otherwise it's a case of flying to Athens and catching a ferry to the final spot, or an internal flight, such as to Naxos.

Intra-island ferry travel is a way of life in Greece and many ferries on the popular routes have seriously improved in recent years.

When on some of the islands, donkey is still a main mode of transport - otherwise car or moped rental is available on bigger islands like Mykonos, Santorini, Paros and Naxos, but make sure you get a helmet and take it easy on mountain roads.

Taxis ply their trade and modest public bus services operate on bigger islands - for true escapism, consider Heraklion, where no cars are allowed. You can get around on foot, by donkey or by caique, traditional Greek sailing boats.

Sun bathers on holiday in the Cyclades Islands will be spoilt for choice. On busy Mykonos, there's golden beach after golden beach, from Agios Stefanos, to Psarou, Elia and Panormos.

The second port town of Amorgos, Aegiali, is famed for its superb sandy beaches. Naxos has 55 miles of idyllic beaches, from Aghios Georgios close to Naxos Town all the way around to beautiful Pyrgaki beach in the south.

On Paros, take a boat trip to Kolymbithres with its unusual rock formations. Windsurfers should head to Chryssi Akti. For true escapism, docile Antiparos has many lovely beaches, such as Despotiko.

Ios offers busy Milopotas and much quieter Agia Theodoti, Kalamas, Plakes, Tzamaria, Kolitsani and Manganari. On Santorini you'll find a mix of black volcanic sand beaches, such as Perissa and red-sand Akrotiri.

On Mykonos, have a wander around the church complex on the low hills of Kastro known as Our Lady 'Paraportiani', and now a national cultural monument. Take a short side trip by boat to check out the archaeologists' dream island - Delos, a political and spiritual centre of ancient Greece.

Amorgos has ruins all over the island, as this was once a place of great importance for the Cycladic civilisation.

Naxos Town stands on a natural hillside amphitheatrical site and is also known for its Venetian castle. Go to the Archaeological Museum to find out more.

Paros was another centre of the Cycladic civilization and the island capital of Parikia (or Paros Town) is built on the site of an ancient city. There's a ruined Venetian castle to take pictures of.

Santorini geologically differs from the other islands because of its dormant volcano - Oia (pronounced Ea) - and scattered 'calderas', smaller volcano cones. Capital Thira is a site of great archaeological interest while the town of Akrotiri also reveals Minoan volcano-devastated ruins reminiscent of Pompeii. Thira is reached by cable car from the harbour, by donkey or by 800 strenuous steps.

Beautiful Andros, the most northerly island in the Cyclades and the second largest, is also becoming very popular for its archaeological aspects, great restaurants and excellent beaches.

Waterside fish restaurants with checked table clothes, backstreet tavernas, Greek salad with crumbling feta and fat olives, moussaka, mezze with endless little tasty dishes - what's not to like about this nation's cuisine?

In the bigger resort towns on Ios, Paros, Mykonos, Santorini you can expect more familiar fare and international options.

Ouzo's the local firewater - to be tried cautiously.

The best nightlife can be found on Paros, busy Santorini and particularly Mykonos with its lively gay scene and beaches like Paradise, Super Paradise and Elia where the bars don't close just because the sun's set.

Don't be surprised when sleepy Ios turns into a lively, young playground after dark, with plenty of bars attracting island-hopping students.

With their well-established tourist reputation Mykonos, with its fashionable boutiques and top designer labels, and Santorini's Thira have the lion's share of the best shopping in the Cyclades.

Leather, jewellery, embroidery, arts and crafts - the same souvenirs and best buys here are as you would expect in any part of Greece.

There aren't really big hotels with non-stop activities and kids clubs. But for anyone who's more independently minded or fancies a sailing holiday these Greek islands won't disappoint.

The beaches are obviously perfect, there are lots of ruins to discover and excellent villas with pools offer the perfect option for self-catering family holidays.