Page 474 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

472  IT AL Y AND GREECE

s Cyclades

The most visited island group, the Cyclades are everyone’s
Greek island ideal, with their whitewashed, cliff-top villages,
blue-domed churches, and stunning beaches. The islands ATHENS
vary greatly, from the quiet and traditional to the more
nightlife-oriented. The cradle of the Cycladic civilization Mýkonos
(3300–2000 BC), they also offer a rich ancient history. Náxos
Important archaeological sites, such as those on Delos and
Santoríni, provide a fascinating insight into the past. Santoríni

south, the Archaeological Locator Map
Museum has a fine
collection of ancient are also a couple of gay and/or
pottery, including finds nudist beaches, including Super
from the excavations of Paradise, Liá, and Eliá.
the ruins on Delos. Inland, the traditional village
In the Kástro, the oldest of Ano Merá remains largely
part of town, is the unspoiled by tourism. The
excellent, though rarely main attraction here is the
open, Folk Museum. 16th-century monastery
The 16th-century Vonís Panagía Tourlianí.
Windmill, still in working
order, is part of the T Delos
museum. Nearby, the 6 nautical miles SW of Mýkonos town.
most famous church on Tel 22890-22259. g 10–11am daily
the island is Panagía from Mýkonos town returning 2–3pm.
Para portianí, which Open Apr–Oct: daily; Nov–Mar: Tue–
dates back to 1425. From Sun. Closed main public hols. & 8
Working 16th-century windmill, part of the Folk Kástro, the lanes run The tiny, uninhabited island
Museum in Mýkonos town down into picturesque of Delos is one of the most
Mikrí Venetía (Little important archaeological sites
Mýkonos Venice), the artists’ quarter. Also in Greece. The legendary
worth visiting are the Maritime birthplace of Artemis and
* 10,000. k 3 km (1.5 miles) SE of
Mýkonos town. g Mýkonos town, Museum of the Aegean and Apollo, from 1000 BC it was
new or old ports. @ Polykandrióti the Municipal Art Gallery. home to the annual Delian
and also base of old-port jetty, Festival, held in honor of the
Mýkonos town (for north and east of E Archaeological Museum god Apollo. By 700 BC, it had
island); Fábrika, Mýkonos town (for Harborfront. Tel 22890-22325. become a major religious center
south of island). Open 9am–4pm Tue–Sun. and place of pilgrimage. In
Closed main public hols. & addition to some impressive
Sandy beaches and dynamic 2nd-century BC mosaics and
nightlife combine to make Around the Island temple ruins, the most
Mýkonos one of the most Mýkonos is popular primarily for important remains on Delos are
popular islands in the Cyclades. its beaches including long the magnificent 7th-century BC
Visited by intellectuals in the Kalafátis in the east and stylish Lion Terrace, the Theater, built
early days of tourism, today it Platýs Gialós, 3.5 km (2 miles) in 300 BC to hold 5,500 people,
thrives on its reputation as one south of Mýkonos town. There and the Theater Quarter.
of the glitziest island in Greece.
In addition to offering sun, sea,
and sand, the island is a good
base from which to visit the
ancient archaeological site
on Delos.
Mýkonos Town
The supreme example of a
Cycladic town, Mýkonos town
(or Chóra) is a tangle of dazzling
white alleys and cube-shaped
houses. It has a bustling port,
from where taxi boats for the
island of Delos leave. To the Lions carved from Naxian marble along the Lion Terrace on Delos
For hotels and restaurants see pp484–6 and pp487–9

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