Naxos, Amorgos and Santorini: a Cycladic anthology in 12 days

Athens welcomes you. Make your way to your hotel at Piraeus and let yourself soak up the energy of Greece's largest port. Enjoy the evening strolling along the quays and dining at a waterfront taverna. Tomorrow, the islands await.

The ferry glides across the Aegean. After a few hours' sailing, the silhouette of Naxos appears: the largest and greenest of the Cyclades. Settle into your hotel. If the afternoon allows, a stroll to the Portara, the imposing gateway of the Temple of Apollo, offers a memorable sunset over Chora bay.

A short transfer drops you at the village of Moni. From there, you walk through the Naxian countryside, from one village to the next: Tsikalario and its whitewashed houses, Ano Potamia nestled in a green valley, then Melanes and its celebrated Kouroi, colossal 6th-century BC statues left unfinished in their marble quarry. The rhythm is that of ancient paths bordered by dry-stone walls, in the shade of olive trees.

Transfer to Filoti, a village tucked in a verdant valley. Depending on your mood, you may choose a panoramic walk circling Mount Zas, or simply reach Apiranthos by a gentler path. Apiranthos is a treasure: marble-paved lanes, small museums, shaded cafes. Take the time to sit down, order a chilled ouzo and watch village life flow gently by.

Depending on the ferry schedule, the morning may be devoted to a loop walk from the village of Chalki, the historic heart of Naxos. Among centuries-old olive trees and Byzantine chapels, the spell works one last time. Then boarding for Amorgos. The island of The Big Blue reveals itself on approach: cliffs plunging into an intense blue, a mineral and unspoilt silhouette. Settle into your hotel.

A walk at the heart of Amorgos: mule paths link the perched villages of Lagada and Tholaria, where time seems suspended. Abandoned windmills, white chapels poised on the edge of the void, sweeping panoramas over the sea. Near Tholaria, the ruins of the ancient acropolis of Aegiali bear witness to millennia of Cycladic history. In the evening, a terrace facing the sunset and a glass of Amorgos wine crown the day.

Transfer to Arkesini, in the south of the island. Along perfectly preserved old mule paths, you cross an authentic rural landscape. The small villages of Lefkes and Agia Thekla are strung along the west coast. A swim in the bay of Agia Thekla is a simple, pure happiness. The path ends at Katapola, a delightful natural harbour sheltered in a harmonious bay.

The finest stage on Amorgos: from Chora, the perched capital crowned by its Venetian kastro, you first descend towards the monastery of Chozoviotissa, gripping the cliff like a defiance of gravity. Founded in the 11th century, this building of immaculate whiteness overhangs the sea by 300 metres, a striking spectacle. Then the path crosses the island from east to west, linking ridges and valleys, to reach Aegiali. A full day's walking that offers the finest panoramas on the island.

The ferry carries you to Santorini. Nothing prepares you for the visual shock of arriving in the caldera: the red and black lava cliffs, the villages perched on top like whipped cream, the sea of an abyssal blue below. Transfer and settle into your hotel. The afternoon is free for a first exploration of Fira or a swim.

A free day of discovery. We suggest the walk along the caldera ridge between Fira and Oia, a panoramic path that unfurls breathtaking views. Along the way, pause at Imerovigli, the "balcony of the Aegean". For those who love fine flavours, a winery visit is essential: the Assyrtiko grape, grown in baskets close to the volcanic soil, produces a dry, mineral white wine unique in the world.

The hinterland of Santorini holds little-known treasures: the village of Pyrgos, perched on a hill with its medieval fortress, the troglodyte village of Megalochori and its wine caves, the Red Beach framed by ochre cliffs. A day where curiosity is your only guide. In the evening, the sunset from Oia is an appointment not to be missed: the most celebrated in all of Greece.