Walking in the Cyclades Islands

Arrival at Athens Airport and transfer to the port of Piraeus from where you leave on a ferry in the late afternoon to Naxos. The ferry takes 5.5 hrs and you arrive around midnight on Naxos. In case your flight does not allow travelling to Naxos on the same day, you have to book an extra night in Athens and you travel to Naxos the next day in the early morning.

You take a taxi or public bus to Chalki, located in the centre of the Tragea plain. Today you explore this fertile inner land of Naxos with olive groves and rich vegetation. There are some olive trees that are over a thousand years old! You walk on cobbled paths via the Venetian Fortress Ano Kastro to an ancient marble quarry where you find a 10m height statue of an unfinished Kouros from the 6th century BC! The walk ends in the nearby village Melanes from where you take a taxi or public bus back to the hotel.

Today’s walk starts from Filoti that you reach by taxi or public bus. From this village, built at the foothills of Mt. Zas, you start your walk to the summit of this legendary mountain. You may witness the cave in which according to the legend, Zeus, the father of all the gods, was nursed by an eagle. After your descend you optionally continue the walk to Apiranthos. From Apiranthos you may walk back via the saddle of Mt. Fanari to Filoti; a beautiful walk with breathtaking views!

You travel from Naxos to Santorini. The ferry usually departs around noon and arrives 3 hours later on Santorini. In the morning you may want to visit the Castle in Naxos town (Chora) and visit the museum here. Or you can relax on the sandy beach of Agios Georgios. You enter the submerged crater of this old volcano by ferry boat and this is an unforgettable experience. You will be impressed by the steep coloured cliffs and the whitewashed villages on top. It is said that the eruption, 3.600 years ago, ended the Minoan Civilization.

A transfer will take you to Perissa from where you start climbing via an old path to a windy saddle. This area is one of the very few places that exist from before the devastating volcanic eruption. You walk up to Ancient Thira, the capital of the island in Ancient and Roman times. The location is really fantastic! Then you descend via an old path to the quiet inner parts of the island. You walk through vineyards (Santorini produces top-class wines!) and passing picturesque villages. Through this landscape of volcanic ashes and along the black beach you walk back to Akrotiri village.

You travel by public bus to Fira, the capital of Santorini. Here you can explore the narrow alleys of this whitewashed town, built on the top of the volcanic cliffs. It houses a couple of interesting museums, such as the Museum of Prehistoric Thira and the Archaeological Museum. In the afternoon you make the famous walk from Fira to Oia. This walk allows you fabulous views of the lagoon and the spectacular cliffs with its massive drops. Most of the walk is via a really nice wide mule-path. From Oia, you will be picked up and get a transfer back to the hotel.

A last a free morning in Akrotiri at leisure and the possibility to visit the archaeological site of Akrotiri, the Greek Pompeji that opened in spring 2012 after it had been closed for many years. Then you transfer to the port from where you travel comfortably on a modern ferry to Piraeus. The journey will last around 8 hours. Upon arrival, you will have an organised transfer by taxi to your centrally located hotel in Athens.

Depending on your flight departure today, you may have time to pay a visit to the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum before you travel per metro or bus to the airport. We hope you have enjoyed exploring the Cyclades Islands