Cyclades

One of the most enduring images of Greece's summer travel brand is the world-famous sunset on Santorini Island, framed by sea-blue church domes on a jagged cliff high above a volcanic caldera.

This scene has inspired millions of fridge magnets, posters, and souvenirs — and now the queue to reach the viewing spot in the clifftop village of Oia can take more than 20 minutes.

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.

Naxos, the largest island in the Cyclades, is a place of many faces and boundless charm. There's the Naxos of ancient monuments, where passionate history enthusiasts climb rocks to reach the Cave of Zeus; the Naxos of sandy beaches, where French retirees sunbathe naked as early as May; and the Naxos of orchards and pastures, where farmers tirelessly tend to their land and livestock.

The French Press Agency (AFP) addresses the issue of overtourism on Santorini, Greece’s “Instagram island,” which has now reached a point of saturation.

Elli and her partner made the big leap about a decade ago, giving up their jobs in Athens and moving to the Cycladic island where her family was from. It was a massive financial risk because they both worked in the private sector, earning very good salaries and with great prospects of advancement.

I always had a ready excuse for not visiting the island of Kea, also known as Tzia, which lies a convenient one-hour ferry ride away from the coast of Lavrio in southeastern Attica: "It's so close; we'll go another time." Well, the years went by and that "other time" only came one weekend earlier this summer.

The recent mission by the Aegean Rebreath organization to clear the seabed off the island of Santorini collected 800 kilos of abandoned fishing nets, 406 potentially recyclable materials, 28 car tires and 30 items of clothing.

In the wake of last week's murder of 54-year-old engineer/surveyor Panagiotis Stathis in Athens, police authorities are coming down heavily on rival gangs vying for dominance in areas such as entertainment, catering and property sales on the island of Mykonos. 

Supreme Court Prosecutor Georgia Adeilini issued an order on Wednesday for the immediate investigation of cases involving criminal organizations, money laundering, homicides, and other serious offenses linked to mafia networks on Mykonos, other Cycladic islands, as well as in Athens and Thessaloniki.

Georgia Adilini, the prosecutor of the Supreme Court, has called for an investigation into organised crime activities on Mykonos, other Cyclades islands, and even in Athens and Thessaloniki.