The Cyclades

Two weeks in the Cyclades: four islands — legendary Santorini for the caldera and cliff-top villages, Folegandros for its understated charm, Sifnos for food and beaches, Milos for volcanic coves and the lunar landscape of Sarakiniko.

Day 1: Brussels → Santorini

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Santorini (Thira) is the most iconic island in the Cyclades: a volcanic caldera with white-and-blue villages clinging to the cliffs. The eruption that shaped it, around 1600 BC, remains at the heart of its identity.

For once, we take the train this year — the flight only leaves around 11 a.m. Flight to Santorini via Athens, arrival a little later than planned. Pick up the rental car at the airport, then check in at Aura Marina Apartments in Akrotiri (about a 20-minute drive) — warm welcome from Georges, pool facing the caldera.

First evening in Akrotiri, a village in the south of the island, quieter than Fira or Oia: white lanes, a Venetian castle above, and the neighbouring archaeological site (the « Pompeii of the Aegean ») close by. Dinner at restaurant Mitseli.

Island specialities:

• tomatokeftedes — local cherry-tomato fritters with mint and herbs
• fava — yellow split-pea purée (PDO), velvety and naturally mild
• white eggplant — low in seeds, almost no oil when fried; excellent as melitzanosalata
• chloro — fresh, creamy artisan goat’s cheese

Day 2: Santorini

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Breakfast at café Akrothiri in the village of the same name (less than a 10-minute walk from the apartment), then the classic caldera hike: Fira → Oia (~10 km). We park in a free car park in Imerovigli, a little below the bus stop. Fira, the administrative capital, stretches along the cliff with shops and museums; the path leaves from there, sea on the left, white villages in the distance, as far as Oia, the postcard village of the Cyclades — blue domes, cave houses and legendary sunsets. Better to arrive mid-afternoon than at sunset hour if you still want room to breathe.

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Arrival in Oia and Agios Giorgios church

Ice-cream stop with toppings for the kids at ChillBox before heading back. Buses are flagged down at the stop — ticket €2.20.

Day 3: Santorini

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To Kamari, east-coast resort with black pebbles and a developed seafront. From there, climb to Ancient Thera, a Hellenistic city perched on Mesa Vouno: temples, agora, theatre and plunging views over both bays — Kamari on one side, Perissa on the other. Entry €10 (free for under-18s and students).

Down to Perissa, Kamari’s longer twin, same black sand, a freer atmosphere. Boat Perissa → Kamari and a swim. Lunch at Corner Food Diner (Greek omelette and more).

Day 4: Santorini

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Morning pool and terrace coffee at Daily Coffee. Back to Oia: Sunset parking if the free one is full. Walk through the village, then down to Amoudi, the small harbour at the foot of the cliff — feet-in-the-water tavernas, fishing boats, and a few rocks for a swim away from the crowds. Lunch near the windmills at Ellenika — vine leaves, anchovies, octopus salad, souvlaki and a glass of Vinsanto.

Afternoon at Vlychada: the Tomato Museum, a former industrial site reimagined, tells how the island lived from canning before tourism. Just beside it, the long black-sand beach under ochre cliffs — the same colour as the old factory chimney. Quieter than Kamari or Perissa, a bit more swell, cooler water.

End of the day in Pyrgos, the island’s former capital, on a hill in the centre of Santorini. Park below (the upper lot fills up) and climb to the Castro after greeting three colourful donkeys — great view from a little square where you can sip a drink. A windy meltemi Sunday: shops in Pyrgos and Megalochori closed; a Carrefour Express in Emborio, a medieval village of narrow lanes, saves the day for bruschetta and Greek salad at the apartment.

Day 5: Santorini → Folegandros

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Last morning in Akrotiri: walk up to the Venetian castle, coffee at Café Akri (open only two weeks, lovely Cycladic décor — cappuccino, orange juice, and the classic freddo espresso / freddo cappuccino). Attempt at Red Beach, a cove of red pebbles under lava cliffs: packed car parks, too tight before returning the car — we skip it.

