The Cyclades are often associated with Mykonos, Paros and Santorini but these famous islands represent only part of what the Aegean has to offer.
Beyond the well-known destinations are quieter islands with traditional villages, local tavernas, walking trails, secluded beaches and a slower pace of life. Some are ideal for a few days of complete relaxation; others are best discovered as part of a private island-hopping journey.
For travellers looking beyond the obvious, these lesser-known Cyclades islands offer a different perspective on Greece.
1. Tinos — Villages, Art & Local Life
Tinos is one of the most interesting islands for travellers who want to experience the cultural side of the Cyclades. While the island is known throughout Greece for its important pilgrimage church, there is much more to discover beyond the main town.
The interior is dotted with traditional villages, marble houses, old pathways, dovecotes and small churches. Pyrgos is particularly known for its marble craftsmanship and artistic heritage, while villages such as Volax have a distinctive landscape shaped by granite boulders.
Tinos also has a strong culinary identity, with local cheeses, honey, artichokes, capers and traditional dishes appearing on menus across the island. Along the coast, beaches and small bays provide an easy counterpoint to days spent exploring inland.
For travellers staying in Mykonos, Tinos is also close enough to work naturally into a private yacht itinerary.
2. Folegandros — Dramatic & Atmospheric
Folegandros is defined by its dramatic landscape. The island rises steeply from the Aegean, with cliffs, dry stone walls and open countryside surrounding a remarkably well-preserved Chora.
At the top of the village, the Church of Panagia overlooks the sea and is one of the island’s most recognisable viewpoints. Below it, narrow streets lead to small squares, cafés and traditional tavernas where evenings tend to unfold slowly.
Away from the Chora, Folegandros is ideal for exploring on foot, with paths leading through the island’s rugged interior and towards beaches and secluded stretches of coastline.
It is not an island built around a long list of attractions. Its appeal is more atmospheric: beautiful scenery, simple architecture, good food and the feeling that there is nowhere else you need to be.
3. Serifos — The Understated Cyclades
Serifos has a distinctive visual character, with its whitewashed Chora dramatically positioned high above the sea. From a distance, the settlement appears to rise directly from the rugged landscape, creating one of the most memorable silhouettes in the Cyclades.
The island’s beaches range from organised stretches close to the main settlements to quieter coves that are better discovered with time and a car or boat. Livadaki, Psili Ammos and Ganema are among the beaches worth exploring, while the island’s network of old paths offers opportunities for walking through the countryside.
Serifos also has a strong local food culture, with traditional tavernas and small producers reflecting the island’s agricultural heritage.
Its appeal lies in its balance. It offers beautiful beaches and classic Cycladic architecture, but without requiring a busy itinerary or a focus on nightlife.
4. Sifnos — A Cycladic Island for Food Lovers
Sifnos is one of the Cyclades’ most rewarding destinations for travellers who appreciate food, architecture and village life.
The island has a long culinary tradition, with local dishes often prepared using ingredients grown or produced on the island. Chickpea dishes, mastelo lamb, local cheeses and traditional sweets are part of a food culture that remains closely connected to everyday life.
Beyond the table, Sifnos is known for its beautiful villages. Artemonas and Apollonia are ideal for evening walks, while the fortified settlement of Kastro combines architecture, history and views across the Aegean.
The island also has a network of walking trails connecting villages, churches and coastal areas. This makes it particularly attractive outside the peak summer months, when the landscape and countryside become an important part of the experience.
Sifnos works equally well as a standalone destination or as part of a private yacht itinerary through the western Cyclades.
5. Kimolos — Quiet, Authentic & Close to Milos
Just across from Milos, Kimolos offers a considerably quieter experience while sharing the volcanic geology that gives this part of the Cyclades its distinctive landscapes.
The island’s Chora is small and atmospheric, with whitewashed houses, narrow lanes and traditional churches. Outside the village, the landscape becomes increasingly rugged, with unusual rock formations, small beaches and clear waters.
Prassa Beach is one of the island’s best-known coastal areas, while smaller coves can be discovered by boat or on foot.
