Serifos, Sifnos and Milos at your own pace: 10 days in the western Cyclades

Arrival in Athens and settle into your hotel at Piraeus, the great port that lives to the rhythm of the ferries. The evening is free: a chance to stroll the seafront, savour a first souvlaki facing the harbour lights, and soak up the maritime atmosphere that sets the tone for the journey.

The ferry casts off and the Attic coast fades into the blue. After the crossing, Serifos appears, wild and silent, crowned by Chora, one of the most beautiful villages of the Cyclades. You climb on foot through the narrow, cool lanes to the summit, where the eye takes in Livadi bay and the entire archipelago. Back down to the beach for a first swim in waters of rare transparency. End of the day on a terrace, glass in hand, facing the deep blue of the Aegean.

The finest day on the island takes you to the heart of Serifos, away from the coast. From Chora, shepherd's paths wind between dry-stone walls and olive terraces. You discover the chapel of Stavros, isolated in a haven of silence, then the sleepy hamlets of Kendarchos, Galani and Panagia, where time seems to have stopped. The 16th-century monastery of Taxiarchon holds a precious icon from Russia and still shelters a solitary monk. The return follows an ancient monopati, a paved path descending gently to Livadi. A late-afternoon swim, then ouzo in the shade of the tamarisks.

A short ferry to Sifnos, where the air smells of thyme and rosemary from the port of Kamares. The island is renowned throughout Greece for its culinary traditions and its pottery workshops, a craft dating back to antiquity. Depending on your arrival time, a first walk downhill from Apollonia, the island's beating heart, to Kamares, with the sea always as a backdrop. Settle into your charming address for three nights.

The most memorable walk on Sifnos traverses the island from east to west. From Apollonia, the path undulates between fragrant hills, whitewashed chapels and walls draped in capers. The descent opens gradually onto the bay of Vathy, a sheltered inlet fringed with tamarisks where a handful of family tavernas serve the catch of the day under vine trellises. This is where you taste the island's rhythm at its finest: feet in the sand, a plate of fava and a glass of white wine before you.

A string of wonders awaits you along the south coast of Sifnos. Kastro, the fortified former capital, unfurls its medieval lanes above the sea. The path descends to Faros, a small fishing port with colourful boats, then reaches the monastery of Chryssopighi, perched on its rock facing the open sea, a place of contemplative beauty that invites a pause. The walk ends at Platys Gialos and its long golden-sand beach, perfect for a leisurely swim. The monopati between Kastro and Faros, paved in marble polished by the centuries, ranks among the finest trails in the archipelago.

Ferry to Milos, an island shaped by fire and water. In the afternoon, you set off to discover the canyon of Sarakiniko: white tuff cliffs sculpted by erosion, plunging into a sea of striking turquoise. The landscape, lunar and spellbinding, is unlike anything you have seen before. A gentle return to your hotel, near the small port of Adamas. Free evening to explore the terraces and mezes of Milos.

Morning crossing to the island of Kimolos, Milos's discreet neighbour. At Chorio, the main village, the windmills aligned along the Ksaplovouni ridge create an unforgettable silhouette. Along a fine path, you reach the Skiadi rock, a remarkable mushroom-shaped stone sculpted by erosion, then the coast for a walk from beach to beach, coves where you swim in utter solitude. The return to Chorio follows stony paths through a shaded valley, past abandoned hamlets. Ferry back to Milos at the end of the day.

A final island morning devoted to Klima, a charming fishing village whose brightly painted wooden doors are reflected in the still water of the harbour. Visit the catacombs of Milos, among the most important in the ancient world after those in Rome, a striking testimony to early Christianity in the Aegean. Late afternoon ferry to Piraeus, then settle into your hotel in Athens. Free evening for a last stroll through the Greek capital.