Cycladic Islands
White houses, blue windows and narrow paths full of flowers and scents that take you to another world is what you will find under the blue skies of Cyclades.
They have exerciced a powerful charm since ancient times, even though access to them was not particularly easy. They were the birthplace of one of the Mediterranean's most important civilizations, which took its name from the islands: the Cycladic civilization: 3,000-1,000 B.C.
According to tradition,all islands lie in a big circle around the sacred island of Delos, an ancient religious center with the sanctuary of Apollo. A fusion of stone, sunlight and sparkling sea, the Cyclades lie to the east of the Peloponnese and south-east of the coast of Attica.
They stretch as far as Samos and Ikaria to the east and are bounded to the south by the sea of Crete.
Geologists attribute the peculiar form of the Cyclades to a succession of geological upheavals - earthquackes, volcanic eruptions, movements of the Earth's crust - which resulted in the submergence of large chunks of land. It is widely believed that one such chunk of land was the lost continent of Atlantis.
Every island has its own characteristic architecture, the harmony of the asymmetric, the small white churches , Cyclades is the place that you will leave a piece of your heart.
A typical Cycladic village, it is noted for its beautiful little churches with their fine wood-carving, sanctuary screens and icons.
Gray-green rocks girt with prickly pear bushes and plains covered in wild flowers, the occasional white-washed plaster of a rural house or a windmill are characteristic features of the Cycladic countryside.
Here the high mountains encountered in most of the Cycladic islands give way to small rocky hills which combine with beautiful beaches to make up the landscape of the islands.They are beautiful islands with a great variety of sceneries.
The most attractive towns in the Cyclades are the ones that stand on naturally amphitheatrical sites on the hillsides.All the visitors are been struck by the beauty of their narrow winding lanes and the old stone houses lining them.
Interesting monuments from various periods are to be found all over Cyclades. They include fine Byzantine churches, the oldest in Greece, picturesque castles (with towers and battlements), and traces of Mycenean buildings.Their remains show us the glory that these islands once had.
All the Cycladic islands have wonderful beaches with golden sand and some of them have sharp rocks and caves that look like they have been taken out from some tale. Features combine with the crystal clear sea, the superb sandy beaches and the good range of amenities to make them a magnet for tourists.
The streets of Cycladic towns wind attractively through whitewashed houses, past little churches, pretty tavernas, and fashionable boutiques.Boulders rise up from the deep blue of the sea,the picturesque villages,the view to the sea, the fresh aura, the traditional architecture and the well-known local hospitality.
Yet, in spite of the common characteristics - sparkling sea, sun, landscape and the austere line of the architecture - each island retains its own individual features, which visitors can discover as they explore them one by one.
The Cycladic islands enjoy a Mediterannean climate, with an average yearly temperature of 18 - 19 C. The winters are mild and the summers are cool - by Greek standards, thanks to the beneficial effects of the seasonal winds known as the "meltemia".