This is a record of a trip round the Cyclades from the 7^th May to 9th June 2003. I am nearly 60, my wife is a little younger. We like swimming, eating, walking round town and along waterfronts. We also like a reasonable degree of comfort. So the comments here will be relevant to those who are looking for something similar, and who are travelling in low season. In peak time, things are very different.

We visited Andros, Tinos, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Santorini, Sifnos, and Paros again. Its hard to pick our favourite – each island has something to offer, but we both liked Paros. It has a good combination of old town, waterfront, inland scenery, beaches and fishing ports; it also has good links to other islands.

We have been to Greek islands before (Poros, Corfu, Skiathos, Crete), but never island hopping. We thought it might be difficult to manage the ferries, buses, hotels etc, and so travelled light with a small trolley case each. In fact, it was much easier than we expected. Ferries ran on time, buses meet the ferries, hotels are in walking distance from the ferry terminal (and others have hotel buses to pick you up from the ferry). Of course the whole island system revolves around the ferries, buses and foot passengers – not many people go island hopping with a car.

It might have been different if the weather had turned, but we had no such problems – just a stiff wind at times. It was also easy because it was very quiet – at least to start with. Later on it got a little busier – especially Mykonos and Santorini.

May is definitely a good time to go – lots of room on ferries and hotels (and cheaper), lovely weather, spring flowers. I recommend it. You can go, as we did, without booking anything ahead. You can bargain for hotel prices – though we didn’t try much – they were so reasonable anyway.

Hotels We stayed mostly in C class, with a few B class. Standards have improved a lot over the past couple of years (partly the Olympic effect). Almost all hotels now have air con and fridges, but not coffee making equipment or hair dryers. Many had brand new beds and furniture. We found that we preferred hotels in the town so we could walk to tavernas, shops, and the waterfront. Some hotels have English books left by previous guests, but not many. Hotels will usually take you to the port when you leave if you ask.

Some hotel owners will be at the ferry terminals, but mostly room owners, and never the smart A/B class hotels. These people can be a nuisance at times, but I noticed that as things got busier, e.g. at Santorini, the port officials kept them at bay from the passengers. In the quiet islands like Andros and Sifnos this is not a problem – you may not see any.

The B class hotels, and some C class, will take credit cards, but the others cash only. In B class hotels you will get fresh towels daily, in C class maybe twice per week.

Ferries The books tell you about the various class of ticket. We only bought the standard ‘deck’ class – in fact, we weren’t offered anything else. There is no point, since many of the ferries were almost empty. Only on the last trip, from Paros to Piraeus (Athens) was it very busy, and there was an announcement that you could upgrade to a higher class once on board. We didn’t bother, as there was still plenty of room. The ferries are amazingly cheap – the trip on the Pegasus from Santorini to Sifnos took about 6 hours (via Ios, Sikinos, Folegandros, Kimolos and Milos), and cost less than €4 each! We preferred the older ferries like the Express Pegasus and Express Athina – they were slower (also cheaper), but had plenty of deck room for walking around (watch out for water cascading from the bottom of lifeboats on the Pegasus). But the new ships like Blue Star Naxos/Paros and the Alpha Aqua Jewel are fine - very smart with escalators and wood strip flooring. We had to take a catamaran from Tinos to Mykonos, and didn’t like it much. It was quick, but boring, like sitting in a plane. Could be useful for very long journeys, but otherwise I recommend the standard ferries.

There are lots of ferry agencies everywhere, but they don’t all sell tickets for all the lines. It’s a good idea to get your ticket the previous day for several reasons. It may be too early for the agencies to be open, you may have to search round several agencies before you get the right one, the ferry may not be travelling when you think it is (schedules change sometimes from one week to another), and you may get taken straight to the ferry from the hotel, bypassing the agencies.

Once on board the ferry, you can leave your case on the main car deck where you enter, we did this as it saves carting them upstairs with you. We used small backpacks or bags to take water, sun hats, snacks etc. with us around the boat. Food is not brilliant, though the new Blue Stars offer reasonable burgers, suggest you take your own.

Buses The bus terminal is usually fairly central, and near the port. Normally you buy the ticket on the bus – often near the end of the journey. Just to be different, in Andros Town (Hora) you have to buy it at the bus station. Tickets cost typically around €1 for a 15-20 minute journey. If you have cases, they are usually loaded from outside in luggage sections under the seats – sometimes there is room at the back of the bus for luggage. The driver will normally drop you off at your hotel (or anywhere else) if you ask him.

