Naxos and Amorgos at your own pace: 10 days between fertile valleys and wild trails

Arrival in Athens and settle into your hotel at Piraeus. The historic port deserves an evening stroll: bustling tavernas, views over the illuminated ferries, a first evening on Greek soil. Tomorrow, the blue of the Aegean opens before you.

The ferry delivers you to Chora, the main port of Naxos. Settle into your hotel. The end of the day is ideal for a walk to the Portara, the ancient gate of the Temple of Apollo, which stands facing the sunset like a natural frame for the island's most beautiful evening light. Along the way, the lanes of the Venetian kastro invite a first exploration.

Morning transfer to the village of Moni. The path winds through the countryside: dry-stone walls, centuries-old olive trees, orange trees in blossom. You cross Tsikalario, where the white houses seem to drowse in the light, then Ano Potamia, nestled in a tender green valley. The stage ends at Melanes, where you discover the Kouroi, those monumental 6th-century BC statues abandoned in their quarry. A coffee under the village plane trees rounds off this day outside of time.

Transfer to Filoti, at the foot of Mount Zas. Two options: a panoramic path skirting the mountain with sumptuous views over the archipelago, or a gentler walk through the hills. Either way, your destination is Apiranthos, one of the most beautiful villages in the Cyclades. Its marble-paved lanes, bougainvillea-clad facades and small museums make it a place where you love to linger. Settle on a kafeneion terrace and order a warm loukoumade.

If the ferry schedule allows, a final loop from Chalki, a village of Venetian towers and Byzantine chapels, among olive groves and terraced gardens. Then embarkation for Amorgos. The island reveals itself gradually: arid, mineral, magnetic. Settle into your hotel in the Aegiali area, facing a bay of deep blue.

The ancestral mule paths of Amorgos are among the most beautiful in Greece. Today, you link the villages of Lagadha and Tholaria, perched in the heights of Aegiali. Along the way: old windmills, the chapel of Panagia Epanochorianis tucked in a picturesque ravine, and the mysterious ruins of the ancient acropolis of Aigiali. In the evening, from your hotel terrace, the sun sinks into the Aegean and gilds the cliffs. A glass of local wine in hand, the spectacle is complete.

Transfer to Arkesini, in the south of the island. Along perfectly preserved old paths, you cross a rural world frozen in time. The small villages of Aghia Thekla and Lefkes are strung along the coast. The bay of Aghia Thekla invites a swim in limpid waters. The path then follows the shore to Katapola, a charming natural harbour where fishing boats sway gently. Sit at a harbour taverna for grilled fish and fava, the split-pea puree that is a Cycladic speciality.

Transfer to Chora, the island's capital, crowned by its Venetian kastro. A wander through its winding lanes is a delight. Then the path climbs to the Chozoviotissa monastery, dazzling white, clinging to a sheer cliff 300 metres above the sea. Founded in the 11th century, this extraordinary place welcomes you with a glass of rakomelo and a loukoum, Greek hospitality at its most gracious. The hike continues along the island's ridge, with striking panoramas over the Aegean on both sides, before descending to Aegiali.

Ferry back to Piraeus. The crossing is a moment of serenity, lulled by the swell and the changing light of the sea. Settle into your hotel in Athens. If the mood takes you, an evening in the Plaka quarter, at the foot of the Acropolis, is a fine final note to your island journey.