four quiet islands in the Cyclades
There are more than twenty inhabited islands in the Cyclades, yet most visitors return to the same three. Here, Maira Tagalaki, co-founder of The Cycladist, locks in on four of the quieter islands worth exploring. The islands she returns to whenever she is looking to relax, slow down and experience a more authentic side of Greece.
The Cycladist is a boutique travel design agency specialising in curating trips across Greece, with a particular focus on the cluster of islands known as the Cyclades. Founded by Petros Stamatopoulos and Maira Tagalaki, it grew out of childhood summers spent on these islands and decades of being the go-to people for friends and family planning their own. Their intimate knowledge of each island, combined with their shared passion for Greece, now sees them planning every aspect of a Greek island holiday – from pairing each island with the particular traveller and selecting the best accommodation, to curating experiences across food, culture and adventure. Here, Maira shares her favourite places to stay, swim, and eat, along with some useful hints and tips in the islands of Kimolos, Folegandros, Serifos and Koufonisia.
Kimolos
Right next to Milos is a small volcanic island that flies under the radar, with pristine, turquoise waters and a handful of tavernas by the sea. Every time I visit Kimolos, I do very little beyond swimming, eating, and, at night, strolling through Kimolos’ town – one of the cutest “Choras” in the Cyclades, and clearly loved by the people who live there. Take a short boat trip to Polyaigos, an uninhabited island home only to wild goats, when you’re there, and you’ll find some of the finest waters in the Aegean.
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Chroma Cove Suites has four independent, very cute suites right on the water at Elephant Cove, the island's most photogenic corner. Some are converted sirmata, the old fishing-boat garages carved straight into the rock, with turquoise water a step from the door. Kimolia Gi is the other property we love: small houses within walking distance of Prassa, a homemade breakfast prepared by the owner, and incredible sea views.
get swimming
Prassa is regularly cited as having some of the cleanest water in Greece. Coarse chalk-white sand, drawn from the rocks behind it - the same rocks that give the sea its particular blue. Sheltered from the wind, so rarely a wave. Unorganised, but there's a canteen with all the essentials.
get dinner
Prasonisi is one of our favorite restaurants in the whole of the Cyclades: a seaside restaurant serving incredible fresh seafood. Don't miss the linguine with red mullet and their seafood calamarata. For something simpler, Kalamitsi taverna sits right on the sand at its namesake beach and serves excellent traditional Greek food.
Folegandros
Just an hour from Santorini lies a small, dramatic island of wild beauty called Folegandros. It has a landscape of cliffs and bare rock and an iconic church hanging above its picturesque (and very Cycladic) town.
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Anemomilos Boutique Hotel is one of our favorites. It has a very Cycladic style and sits right at the cliff’s edge, with a view down the coast that probably outdoes most of Santorini. Chora’s tavernas are also just a short three-minute walk away. You do need to book months in advance as it’s notoriously difficult to find availability. Alternatively, Blue Sand is a lovely beachfront hotel, just above Agali Beach, featuring traditional Cycladic architecture with boho design elements and uninterrupted sea views.
get swimming
Agali is where the island gathers. It has a few good tavernas that are great for lunch (Psaromiligas is my favorite), and it’s also the departure point for the kaiki that take you to beaches no road goes near. Of these, Livadaki is the one I’d go to: boat-only, almost always quiet, and with a few pine trees offering welcome shade.
get dinner
Osteria Spina is Italian, and very good indeed. It has just a handful of tables and two seatings a night, so you’ll want to book well ahead. For something unique, go to Irini’s, an uncurated grocery-store-slash-taverna with no menu, where the day’s dishes are simply read to you. To Spitiko (literally translated as The Homemade) makes matsata, the island’s hand-rolled pasta, served with rooster, rabbit, or goat. And for fresh fish, go to To Barboubaki in town.
Serifos
For its size, Serifos has a remarkable number of beaches (locals claim 70), most of them sandy and unorganised. Its town is built on one of the island’s highest points, offering dramatic 180° views from the top. The crowd is an interesting mix: aesthetes at one end, alternative campers at the other, Greek and non-Greek alike.
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Wind Houses is a collection of historic houses restored in Chora, each with its own character. The Wind House itself has a panoramic view across the whole island that stops you in your tracks at the door. Perma is another option: adults-only, quietly high-end, and a great example of island Brutalist design.
get swimming
Serifos has so many beautiful, unorganised beaches that naming just one is difficult. Kalo Ampeli is the one we’d send you to first, reached on foot and well worth the hike down. Vagia is easier to get to; Sikamia, on the north coast, is more isolated, but its beautiful waters will reward you.
get dinner
Paspari, in Chora, is the island’s most contemporary table, with a short but tasteful menu and unexpectedly creative cocktails. The fish carpaccio and the beef-cheek pasta with capers are the two to order. Book ahead, as there isn’t much room. Oi Plakes is the more traditional choice, set high on Chora’s hillside – come early enough for the sunset.
Koufonisia
The easiest island in the Cyclades to love: tiny, car-free, and walkable almost end to end. Clear, shallow waters, laid-back tavernas, and small fishing boats shuttling every half hour to the three main beaches. One piece of advice: avoid 20 July to 20 August, when it gets too busy.
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Eros Keros has four one- or two-bedroom houses, with a design that lands somewhere between rustic and aristocratic, and views straight across to Keros island. Nysis Koufonisia is a great choice if you want to be within a short walk of town: a cluster of adorable houses and a beautiful pool.
get swimming
Pori, hands down. A long stretch of sand with water so clear and turquoise it reads more Maldivian than Aegean. An extra plus is Kalofego, the restaurant just behind the beach, which means you never really have to leave.
get dinner
Kalofego is the one for a late lunch – delicious modern Greek food, and a banoffee we still think about. For dinner, try Neo Remezzo. Go for around 8pm to watch the sunset, and order the fresh fish and a seafood orzo made with the day’s catch.
The Cycladist
Maira Tagalaki and Petros Stamatopoulos are the founders of The Cycladist, a boutique travel design agency born out of a shared love for Greece – its islands, its food, and its culture. Self-described as ‘global locals’, they know the place from the inside out. Hotels with character, villas with soul, and the unique experiences found across the cluster of islands that make up the Cycladic archipelago: these are the real simple pleasures that the duo hunt hard to find. It’s the local intel that only comes from experience, and from exploring the on-the-ground recommendations of the people who know it best.
