10-Day Cyclades Island-Hopping Itinerary

The exact route I take through the Cyclades — Athens to Paros, Naxos, Ios and Santorini — ferry by ferry, with the beaches worth the detour, the villages worth a night, and what it actually costs.

🇬🇷 This post is part of my complete Greece Travel Guide — ferries, islands and itineraries in one place.

My exact route, ferry by ferry. This is the 10-day Cyclades itinerary I recommend to every friend visiting Greece — balancing beaches, villages, food and nightlife, with no ferry leg longer than two hours.

Day 1–2 · Athens → Paros

Morning ferry from Piraeus (~3h). Base yourself in Naoussa. Evening: old port dinner, sunset at Kolymbithres beach.

Day 3–5 · Paros → Naxos

30-minute hop. Rent a car for the mountain villages (Halki, Apiranthos), swim at Agios Prokopios, sunset at the Portara temple gate.

Day 6–7 · Naxos → Ios

Quiet mornings at Mylopotas beach, lively nights in Chora. Don’t miss Homer’s tomb viewpoint at golden hour.

Day 8–10 · Ios → Santorini

Finish big: Oia sunset (go 90 minutes early), wine tasting in Pyrgos, boat trip to the volcanic hot springs, and the Fira→Oia caldera hike if your legs allow.

Booking the ferries

I book everything with Ferryhopper — compare all operators at once and get e-tickets. Full walkthrough in my Ferryhopper guide.

Budget cheat sheet

Ferries total ≈ €90–140 · Rooms from €60/night (book 2–3 months ahead for July–August) · Best months: late May, June, September.

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