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The cyclades are a group of islands of
varying sizes scattered over the deep blue waters of the Aegean. Some
of them are well-known both to the public at large and the international
'jet-set', while others remain little known and scarcely figured on the
tourist scene. Taken as a whole, they make an ideal Greek sailing holiday
destination for visitors of the most varied tastes. |
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A fusion of stone, sunlight and sparkling sea, the Cyclades lie to the
east of the Peloponnese and south-east of the coast of Attica; they stretch
as far as Samos and Ikaria to the east, and are bounded to the south by
the Cretan Sea. According to the most likely tradition, they owe their
name to the national circle which they appear to form around the sacred
isle of Delos.
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The Cyclades have exercised a powerful
charm since ancient times, even though access to them then was not particularly
easy. This was the birthplace of one of the Mediterranean's most important
civilizations, one which took its name from the islands: the Cycladic
civilisation (3000 - 100 BC).Geologists attribute the peculiar form which
the Cyclades take today to a succession of geological upheavals - earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, movements of the earth's crust - which resulted in
the submergence of large chunks of land. Many believe that one such stretch
of land was the lost continent of Atlantis.
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The diverse outlines of the islands as they protrude from the blue waters
of the Aegean, bathed in the dazzling sunlight and embellished with little
white houses, resemble, in the words of the Noble Prize-winning poet Odysseas
Elytis, "stone horses with rampant manes", Above all, the people
who live here, with their own individual approach to the world, bring
to life the narrow alleyways of the villages and the pathways of the countryside,
the countless tiny chapels, the windmills, the dovecotes or the wind-beaten
hillsides and are yet, in spite of the characteristics which the islands
have in common - sparkling sea, sun, the landscape and the austere line
of the architecture - each retains its own individual features, which
visitors can discover as they explore them one by one.
The cycladic islands enjoy a Mediterranean climate, with
an average temperature for the year of 18 - 19° C. The winters are
mild and the summers - by Greek standards - cool, thanks to the beneficial
effects of the seasonal winds known as the 'meltemia'. |
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Near perfect weather and ideal wind conditions make the Ionian Sea a privileged
sailing area. The so called "Green Islands" produce an abundance
of vegetation, you will not find in the Aegean. Sailors who want more
than just "tick off" the Islands, will discover from Corfu to
Zakinthos plenty of lively , interesting ports, fabulous bays for swimming,
and unspoiled sandy beaches framed by olive groves and bizarre rocks.
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