Antiparos

It is fitting for a museum named after the Cyclades to care for the protection of both the natural and cultural heritage, as well as for the present and future identity of the islands through a new initiative titled Cycladic Identity.

Which Cycladic islands saw the most property sales in the last five years? Most people would probably say Santorini and Mykonos, the two most popular with visitors. But the reality is somewhat different.

The British ocean liner Arcadian, torpedoed by a German U-boat and sunk during World War I, has been discovered by researcher Kostas Thoktaridis and his team. The wreck was found southeast of the Cycladic island of Sifnos at a depth of 163 meters. The Arcadian, which went down taking 279 men with it, was en route from Thessaloniki to Alexandria, Egypt, with 1,155 military personnel on board.

She aimed to place Antiparos on the international map among the world’s high-end corners, and she succeeded. Her hotel welcomes the Niarchos family, the former Mrs. Abramovich, and princes from Monaco, while the biggest names in global fashion enjoy dips at her beach club

Andros is currently the cheapest island in the Cyclades to buy a house, with Tinos following, considering that the lowest prices start from 2,000 to 2,500 euros per square meter.

On the other hand, we have the prestigious island of Mykonos, where property prices start at 5,500 euros per square metre and can go up to an average of 12,000 euros per square metre.

The Cyclades dominate the list of the most expensive holiday homes for sale, as the high demand and strong tourism interest of recent years have brought the asking prices to a level that surpasses the majority of parts of Attica.

The small Aegean island of Antiparos is in a fever of preparations for the summer's tourism miracle. The magnitude and type of construction activity (villas with swimming pools etc) point to a massive accumulation of wealth.

Activist groups on Paros and the Cyclades islands in general, which led the movement for the public's unhindered access to beaches, have expressed reservations about the Finance Ministry's recent draft bill to improve the system of leasing beaches and tackle illegalities.

A few days ago, a sale was completed that sets the bar for excellent quality and location holiday properties at the highest levels: Five villas on Antiparos island in the Cyclades, located on an area of 36,000 square meters in total, were sold together for a price that sources say amounted to 42 million euros.

Archaeologist Yannos Kourayos has been digging on Despotiko since 1997. Yet even as the pioneer of excavation efforts on the uninhabited islet southwest of Antiparos in the Cyclades, he is surprised at the wealth of treasures the site has yielded over the years. In addition to this year's discoveries, his tally includes two complete kouros statues and 11 heads.