Beautiful Cyclades Islands Greece | Best Hotels and Beaches
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Slow, Slower & Ever so Slow

Yεια my friends, hello Greece, here I come. 

Mid-September into October is my favourite time of the year to head to these five islands of Slow, Slower and Ever So Slow – AKA Santorini, Syros, Sérifos, Tinos & Koufonisia. Blessed with sunny days, not too hot, quieter boats and the only friends on the beaches are the birds and the locals. This has to be the best time to squeeze in the last summer dose of Greekness, although pilgrimage island Tinos is open all year round. 

Soon be time for Caldera viewing in Santorini, that's the view in the header – say no more, my favourite baked onions in Tinos in a restaurant where the odd wave can soak you, and skinny dipping on the wild, car-free island of Koufonisia where the stars dance across the heavens. And important for me, I finally get to hug the Greek owners of our places too - Bianca, Harrys, Oana, Angelos, Dimitrios, Anita, Giorgos and the wonderful Alexandra. 


Your small places of original style – my little Greek Odessy.

Santorini Σαντορίνη

Luxury White Villas Santorini | Beautiful Cyclades Islands Greece | Best Hotels and Beaches

Sat in a secluded spot right on the edge of the famous caldera along the ancient pathways connecting Oia with Imerovigli. Individually created traditional houses hug the rock formations – these exceptionally sleek designer dens are more than villas, their tonal whitewashed minimalism gradually revealing handcrafted touches and a cool boutique aesthetic.

Koufonisia Κουφονήσια

Design Hotel Koufonisia with stunning sea views | Beautiful Cyclades Islands Greece | Best Hotels and Beaches

The slow-paced Cyclades Island of Koufonisia (neighbour to Naxos) comes drenched in Aegean blue vistas – a sun-kissed retreat of four cubic Cyclades-style merchant houses that lazily gaze onto the mystical island of Keros - which is an archaeological site. 

 

Tinos Τήνος

Eco Hotel Tinos Under the Sun | Beautiful Cyclades Islands Greece | Best Hotels and Beaches

Under The Sun Cycladic Village in Tinos (neighbour island of Mykonos and Syros) is a raw and natural addition to this dramatic xeric cliff-scape where Aegean blues blend sky with sea and a rugged architecture creates the perfect setting for a soulful escape of design simplicity.

Syros Σύρος

Aristide Luxury Hotel Rooftop View and Suites. | Beautiful Cyclades Islands Greece | Best Hotels and Beaches

Behind the hotel's soft rose-coloured, shuttered facade, Aristide bares those aristo signifiers of prosperity: heavy wooden entrance doors, high vaulted ceilings, ornate frescoes, marble balconies, gleaming wooden floors and tall mature trees that shade the courtyard garden.

Sérifos Σέριφος

NOSTOS new Hotel Opening Serifos | Beautiful Cyclades Islands Greece | Best Hotels and Beaches

Bathed in mellow smoothness, this new boutique little number of barefoot aesthetics comes with an eco-heart and a sweet design narrative of Aegean coastal living on the raw island beauty of Sérifos. Billed as the island's first 'green' hotel, Nōstos is a casual-style refuge, a marriage of sustainability, nature, design and creativity that is neatly wrapped by the doorstep bustle of the main arrival port. 

The Beaches παραλίες

Five Beautiful Cyclades Islands Greece | Best Hotels & Beaches

The topography of each island offers a diverse canvas; from the volcanic isle of Santorini with its red beaches to the large boulders that look like giant eggs on Tinos, the landscapes wrapping the bays are stunningly beautiful. Whilst the Chora beaches offer a fast dip, we traverse the Cycladic coastlines to highlight our favourites - from organised posh to wild untouched and of course, we include those off-grid naturist pitstops.

Athens Αθήνα

Luxury Boutique Hotel Athens | Beautiful Cyclades Islands Greece | Best Hotels and Beaches

A wonderful six-suite design guesthouse-hotel in the creative heartlands of Athens in the Kolonaki Quarter - home to the creative set, bookstores, publishing, galleries, museums and cafes.

HOW TO GET THERE

Our favourite route is to hop through Athens and either ferry on down to the islands or hop onto a smaller jet and fly direct to Santorini or Naxos, alternatively you can fly into Mykonos and take the fastcat 20 minutes to unspoilt Tinos and about 9o minutes to Koufonisia. Travel between the Cyclades has recently been made, at last, much easier to plan with many ferry services now fully online – yeah. 


Check out HELLENIC SEAWAYS for the fastcats services and GREEK FERRIES for the softer pace.

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