April throughout October, with a marked preference for the latter month. Forget August, when the Meltemi - a seasonal Northeasterly - blows steadily and strong.

Most cruises begin in Athens so a visit to the city will probably fill you with majestic architecture for the whole trip. Still, do not miss Santorini, Amorgos and the scattered ruins that, were them in America, would be protected with a National heritage status.

With few exceptions, such as Mykonos, the archipelago is not a glamorous destination, but rather laid back and relaxed. Pictoresque more than fashionable, candle-light tables more than flashlights and beach barbecues are a better choice than Michelin stars.

Greek eating establishments vary enormously; with locals themselves considering the best places to be where the food is freshly cooked and plentiful. This is often where the setting or cuisine is not the fanciest, so it is not unlikely to find that one of the best 'eating' places is in a particularly remote spot or in an unlikely location - resembling a front living room! The combination of traditional cooking and outside influences has produced a vast range of eating-places in Greece, and we'd like to point out, among the others, the 'Taverna': thes are often one of the most overlooked tourist 'experiences'. The service can be patchy, the presentation basic, but the taste and quality superb. They offer just a few starters and salads and many types of barbecued meats.
Greeks are now in a frenzy of reviving, rescuing and savoring their regional specialities, mainly long-braised meats and vegetables redolent of olive oil and garlic, crunchy salads glistening with freshness and lusty street food -- herby, smoke-scented souvlaki, crisp cheese- or spinach-filled pitas, gooey honey-drenched loukomades. Try the sofrito in Corfu.

In the past two decades, Greece has undergone a revolution in which quality, individuality and history are the hallmarks of a new generation of Greek wine producers determined to make their mark abroad. Still Retsina, the nectar of the Gods, is the country's national mark. Some people say that Retsina, the resinated wine produced in Greece since ancient times, is an acquired taste. I'll agree - I acquired it immediately. Not everyone agrees - the Epicurious Dictionary describes the flavor as "sappy and turpentinelike". But cooking expert Sheila Lukins breaks ranks and calls it the "quintessential Mediterranean wine", applauding it as an accompaniment for all types of Mediterranean cuisine. Like most Greek beverages, such as ouzo, it is undeniably at its best when combined with Greek foods, especially the savory mezedes served as appetizers.

KEA is the nearest to Athens. Starting from the little harbour, through picturesque arched alleys and old Cycladic houses you can reach the Chora, which here is situated on top. Built as an amphitheatre it impresses the visitor with its tile-roofed little houses, steep little streets paved in stone, and very nice churches. Along the west coast open some picturesque little bays, full of bushes, oleanders and laurel plants.

KYTHNOS is a mountainous and generally arid island with a lot of little closed bays, still far from big tourist flows and therefore very good for those who want to enjoy the sea and need peace and quiet. The little villages on both sides of the island are typically Cycladic; two little ports alternate with bays with sandy beaches and one of these is well-known for its thermal hot springs.

SYROS is one of the most important both from the commercial and cultural point of view, and is also the most densely inhabited island. Its main town, Hermoupolis, is also the capital of the Cyclades. Shaped like an amphitheatre with neo-classical buildings, old exclusive houses but also with dazzling white houses sloping down the surrounding hills and reaching the harbour, it gets a particular greatness in the central zone where there is the square. Even the villages on the mountain and along the coast are particularly fascinating.

SERIPHOS. Bare mountains, interrupted by fertile little valleys, cover this evocative island, which ends in a sequence of rocky blocks forming indented bays. Clutched at the top of a hill the Chora, with its square little houses, the simple island churches and the Venetian castle, looks like a fairy-tale town. Enchanting beaches are another attraction of this island.

SYPHNOS. The first image that dominates the visitor entering the harbour is that of the high and naked mountains with a little church or a monastery on their top. The bay is picturesque with houses, shops and a beautiful sandy beach, but the real beauty is on the upland plain: from there you will enjoy a really unique panoramic view, which is difficult to find anywhere else in the Cyclades. The whole valley is covered with olive groves and dotted with white little villages, almost linked to one another. Picturesque windmills and 365 churches turn up from here and there like white mushrooms.

