When you think of Greek islands and picture those cliffs lined with classic white buildings, you are certainly thinking of Santorini.

The first thing you will notice approaching Naxos is its famous Portara. The entrance to the never-finished Temple of Apollo sits on the Palatia islet just outside of Naxos town, marking a doorway into the sky. Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades and it is worth for a diligent exploration of its Venetian architecture, historic Kastro district, beaches, and archaeological sites.

Glamorous Mykonos is the wealthy member of the Cycladic family, home to a jet set party scene that draws cosmopolitan crowds year after year, with prices to match.

In Paros, you will find all the classic whitewashed architecture and winding town streets, you expect of the Cyclades in the main town of Paroikia, along with the Panagia Ekatontapiliani church, also known as the Church of 100 Doors, one of the best-preserved Christian churches in Greece.

Widely known as the island of the Virgin Mary, Tinos’ primary visitors are the thousands of annual worshipers to its Panagia Evangelistria church. People from all over Greece visit this imposing church every year, to worship the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary and to search of its healing power.

Syros is not appreciated as much as its famous neighbors, but it is actually the administrative capital of the Cyclades. With the highest population of all the islands and some of the lowest tourist crowds, Syros is the place for those seeking an everyday Greek island experience.

One of the lesser-known islands of the larger Cyclades. Few foreigners visit, and the island – known also as Thermia

Kea (Tzia), the nearest of the Cyclades to the mainland, is extremely popular with Athenian families in August and at weekends year-round

At the east side of Santorini, Anafi is something of a travelers’ dead end. If rest is what you desire, you will have it here in abundance. Not that this is likely to bother most of the visitors, who come here for weeks in midsummer to enjoy exactly that: its privacy.