Athens The bus from the airport to Rafina took only about 25 minutes, the ticket agency is close by, and you can be on the ferry from the airport in 30 minutes.

At the end of the trip we arrived in Athens on a Saturday – not a good idea since the hotels fill up, and are expensive compared with the islands. We opted for a bus from Piraeus to Omonia, but it was quite a long walk from the ferry – the metro would have been much closer. We stayed in the Plaka, and the first night we ended up in Nikis hotel – not to be recommended, though it did have air con. On the Sunday we moved into the Adonis – better – we had the ‘best room with Acropolis view’ (401) for €70 incl. Breakfast. The view was somewhat reduced by the roof of the building opposite, but you could see the Acropolis. The bathroom must have been the smallest I’ve ever seen, with a curious radiator about 3 inches wide.

The bus from Omonia to the airport took around one hour. You can buy tickets from a kiosk before getting on the bus.

Greek Drivers You must understand that it is forbidden for Greek drivers to have both hands on the steering wheel. One hand must always be free for eating, drinking, gesticulating, or – mostly – for the mobile phone. On no account must it be placed on the steering wheel. This particularly applies to bus drivers while traversing hair pin bends on mountainous routes. Just shut your eyes, or look firmly out of the window.

The horn, you realise, is not for warning other drivers or pedestrians, it is merely a device for saying hello to the numerous locals who are known to the driver.

Another thing to remember is that whenever two Greeks have a conversation, it sounds like an argument – even if they are just talking about the weather.

Internet Cafes are on all the islands we visited except Andros (?) – but Sifnos only had one, in Appolonia. Mykonos and Paros had loads. Typical rates are €1 for 15 minutes. ATMs are everywhere – we found it easier to use cash most of the time, as credit cards are not as widely accepted as in western Europe. In Kamares (Sifnos), there is only one ATM, and one day it refused to pay out any cash, so be warned.

Food is quite varied (though after 5 weeks somewhat repetitive) – Mezes, Greeks salad, Souvlaki, Stifado, Kleftico, Vegetables baked in oil, Pasta, Pizza. Have a Gyros €1.5 for a snack lunch – in the Cyclades these now come with chips in the pitta along with the pork, tzatziki and salad. The ubiquitous Greek Salad is also an excellent light lunch, and good value. They seem to be very fond of putting feta in everything here, in veal or lamb stews for example, which makes them rather rich. Try lamb in lemon sauce for a change. Fish was a disappointment – fresh grilled fish is sold by weight and is very expensive. You can get a reasonable grilled swordfish – but this will be frozen, as will any other cheap grilled fish, which are mostly best avoided. Set meals (the equivalent of the menu du jour or menu del dia) is uncommon, though we did find them in Naxos and Athens, and they were good value there. Local ice cream is good (e.g. Dodi’s) – try a Kaimaki.

Drink the house wine – ‘open wine’ as it is sometimes called; white is generally much better than red. Coffee is relatively expensive, but you can get a Greek coffee for €1 – or a double for €1.5.

Andros (Batsi): Chryssi Akti is the obvious choice. We were the only guests, and so had a room at the front with a great sea view. Room was OK, nothing special, but plenty of storage and adequate beds and bathroom. Location was excellent, across the road to the beach, and a couple of minutes to the centre of Batsi. They have a new pool, but it was too early in the season to use it. There was some noise from road works, but this was temporary. Had a good collection of English books. We paid €40.

Tinos We stayed in the Alonia, about one mile outside Tinos town. This was partly because the town seemed very busy and noisy when we arrived (on a Saturday) – especially compared with Andros. We were given a mini suite for €55, incl. breakfast.

The hotel is 800 Metres from the sea, though the beach isn’t special. There is a nice pool, but it wasn’t yet in operation. The owners are very friendly, and will take you into town on their mini bus – as we were the only visitors, they went at our convenience; and a taxi is only €1.5 anyway. Their restaurant was also not in operation, so we had to go into town for every meal, which grew a little tiresome; but it was a pleasant and very quiet hotel.

Mykonos As the accommodation office in the port was open, we used it and ended up in the B grade Poseidon at the other end of town. We paid €80 incl. breakfast, which we though pretty good at the time (Mykonos is more expensive), but now I think we could have got better by going straight there. Still, we were picked up by the hotel minibus, which made things simple. Once again we had our choice of rooms, and took number 4 with a lovely view over the sea to Delos and Tinos. The hotel has a very good pool, and I managed to get a lot of swimming in, though the water was a little cool. The room was excellent – probably the best we stayed in, with plenty of room and a good bathroom. The location was also good, fairly quiet but quite easy to walk into town.