To Athinios port, Santorini’s « new » harbour tucked into the caldera. The Seajets runs a little late; peaceful crossing to Folegandros, a small, well-preserved island often compared to Santorini before mass tourism.

At the harbour, the white Nissan from Kountouris is waiting. Check-in at Levanda house, Lithia Villas (~1.5 km from Chora) — fruit, water and breakfast in the fridge, tips from Hari, pool with sea views.

Evening in Ano Meria, farming hamlet in the west: low houses, dry-stone walls, far from postcard scenery. Mezze at taverna Irini, then up to Panagia monastery above Chora — the medieval capital, Venetian Kastro, paved lanes and church squares. Outstanding sunset from Panagia. Stroll through Chora, dinner at To Zik.

Useful links: folegandros.gr and trails at routes.folegandros.gr.

Island specialities:

• matsata — handmade fresh pasta, often with rabbit or rooster stew
• soufiko — summer vegetable stew in olive oil
• thyme honey — from the island’s dry hills
• kakavia — fisherman’s soup of the day

Day 6: Folegandros

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Breakfast on the Cycladic-coloured terrace. Hike Ano Meria → Livadaki on the monopatia — follow FL signs and blue dots. Livadaki is an enclosed cove, turquoise water, mainly reached on foot: the descent is rewarded with a swim almost alone. Climb back and lunch at taverna Irini (marsala chicken, Greek salad, aubergine, courgette, lemon-sauce meatballs…).

Pool time, then evening in Chora: visit the Kastro, the fortified core where houses still form a rampart, dinner at To Spitiko in a quiet lane.

Day 7: Folegandros

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Hike towards Fira and Agali beaches via Christos church. Fira (not to be confused with Santorini’s) is a small, almost empty pebble beach; Agali, lower down, is the main sandy bay on the south coast, with tavernas and easier access — the contrast is worth it. Swim at Fira almost alone; at Agali we save the swim for later with the whole family.

Afternoon snack in Ano Meria at Chrisospila Honey Coffee & Shop, then back to Agali together — swim and a short climb towards Agios Giorgios, a chapel above the bay. Evening in Chora: dinner at Eva’s Garden (courtyard garden), then watermelon pie and ice cream at Parasagas.

Day 8: Folegandros → Sifnos

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Quiet morning in Chora (photos without the crowds), bread at Pascalis Bakery, last pool session. Part of the group stays at Karavostasis, the island’s port — sandy beach, Anemomilos windmills nearby, more village than resort. The others hike to Katergo (~30 min return): pebble beach under cliffs, very clear water, few people even in season — a boat drops a few passengers, but the cove stays far from crowded.

Excellent mezze on the beach at I Pardalo. Return the car, Seajets a little late, stop at Milos before Sifnos, island of Cycladic gastronomy and potters.

Pick up the car at Kamares, the main harbour in a crescent bay, groceries at AB supermarket, check-in at Villa Irini in Platis Gialos — long southern sandy beach, seafront restaurants, pool at the apartment.

Island specialities:

• revithada — chickpeas slow-cooked overnight in the village oven
• mastelo — lamb or kid with red wine and dill in a clay pot
• melopita — fresh myzithra and thyme-honey pie
• amygdalota — soft almond cakes

Trails: Sifnos Trails.

Day 9: Sifnos

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Walk on foot: Apollonia, Sifnos’s capital, is built around « steno » lanes of shops and tavernas; then Artemonas, a more residential area with neoclassical mansions and gardens; then Kastro, a medieval fortified village clinging to the cliff — churches tucked into the walls, labyrinth lanes, sea views everywhere. Drink and visit, coffee near the bus stop, bus back to Apollonia (€2.20/person).

Pool and beach in the afternoon. Dinner in Faros, a small south-east harbour, at Ammos — open for a month, very good.

