Greek Cyclades
Everyone writes about two of these islands. The villa market is on the others.
Price Range
£1,500 - £8,000
per night
Best Months
May, June, September, October
Best For
Couples, Groups of friends, Island hopping, Sailing
The Cyclades are covered almost entirely through Mykonos and Santorini, and neither is where the interesting villa market is. Santorini is a caldera rim with very little flat land, which caps what a house can be. Mykonos has the stock and the infrastructure, and in August it has the crowds and the prices that go with them.\n\nParos and Antiparos are the answer for most groups and are badly under-covered. Paros has a real town in Naoussa, a working port, and enough size to absorb visitors without feeling overrun. Antiparos is smaller, quieter and reached by a short ferry, which filters the day-trip traffic out.\n\nThe practical point that decides a Cyclades week is the wind. The meltemi blows hardest in July and August and it dictates which side of an island you want to be on. A north-facing terrace in August is a wind tunnel. This is the single most useful thing to ask an owner before you book, and almost nobody does.
Greek Cyclades
Highlights
Paros and Antiparos, the villa market the guides skip
Naoussa, a working port town rather than a resort
Short ferry hops between islands, which reward a loose itinerary
The meltemi, which decides which side of the island you want
Athens as a two-night bookend rather than a transit stop
Getting There
Paros (PAS), Mykonos (JMK) and Santorini (JTR) all have airports, with Mykonos and Santorini taking the most international traffic. Many groups fly to Athens (ATH) and take the fast ferry from Piraeus or Rafina instead, which is often simpler than a connecting flight in peak season. Check which port your ferry leaves from, because the two are on opposite sides of Athens.
Insider Tip
Ask which way the terrace faces before you ask anything else about the house. In July and August the meltemi comes from the north, and a beautiful north-facing terrace is unusable on the windiest days while a sheltered one twenty metres away is perfect.
FAQ
Greek Cyclades villa rental FAQs
Paros or Mykonos?
Paros, for most groups, most of the time. It has the size to feel like a real island rather than a venue, the villa stock is improving quickly, and it costs less. Choose Mykonos if the nightlife is genuinely the point, because Paros does not pretend to compete there.
Do we need a car?
On Paros yes, on Antiparos barely. Island roads are short but taxis are scarce in season and villas are usually outside the towns. Book the car when you book the house, not on arrival.