Cyclades

Cyclades

Frommer's Greece says of island-hopping in the Cyclades:

"Though the Cyclades are bound by unmistakable family resemblance, each island has its unique personality. Distances between islands are small, making travel by ferry pleasant and logistically straightforward (at least in principle). The element of uncertainty inherent to ferry timetables and all island events is part of the experience, and your vacation will be much less stressful if you don't plan too much in advance and allow yourself to "go with the flow."

Paros is a good base for visiting the islands.

If you are looking for the best beaches, Frommer's recommends the following:

* Plaka (Naxos) - Naxos has long sandy beaches with Plaka being the most pristine and beautiful. The coastline there is mostly undeveloped.

* Paradise (Mykonos) - Serious hedonism on a party beach where the party goes on well into the night. A place 'to see and be seen.'

* Grammata (Siros) - Small, isolated beach hidden by a rock promontory and surrounded by palm trees.

Perhaps the most impressive of the Cyclades is volcanic Santorini which Frommer's Greek Islands describes as 'magical' and '... to some the lost-and-found Atlantis, to others the here-and-now hot spot of the southern Aegean.'

• The Greek Islands
• The Ionian Islands
• Corfu
• Crete
• Paros
• Cyclades
• Rhodes

Travel guides are available through the following links:

• Greece Travel Guides from Amazon.co.uk
• Greece Travel Guides from Amazon.com
• Amazon.de Reiseführer - Griechenland