Day 10: Sifnos

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Beach morning and paddle rental at Platis Gialos (life jacket required). Then hike Faros → Chrysopigi monastery (~35 min, well-maintained path): the white monastery sits on a thin spit between two coves, Glyfo and Apokofto — one of Sifnos’s most photographed views. Option to jump from the rocks near the monastery. Snack stop at Ammos (Django ice cream, Greek halva). Evening in Artemonas.

Day 11: Sifnos

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Morning in Vathi bay, a peaceful fjord on the west of the island: calm water, potters still at work, restaurants on the sand. Lunch at the beach restaurant.

Afternoon walk Kastro → Agia Ti Poulati from the car park: white Byzantine church facing the sea, one of Sifnos’s finest viewpoints. Then on to the Chapel of the Seven Martyrs, a tiny white church stuck to the rock at the end of Kastro — postcard cliché, but earned. Ice cream at Way Cup Coffee and Julius in Platis Gialos.

Day 12: Sifnos → Milos

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Coffee at Way Cup, then Seajets to Milos, a volcanic island with more than 70 beaches in varied colours. Pick up the car, first look at the fishing harbours: Mandrakia and Firopotamos, with their syrmata — brightly painted boat shelters glued to the cliff at water level. Quick stop at Sarakiniko, the lunar bay of white rocks sculpted by wind and sea — already a little in the shade; we will come back early morning. Dinner near the lodging at Alivromelos.

Island specialities:

• pitarakia — fried half-moon pastries with fresh cheese
• ladenia — tomato, onion and olive-oil focaccia
• Milos capers — hand-picked from volcanic cliffs
• Milos kakavia — fisherman’s soup with a mineral edge

Day 13: Milos

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Breakfast at Katrami and bakery Artepimata… Kai Alla (watermelon pie, croissants…).

To Fyriplaka, a large sand-and-pebble beach under ochre and red cliffs: one of the most accessible on the south coast, with SUP, kayak (to neighbouring Tsigrado, a dramatic enclosed cove) or boat without a licence. Then Paleochori, a little further east: longer beach, turquoise water, coloured cliffs — we reach the sand via the cliff path from the upper car park rather than the lower one.

Groceries in Apollonia, pool time, then sunset from Plaka castle. Plaka, hilltop village and « capital » of Milos, is a maze of white lanes; from the castle the view takes in Adamas, the bay and, on a clear day, neighbouring islands.

Day 14: Milos

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Day at sea with Odysseus (Milos & Poliegos). The plan shifts because of the wind: three stops. Kleftiko, a corridor of white cliffs, arches and caves where pirates once hid — swim in unreal blue water, reachable only by boat. Gerakas, a wilder, lesser-known cove. A final beach to finish.

Dinner at Rizes in Trypiti, the village next to Plaka above Klima: early Christian catacombs, ancient theatre, and the spot where the Venus de Milo was found. Then Loukoumades in Plaka for honey-fried doughnuts.

Day 15: Milos → Brussels

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Early return to Sarakiniko just after 8 a.m. — still quiet, the white light on the volcanic rock is worth it before the cruise coaches. Drinks at Ice Monkey in Adamas, Milos’s main port, with a sea view. Picnic from Artemis bakery, then the tiny Milos airport and the flight via Athens.

Practical information

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Flights

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Outbound — Brussels → Santorini (day 1)

Return — Milos → Brussels (day 15)

Ferries (Seajets)

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Book on Seajets, Ferryhopper or Ferryscanner. Timetables can shift on the day.

Car rental

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Accommodation

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Activity list

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Santorini

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Villages & sites

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• ⭐ Must-see — Akrotiri prehistoric site — buried Minoan city (the « Pompeii of the Aegean »)
• Megalochori — lanes, bell towers and cave houses; pleasant in the evening
• ⭐ Must-see — Pyrgos — former capital, Venetian castle, 360° views; less crowded than Oia
• Emporio — medieval kastro, narrow lanes and windmills
• Vothonas — houses carved into the rock; off the bus routes
• Canava / wineries around Pyrgos or Megalochori — assyrtiko and barrel-aged wines
• ⭐ Must-see — Oia — postcard village and sunset; go before 6 p.m. or outside July–August to avoid the crush
• Amoudi — small harbour below Oia (walk down or taxi); waterfront tavernas
• Museum of Prehistoric Thera (Fira) — complements Akrotiri with frescoes and artefacts