Kimolos is particularly appealing for travellers who want to combine the landscapes of the western Cyclades with a more relaxed atmosphere. It is also an easy island to combine with Milos, making the two a natural pairing for a private yacht journey.
Rather than offering a long list of attractions, Kimolos invites visitors to explore slowly and spend time outdoors.
6. Sikinos — For Those Looking to Slow Down
Just across from Milos, Kimolos offers a considerably quieter experience while sharing the volcanic geology that gives this part of the Cyclades its distinctive landscapes.
The island’s Chora is small and atmospheric, with whitewashed houses, narrow lanes and traditional churches. Outside the village, the landscape becomes increasingly rugged, with unusual rock formations, small beaches and clear waters.
Prassa Beach is one of the island’s best-known coastal areas, while smaller coves can be discovered by boat or on foot.
Kimolos is particularly appealing for travellers who want to combine the landscapes of the western Cyclades with a more relaxed atmosphere. It is also an easy island to combine with Milos, making the two a natural pairing for a private yacht journey.
Rather than offering a long list of attractions, Kimolos invites visitors to explore slowly and spend time outdoors.
7. Anafi — Santorini's Quieter Neighbour
Just across from Milos, Kimolos offers a considerably quieter experience while sharing the volcanic geology that gives this part of the Cyclades its distinctive landscapes.
The island’s Chora is small and atmospheric, with whitewashed houses, narrow lanes and traditional churches. Outside the village, the landscape becomes increasingly rugged, with unusual rock formations, small beaches and clear waters.
Prassa Beach is one of the island’s best-known coastal areas, while smaller coves can be discovered by boat or on foot.
Kimolos is particularly appealing for travellers who want to combine the landscapes of the western Cyclades with a more relaxed atmosphere. It is also an easy island to combine with Milos, making the two a natural pairing for a private yacht journey.
Rather than offering a long list of attractions, Kimolos invites visitors to explore slowly and spend time outdoors.
8. Donousa — The Small Cyclades at Their Simplest
Donousa belongs to the Small Cyclades, a group of islands between Naxos and Amorgos known for their compact scale and relaxed atmosphere.
The island is small enough to explore without rushing, with a handful of villages and beaches connected by roads and walking paths. Kedros and Livadi are among the beaches worth discovering, while the coastline also hides smaller coves that can be reached by boat or on foot.
The main settlement, Stavros, sits around a natural bay and is the centre of everyday life on the island. Evenings are simple: dinner by the sea, a walk through the village and perhaps a late swim.
Donousa is particularly suited to travellers who value simplicity over a long list of amenities.
It is also one of the islands that can become especially interesting when visited by private yacht, allowing access to quieter coastal areas and the freedom to move on to the neighbouring Small Cyclades.
9. Schinoussa — A Small Island with a Big Sense of Escape
Schinoussa is another Small Cyclades island where the scale of the destination shapes the experience.
There is no need to plan every hour. The island is compact, with a small Chora, a handful of settlements and beaches that can be reached by road, walking paths or boat.
The surrounding waters are particularly inviting for swimming and exploring by tender or yacht, while the island’s traditional tavernas offer a chance to experience simple local cooking away from the busier destinations.
Schinoussa is best approached slowly. A morning swim can turn into a long lunch, followed by a walk through the countryside and an evening overlooking the Aegean.
For a private yacht itinerary, Schinoussa can be paired naturally with Donousa, Iraklia and Koufonisia, creating a multi-island journey that feels very different from the better-known Cycladic routes.
10. Iraklia — Nature, Walking & Quiet Beaches
Iraklia is one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Cyclades and one of the places where the landscape remains the main attraction.
Its interior is crossed by walking paths leading through dry hills, small valleys and areas of natural vegetation. The island’s highest point, Papas, provides wide views across the surrounding Aegean, while caves and small chapels add interest to the landscape.
The coastline offers a number of beaches and secluded swimming areas, including Livadi, which is one of the island’s most accessible stretches of sand.
There are only a few settlements, so the experience is naturally quiet. Iraklia is therefore better suited to travellers looking for nature and a slower pace than those expecting extensive nightlife or entertainment.