PAROS is the third biggest island and is situated in the centre of the Cyclades. It is a modern holiday resort and will be one of our bases for boarding and landing. The profile of the mountains is gentle and it is difficult to believe that the whitest marble in the world comes from here. The rest of the island is flat and covered with never ending vineyards. There are picturesque little towns with dazzling white houses, paved alleys, arched churches and wonderful beaches. The little Cyclades, little but very beautiful, are considered an ideal refuge for those who are looking for solitude and peace. The wild beauty of the barren scenery, the rocks always lashed by the sea, the indented beaches and a desire to escape from the madding crowd, are the reasons that attract the few visitors to these islands.

Little Cyclades
Little, but very beautiful, they are considered an ideal refuge for those who are looking for solitude and peace. The wild beauty of the barren scenery, the rocks always lashed by the sea, the indented beaches and a desire to escape from the madding crowd, are the reasons that attract the few visitors to these islands.

AMORGOS is the most eastern island of the Cyclades, mountainous but with deep creeks and lovely villages. It is out of the common routes and far from the stream of visitors. A lot of ruins and important archaeological finds testify that the island was inhabited in pre-historic times and that it had a particular splendour. The Chora, with its plastered houses is built around the Venetian castle and is situated on the top of the hill. Not far from it there is the famous monastery of Chozoviotissa, all white and stuck on the steep rocks of a ravine. There are also very clear waters and beautiful sandy stretches for those who love swimming.

IOS is generally considered the most beautiful of the Cyclades. Picturesque little creeks make its coasts attractive. The island is mostly mountainous with countless little churches, olive trees and vineyards. The atmosphere here seems transparent and the beautiful beaches are sandy in a crystal clear sea. The Chora climbs up the hill, all in white with its narrow alleys, little shops, cafés and pubs: everything is tiny as if it had been built for a dolls’ house.

SIKINOS, secluded in the south of the archipelago, is another attractive island for those who are seeking peace and authenticity. Its primitive and picturesque Chora stretches along a ravine, almost perpendicularly over the sea. Particularly interesting are the refined stony houses as well as the church of Pantanassa. There is plenty of olive groves where a variety of tiny olives are grown to produce oil of the best quality.

FOLEGANDROS is another almost unknown island. It is little and rocky and visitors get surprised by the wild beauty of its scenery where rocks alternate with sandy beaches, a natural paradise for underwater fishing. It is also an ideal place for those who love nature and rest. Also here the Chora, built on the edge of a ravine, looks very picturesque with its stone-paved alleys, white arched houses, courtyards and outside staircases with balconies made of wood.

SANTORINI is the famous island of the Cyclades, a wild beauty originated from the remains of a sunk volcano. There are multi-coloured rocks: black, red, grey and brown ones. On its top there is the white garland of houses, arches, terraces and dome-shaped churches. Fira’ is the main town: a picturesque place with its maze of alleys and an important museum. The ancient Thera offers great archaeological interest: the Phoenicians, the Dorians, the Romans and the Byzantines left marks of their passage here. Near Akrotiri the ruins of a Minoan city, a sort of prehistoric Pompei, have been discovered. Ia, a traditional village, has got a peculiar beauty with little houses among the rocks, some of them white, others painted in light blue or ochre, and exclusive neo-classical houses with courtyards and narrow little streets. The view towards the sea is upsetting.

ANAPHE is the most south-eastern of the Cyclades. It is a little island with a high mountain and looks like a remote rock in the middle of the sea. The only road is the one that joins the little harbour to the Chora and is 2 kilometres long. Its white houses and picturesque windmills make a sensational contrast against the bare mountain and form a fantastic balcony over the open-sea. The sandy and rocky beaches of Anaphe offer very clear waters and its festivals and folk dances are particularly evocative.