Hiking

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• ⭐ Must-do — Caldera trail Fira → Oia (~10 km, 3 h) — start early; sea on your left in this direction
• Mesa Vouno & ancient Thera — steep climb, Hellenistic ruins, caldera and sea views; quiet
• Profitis Ilias (567 m) — highest point, panorama over the whole island
• Akrotiri → Red Beach — short coastal path; the beach is packed, the view from the trail is worth it

Boat

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• Caïque south coast (from Vlychada or Akrotiri) — White Beach, Red Beach from the sea, caves
• ⭐ Must-do — Nea Kameni + Palea Kameni hot springs — active volcano and warm baths; prefer a small boat early morning
• Sunset sailing from Vlychada — more intimate than large catamarans from Fira
• Kayak rental — south coast from Vlychada or Red Beach; coves and volcanic cliffs up close, best in calm morning seas

Food & experiences

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• Cycladic cooking class — tomatokeftedes, fava, melitzanosalata; workshops in Pyrgos or Megalochori (half-day, market + cooking)
• Barrel-wine tasting — Santo Wines (caldera view) or smaller estates like Sigalas / Hatzidakis
• Wine walk in Pyrgos — string together 2–3 canaves on foot in the evening when the light on the caldera is beautiful

Restaurants & views

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• Selene (Pyrgos) — high-end local cuisine, island produce; book well ahead
• Metaxi Mas (Exo Gonia, near Pyrgos) — Cretan-Cycladic food, terrace with a view
• Aktaion (Akrotiri) — fish and mezze; close to the archaeological site and base
• Amoudi tavernas — feet in the water, grilled fish; sunset from the terrace

Folegandros

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Villages & sites

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• ⭐ Must-see — Chora — Venetian Kastro, lanes and church square
• ⭐ Must-see — Panagia — climb from Chora (~20 min); outstanding sunset
• Ano Meria — farming hamlet and ecological/folklore museum
• Karavostasis — peaceful port; Anemomilos windmills nearby
• Kimisis tis Panagias church (Kastro) — frescoes and Venetian architecture in the heart of Chora

Hiking

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• ⭐ Must-do — Chora → Panagia → Chora — short, ideal at sunset
• ⭐ Must-do — Aspropounta lighthouse trail — ~4 h return from Ano Meria; wild coast, few people
• Chora → Livadaki — via Agali or coastal path; enclosed cove
• Chora → Petousis → Ano Meria — inland crossing between dry-stone walls and olive groves

Boat

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• ⭐ Must-do — Island caïque tour — stops at Katergo, Livadaki, Sikia cave
• Agali → secluded beaches — Agios Nikolaos, Galifos; small local boats
• Kayak rental — Agali bay; access to neighbouring coves (Galifos, Agios Nikolaos) with no trail

Food & experiences

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• Matsata class or demo — handmade Folegandros pasta with chicken or hare; some Chora tavernas offer workshops on request
• Sunset dinner at Panagia — climb 45 min before dusk, descend to dine in Chora
• Local cheese tasting — xinotyro, chloro (fresh cheese) at a deli or taverna in Ano Meria

Restaurants & views

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• Pounda (Chora) — modern Greek cuisine, panoramic terrace over the sea
• Matsata (Chora) — house matsata specialist; unmissable on the island
• Irene’s Cookhouse (Chora) — tables on the square, village atmosphere; generous daily specials
• Agali taverna — feet in the water after a beach or kayak day

Sifnos

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Villages & sites

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• ⭐ Must-see — Kastro — medieval fortified village; visit early morning
• Artemonas — neoclassical mansions; pedestrian link with Apollonia
• ⭐ Must-see — Apollonia — capital and « steno » lanes
• ⭐ Must-see — Chrysopigi monastery — headland and sunset
• Pottery workshops — Vathi, Platis Gialos, Cheronisos
• Byzantine churches — Panagia Poulati (between Artemonas and Kastro), Agios Andreas (Mycenaean) for archaeology enthusiasts