For yacht travellers, its small scale is part of the appeal: arrive by sea, swim in a quiet bay and continue when the mood takes you.
11. Kythnos — An Accessible Alternative from Athens
Kythnos is one of the most practical choices for travellers who want to experience a quieter Cycladic island without travelling too far from Athens.
The island combines traditional villages, beaches and a rugged interior, with Chora and Dryopida offering some of the best examples of its distinctive architecture. Dryopida is particularly interesting for its narrow streets, traditional houses and local character.
Kythnos is also known for its thermal springs at Loutra, while the coastline offers numerous coves and beaches that are particularly enjoyable by boat.
Its position makes it especially suitable for a private yacht itinerary departing from Athens or the Athens Riviera. A journey can combine Kythnos with Serifos, Sifnos or Kea, depending on the length of the trip and the interests of the travellers.
For visitors who want to combine mainland Greece with the Cyclades, Kythnos offers an easy transition from Athens to island life.
12. Thirasia — Santorini's Other Side
Thirasia sits directly opposite Santorini, yet its atmosphere could hardly be more different.
Part of the same volcanic landscape, the island offers views towards the caldera without the scale and intensity of Santorini’s main tourist centres. The old settlement of Manolas is built high on the cliffs, while the smaller coastal areas offer a more traditional perspective on life around the caldera.
Thirasia is particularly interesting for travellers who have already visited Santorini and want to see another side of the volcanic landscape. It can be explored as a day trip, but arriving by private boat allows greater flexibility and the opportunity to experience the coastline at your own pace.
The island’s quiet villages, small churches and simple tavernas provide a reminder of what life around the Santorini caldera was like before it became one of the world’s most recognised destinations.
Which Lesser-Known Cyclades Island Is Right for You?
Each of these islands offers something different, and the choice often comes down to the pace and style of travel you prefer.
- For food and village life: Tinos and Sifnos offer some of the strongest combinations of gastronomy, architecture and local culture.
- For dramatic scenery: Folegandros and Anafi combine rugged landscapes with traditional settlements and walking routes.
- For beaches and relaxed days: Serifos and Kimolos offer a good balance between coastline, villages and a slower pace.
- For genuine tranquillity: Sikinos, Donousa and Iraklia are among the islands to consider when getting away from busy destinations is the priority.
- For a private yacht journey: Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos and the Small Cyclades can be combined into flexible multi-island itineraries.
- For combining a famous destination with something quieter: Tinos can complement Mykonos, while Anafi or Thirasia can provide a different perspective after visiting Santorini.
Can You Explore the Cyclades by Private Yacht?
For travellers who want to discover several of these islands, a private yacht offers a very different way to experience the Cyclades.
Instead of planning every day around ferry timetables, a yacht allows the itinerary to follow the weather, the interests of the group and the places that appeal most along the way. A day can begin with a swim in a quiet bay, continue with lunch in a small fishing village and finish with sunset offshore.
From Mykonos, routes can incorporate Tinos and the northern Cyclades. From Paros or Naxos, the Small Cyclades become more accessible, while itineraries from Athens can explore Kythnos, Serifos and Sifnos.
For those looking for a more private experience, the yacht itself becomes part of the journey rather than simply a means of transport.
Beyond the Famous Greek Islands
The Cyclades are much more than their three most famous names.
Mykonos, Paros and Santorini remain important destinations, but the islands surrounding them offer another way to experience the Aegean — through local food, traditional villages, quiet beaches, walking trails and days without a fixed schedule.
For travellers returning to Greece, or simply looking for something less predictable, these islands can form the basis of a highly personal itinerary.
At Curated by Ros, we combine handpicked villas, private yacht charters, transfers and local experiences to create tailored journeys across Greece.
About Curated by Ros
Curated by Ros is a luxury villa rental and concierge specialist operating across Mykonos, Paros, Antiparos, Tinos and the Athens Riviera. Every property in our collection has been personally visited. Every service we arrange is one we stand behind. We have been on these islands and this coastline long enough to know what is genuinely worth your time.