Paros We were met at the port by a flurry of room and hotel owners, and after some thought we picked the Galinos and were taken in their mini bus – though it is actually a short walk from the port (about 300 Metres). We had room 29 on the top floor, with views from the balcony over the mountains, and in the distance, over the nearby parking lots, the sea. This hotel was a bargain - €30 for a nice quiet room, brand new bathroom and furniture, good pool in sheltered garden, and easy walk to waterfront or old town. The owners were very friendly – we were asked to go for a drink with them at the taverna opposite, but sadly declined as we were just about to go to bed! We returned to Paros later, partly just to stay in this hotel, got our old room again – but also discovered from an English couple that arrived on a late ferry, that they had been charged €25. Not that I felt bad about it – I was very happy with what we paid.

Naxos There were only a few of us getting off the ferry, and were met by a horde of room owners – there must have been more of them than there were of us. We decided not to stay in the old town as it is rather steep, and walked along to St. George beach where we eventually decided on the Asteria. We looked at the Nissaki as it had a pool, but the room we were offered didn’t appeal, and the owners were a bit gloomy. The Asteria was empty, so we got a room (214) with a lovely view straight out over the beach and sea. The bathroom wasn’t brilliant, but the view made up for any deficiencies. There are plenty of beach tavernas close by, some more in the local ‘town centre’, and yet more on the walk back to the main waterfront. We paid €35 per night, but later we recommended this hotel to some Canadians in Sifnos, and they were quoted €55 when they rang (it was June by then).

Santorini As we were only staying 2 nights, we decided to go for a hotel in Fira with a view over the caldera. We tried the A class Atlantis – great views and nice hotel, but were shocked by the price €188 – and they wouldn’t haggle. We also looked at the Porto Fira - €160-200, and lots of steps even to get to a room. We chose the Loucas – good position and amazing views, and a nice large room for €90 inc. breakfast. Still an awful lot of steps to get anywhere, but that’s the price of staying on the edge of the caldera.

Sifnos Was an interesting experience. We decided to stay in Kamares (the port), but hadn’t realised how small it was going to be – there are only about three hotels to choose from. After some discussion, we stayed for 2 nights at the Delfini, which was a long walk round the bay on an ever worsening road surface. The recent storms had washed away some of the road. But the owner, George, has made a lovely job of his development, with a super ‘infiniti’ pool, and nice rooms. Its also very quiet here, but somewhat troubled by mosquitoes – keep the windows closed, and use the aircon – I swear the blighters even crawl in under the door. You are surrounded (as is George) by female members of the family, and small children, and you eat what ‘Mama cooks’ – which is pretty good, but your choice may run out quickly. We paid €30 per night, but some Americans had paid €100 through their U.S. agents. One of the nice things about George’s place (and Kamares) was that we got to know several couples quite well as the place was so small.

We tried to move on to Apollonia, but found the Sifnos full (its very small), and the Petali was up lots of steps that were, at the time, a running stream after heavy rain. So we returned to Kamares and stayed at Stavros for 5 nights. We had a good triple room (though no aircon, or extractor in bathroom) for only €25. The small balcony was north facing. Stavros is right in the middle of Kamares, just across the road from the beach – good position, but the rooms can be noisy. On the last night, when we had to get up at 5.30 to catch the Pegasus, someone decided to clean the pavement outside with a power washer at 2 am. After some words from my wife, he abandoned the idea. Stavros’ wife has a great collection of English books.

Andros was our first stop, and we loved it. Batsi is definitely the best place to stay – it’s a short bus ride from the port Gavrion. Batsi is an attractive little place – typical Greek island, with a small beach, a little harbour, and hills surrounding with a scattering of houses. Over development is not an issue here. Partly because it was early season, the town was very quiet – I looked out from our balcony the first morning and saw one couple (English) strolling along the road – no one else. Take the bus ride to Hora and spend a couple of hours there. Have large English breakfast at Koala for €5.5, dinner at Oti Kalo above the harbour, with a great view over the lights. Try the veal Stamnas.

Tinos was hectic after Andros, arriving on a Saturday we were caught up with the Greek visitors – many who come to see the icon in the church. But it was good fun wandering the town, shops full of tourist tat, pilgrims crawling up the steep streets on their knees, ferries coming and going. Food here was very good – try Eithrio along the north end of the waterfront – past the tourist places round the harbour. Sample the artichokes with potatoes. Sunday night was initially quiet, then all hell broke loose, with firecrackers, horns blaring, lights flashing, banners waving – apparently Panathinaikos had beaten Olympiakos (or maybe the other way round) – absolutely crazy for half an hour. Take the bus to pleasant little Pyrgos through splendid scenery, then walk down to Panormos, which my wife though the loveliest place we saw on the whole trip, and have lunch by the sea. Tinos was good, but somewhat spoiled by being very windy most of the time.

