The Cyclades consist of about 220 islands, islets, and rocky outcrops scattered across the central Aegean Sea. The exact count can vary slightly depending on whether very small rocks and uninhabitable islets are included in the total.
Of these, roughly 30 are permanently inhabited. The inhabited islands include Mykonos, Amorgos, Santorini, Folegandros, and Syros,
Delos is a special case: it is not permanently inhabited today. In antiquity, Delos was one of the most important religious and commercial centers in the Mediterranean and had a population estimated in the tens of thousands at its peak. Today it is protected as a major archaeological site and UNESCO World Heritage location. Only archaeologists, caretakers, guards, and support staff stay there temporarily; ordinary residents do not live on the island.
Our first stop was Poros, not part of the Cyclades, but close to Athens. Our itinerary adjusted to help a couple who arrived late due to airline problems. Poros was a good stop.
The name Cyclades comes from the Greek word for “circular,” because the islands were thought to form a circle around sacred Delos, which the ancient Greeks considered the center of the group. Click for a
Map of the Cyclades Islands.
Each island photo and name is a link to a few representative images of the selected island. The islands are presented in the order of our visits.
