Holiday Villas >> Greece villas >> Cyclades villas

Introducing the Villas Worldwide range of private villas with pools on the Cyclades islands, Greece. Holiday homes to rent for self-catering holidays suitable for families and couples. Our experts can help you choose the right one for your next vacation.

The Cyclades derive their name from the word “Kyrlos” meaning circle as this grouping surrounds the island of Delos. The epitome of the Greek island idyll, the Cyclades are the most visited of all the Greek islands. Wonderful beaches, blue-domed churches, winding cobbled streets, ancient windmills and rocky landscape occasionally dotted with whitewashed, flat-roofed houses. These are everybody’s idea of Greek island bliss.

In all, there are 56 islands in the group of which 24 are inhabited, some undisturbed and lost in time others popular holiday playgrounds. The area is understandably very popular with artists, walkers and those seeking to relax and forget about everyday life. Mykonos and Ios are renowned for their nightlife, Paros is somewhat upmarket whilst Syros, the regional capital is one of the few which does not depend on tourism as its main source of income. Santorini is one of the worlds most photographed Greek destinations.

Travel

Travelling to the Cyclades is like many of the smaller Greek islands, you need to take a boat. Most of our clients favour travelling from Athens.

Paros and Syros are the principal ferry hubs linking to most of the islands as well as Crete and the Dodecanese. The Greek island ferry services are sometimes disrupted by fickle winds particularly between July and September. There are international airports on Mykonos and Santorini.

Weather

The climate in the Cyclades is outstanding with lots of sunshine and very little rain from April to October. You need to be a bit careful of the heat in July and August.

There is an abundance of history dating from the initial occupation by the Minoans from Crete followed by the Mycenaeans, the Dorians and the Venetians. The ruins of ancient Delos are the most important visible remains. Cycladic art dates back to the bronze age and is remarkable for its simple geometric form and clean lines found especially in the form of white marble figurines.

Located to the south-west of Athens the Cyclades is the first major chain of islands in a line from the Greek capital. Some such as Santorini was formed by volcanic activity and to this day there is still some activity, on Nea Kameni in particular. Warm throughout much of the year in the Spring the islands are particularly beautiful as there is an abundance of wildflowers carpeting the land. Some of the islands are very busy in the height of summer.

Cycladic life revolves mainly around the village which is typically divided into a harbour area and the upper village which is frequently surmounted by a kastro. Predominantly the islands are rocky and arid with the exceptions of Andros, Kea and Naxos which have lush valleys.