Mykonos was busy and lively – though not unpleasantly so. I liked Mykonos a lot, though my wife wasn’t so keen. The town streets are touristy, but also incredibly picturesque, and the waterfront is lively and attractive by day and night, with the harbour lights strung out round the bay. Staying in the centre could be noisy, so best to stay on the edge of town like we did. We didn’t travel outside the town at all – there isn’t a great deal to see if you’re not looking for a beach. Three days was about right, though I was quite sorry to leave.

Paros Possibly our favourite island, with a good mix of scenery and town. The port is busy, with ferries coming and going all day. The old town is reminiscent of Mykonos, but smaller. There are lots of tavernas both in the old town and along the front. Walk along to the north end and breakfast at Meltemi right by the sea. Walking south takes you to the best beach, and a quieter end of town. Dinner at the Hibiscus, with its wood fired oven – its popular, so you may have to wait a while. You could also try Ephesus for a change – its run by a crazy Turk. We tried the Sussuro del Pino, which was in a lovely garden, but the food was disappointing – frozen vegetables. Grab a light lunch at Pita Fun, where you can have a plate of tzatziki with your Gyros. Take the bus to Naousa and stroll along the front; take another bus to Lefkes, then onto Piso Livadi. We tried, and failed, to get breakfast in Lefkes; I think the owner had gone walkabout, and the nice lady there didn’t speak one word of English, nor appear to know how to use the coffee machine. No matter, we had a very good one in Piso Livadi, by the sea.

Naxos Somewhat similar to Paros, but larger. The town also offers a nice mix, though the old town is rather steep, and mainly residential. Most of the shops and tavernas are along the front, and into the ‘town centre’ towards St. George’s. There is a nice walk along the sea to St. Georges, and if you’re feeling energetic, walk further towards Agia Anna. You could explore Naxos by car or bus, but we took a coach trip through the island to Apollonias, and back along the west coast – superb scenery. Among the stops, Apiranthos was attractive.

We had the set meal of grilled meat at Farao near St. George, and it was very good; but the similar meal with fish the next night wasn’t. The local Oasis, where we were forced to eat by a heavy thunderstorm, also turned out to be good. Breakfast on the beach at Finikas – fresh orange juice, boiled eggs, toast, coffee €3.5 – with excellent polite service. Dine along the waterfront at The Good Heart (Kali Kardia) – their local sausage plate is tasty and good value, plus they gave me a free Helenikos (greek coffee).

Santorini was a bit of a culture shock after the other Cycladic islands. There was a huge crush of hotel and room agents meeting the ferry, but held back bravely by the port officials. The bus to Fira from the port winds up a steep cliff, then around the island – quite a spectacular 30 minute journey. It is met by another gaggle of room owners.

Fira itself is undoubtedly worth going to – the views are amazing. It is also very touristy, expensive, busy (the season starts about February here I guess), and steep. We were quite glad to be only staying two days. Have dinner at Posidon, near the bus station; you can eat inside, or out in their garden – try their lamb souvlaki, pork chop or tomato keftedes. Avoid the Select coffee bar on the edge of the caldera – I was charged €3 for a Greek coffee – and didn’t even see the view.

Sifnos was very quiet after Santorini. Kamares, the port, has a choice of about three hotels, but a fair number of tavernas, and one mini market. The beach here is nice and clean, and very gently sloping. It’s a peaceful place to sit and watch the ferries and have a drink. Eat at Boulis taverna (not the hotel), where you can inspect the dishes before ordering. Drink the retsina, and try the stuffed zucchini if they have them. Sifnos has a reputation for good food, but we were not impressed - the tavernas had large menus, but most of the options were not available – maybe its better in high season. You get a good breakfast at Pipi’s, near Stavros – we shared one between us. At the Dodi’s ice cream stall next door, the Polish owner got talking with our US friends, and treated us to his cocktail special (fresh orange, mango and drambuie).

Sifnos is a good place for walking, with many tracks on old roads. Buy a proper walking map- we didn’t, and got lost on the walk from Apollonia to Kastro. You can get a good meal at the taverna in Kastro, and a taxi back to Apollonia is only €3. Watch out for the buses from Apollonia – the bus to Plati Yialos also goes to Faros. A separate bus goes to Vathy.