Hiking

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• ⭐ Must-do — Profitis Ilias (Agios Sostis) — ~2 h, central panorama (Sifnos Trails #1)
• Artemonas → Kastro → Faros — monopatia (ancient paths) between villages and sea
• Apollonia → Profitis Ilias of Apollonia — short climb, circular view
• Kamares → Agios Sostis → Cheronisos — wilder north coast

Boat

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• ⭐ Must-do — Poliegos — deserted island (Natura 2000), wild coves; departures from Kamares or Platis Gialos
• South coast & caves — Hermoupolis, Fykiada from the sea
• Vathi by boat — anchor in the village fjord
• Dolphins & wild coast — half-day cruise towards Poliegos; frequent dolphin sightings off Sifnos (book from Kamares or Platis Gialos)

Food & experiences

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• ⭐ Must-do — Sifnian cooking class — revithada (oven chickpeas), mastelo, amigdalota; birthplace of Cycladic gastronomy (local workshops)
• Hands-on pottery workshop — throw or decorate a piece in Vathi or Cheronisos (1–2 h)
• Mastelo oven visit — some traditional restaurants show Sunday lamb baking
• Apollonia market (morning) — cheeses, capers, thyme honey; ideal before a cooking class

Restaurants & views

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• Drimoni (Kastro) — authentic Sifnian cuisine, terrace over the sea
• Lazarou (Platis Gialos) — catch of the day, bay views; close to base
• Omega3 (Platis Gialos) — creative cuisine, local produce
• Vathi harbour taverna — peaceful fjord, excellent Sunday revithada

Milos

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Villages & sites

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• ⭐ Must-see — Plaka — hilltop village and castle; before 10 a.m. or late afternoon
• ⭐ Must-see — Klima — colourful fishermen’s cottages on the water
• Mandrakia, Firopotamos, Fourkovouni — small harbours and « syrmata » (boat shelters)
• ⭐ Must-see — Trypiti & Catacombs — early Christian site, ancient theatre, where the Venus de Milo was found
• Mining Museum (Adamas) — industrial and volcanic history of the island
• ⭐ Must-see — Sarakiniko — lunar white rocks; outside cruise-ship hours if possible

Hiking

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• ⭐ Must-do — Plaka → Trypiti → Klima — downhill walk (~45 min) between villages and sea
• Fyriplaka → Gerontas — coastal path, coloured cliffs
• Profitis Ilias (Plaka) — short climb, western panorama
• ⭐ Must-do — Sarakiniko early morning (7–8 a.m.) — white light, before the crowds

Boat

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• ⭐ Must-do — Kleftiko (full day) — cliffs, arches and caves; prefer RIB or caïque 8–12 people
• ⭐ Must-do — Sykia cave — collapsed cave, swim from the boat; sea access only
• Glaronissia — small volcanic islets offshore
• West coast tour — Kleftiko, Triades and beaches unreachable by road (Agios Ioannis, etc.)
• Dolphin trip — morning cruises from Adamas or Pollonia; dolphins common in Milos bay (book ahead in summer)
• Kayak rental — Sarakiniko or Firopotamos bay; explore caves and coves under white cliffs

Food & experiences

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• Milos cooking class — pitarakia (fried cheese bites), karpouzopita; occasional workshops in Adamas or Pollonia
• Salt pans / birdwatching — east side of the island, different landscapes and wildlife
• Sunset from Plaka castle — apéritif at dusk before dinner in the village

Restaurants & views

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• Medusa (Mandrakia) — grilled fish, feet-in-the-water tables in the syrmata
• Astakos (Pollonia) — Pollonia views, refined Milos cuisine
• Bariel (Plaka) — panoramic terrace, creative cooking
• Utopia (Plaka) — legendary sunset from the terrace; book for dusk