Small Cyclades - The Maldives of the Aegean

Most of the inhabited and uninhabited islands of the Aegean Sea were part of a large landmass during the Ice Age. It was only after the global sea level rose around 9000 BC that the Aegean Sea flooded this unique land, creating numerous small islands whose shapes we still recognize today. These small islands, with their manageable size, have been inhabited since the Stone Age, and they reached their peak during the Bronze Age when the Cycladic culture emerged.

The Small Cyclades consist of 32 islands and islets, of which only a few are inhabited - Ano Koufonisi, Irakleia, Donousa, and Schoinoussa. This is an ideal arrangement because it is possible to explore all the inhabited islands during an extended stay and even visit some of the uninhabited ones for a special experience. Glaronisi is a special recommendation due to its spectacular coastal caves that overlook the cliffs.

As on many other islands, the heritage of the Small Cyclades is recognized through archaeological sites from the Classical and Roman periods. However, during the Middle Ages and the beginning of the modern era, these islands suffered from constant pirate raids. Pirates, who plundered this archipelago because they often encountered trading ships from various empires, used the natural harbors and caves of the islands as their hideouts, often subjecting the local population to oppression and hindering progress. The decades-long presence of pirates as a maritime force that sporadically took advantage of the islands' benefits created deep insecurity about the future and order, leading to the abandonment and neglect of many islands. This depopulation resulted in large areas of land falling into the hands of the Orthodox Church, which has been the largest landowner of these island jewels since the 11th century (most of the Small Cyclades were then given to the Hozoviotissa Monastery on the neighboring Amorgos, which still significantly affects the islands' socio-economic relations). Economic development and keeping pace with the world were almost unimaginable, as other potential conquerors - whether the Ottomans or the Venetians - did not choose to build fortifications, military garrisons, markets, or town centers.

It was in such a post-pirate era that these islands welcomed the 20th century, being in a destructive dissonance with the advancements of the Western world. The only thing they could offer was a unique island lifestyle flavored with peace, tranquility, and a slowness that promises "everything will be fine." The inhabitants of these islands, with the great help of internationally renowned names in literature, film, gastronomy, etc. (Lawrence Durrell, Henry Miller, Constantine Cavafy, etc.), packaged these immaterial aspects into tourist products that are now on top of the world's destination lists. Despite this, life on these islands has changed little since the pirates left their maritime bans because winters are extremely anti-touristic and represent a time when the local population returns to its routines and recovers that widely known and sought-after hospitable spirit of the islands. During the 1980s and 1990s, these islands, especially Koufonisia, became a summer destination for many Greeks and foreign tourists seeking an exclusive and sophisticated getaway from Mykonos, which they found in the tranquility of this archipelago.

Ano Koufonisi has around 450 inhabitants and is one of the first stops you'll come across if you embark on a journey through the Small Cyclades starting from Naxos. The first surprise that awaits visitors is the size of the island itself, which is barely 3.5 kilometers long, and the two furthest inhabited points can be reached in just over half an hour on foot. The tourism of large hotel monads with all-inclusive services centered around pools has not reached these islands, so accommodation here is often in someone's homes, in nicely and harmoniously prepared rooms for a vacation stay, but never far from the family and life dynamics of the property owners. That's why you can often come across groups of tourists camping in the shade of numerous olive trees, despite the official ban on free camping that applies throughout Greece. The atmosphere on the island of Ano Koufonissi is even more relaxed than the standards of Greek islands, so no one will mind if you sit in a tavern in your swimwear or even walk around the village.

The island is characterized by only six beaches, which nestle like small sandy enclaves among barren fields, offering a place to swim regardless of the direction of the wind. The most famous is the beach of Pori, whose white sand and astonishingly transparent color leave you breathless. The reflections of small fishing boats, often wooden and with cracked paint but still in everyday use, look completely unreal and contrasting when observed in relation to such clear and transparent water. Taverna Kalofego and the evening bar on the waterfront, Sorokos, are places that should be visited for their authenticity and welcoming style. If you have a boat at your disposal or an enthusiastic local fisherman, be sure to sail to the uninhabited Kato Koufonissi, where there is only one person on the whole island – Janis – the owner, cook, and waiter in his tavern. Janis's establishment is well-known throughout the Small Cyclades, both for its excellent cuisine and the "folk" wisdom written on the walls. In addition to warnings in verse that hangovers have been abolished, you will also find some essential reminders, such as "love for a lifetime, passion for today." If there is fresh catch, don't miss Janis's octopus.

A visit to the Small Cyclades would be incomplete without stopping at the port of Schinoussa, on the eponymous island, the second most densely populated in this archipelago, named after the bushy plants of the mastic genus (Schino in Greek) that spring up all over the island. Here too, your stay will be intertwined with the hospitality of the locals, who often welcome their guests at the very dock and help with luggage, guiding them to their rooms. This inseparability of the tourist experience from life, including the presence of the local population, is quite beneficial for visitors because it reminds us that we are still guests in someone else's living space and that getting to know a destination requires much more than independent wandering (for which, by the way, there is plenty of time and opportunity) with a map in hand. Thus, from your host, you will learn that donkey races are held on the island, as donkeys were the only means of transportation until the 1980s. In memory of these irreplaceable companions of the islanders, Schinoussa holds a race and a celebration in their honor every August. These donkeys can take you to clearings with a church and a windmill, to the beaches of Psili Ammos or Tsigouri, as well as to the taverna Meltemi, where the view from your glass of retsina falls directly onto the bay's azure-colored water.

Going on a tour of the Small Cyclades is a special experience due to the significant effort required to reach them. That is why these islands, which could easily be uninhabited in many other aspects of modern life, offer an enchanting opportunity for revitalization through the vitality of their daily existence. Anchoring the Express Skopelitis ship, which connects all the islands of the archipelago with regular ferry service, is always a joyful moment when the local community gathers to pick up supplies arriving from larger islands or to welcome friends or tourists. If long-distance travel delights rather than hinders you, rest assured that the Small Cyclades are a worthwhile choice.

Suggested reading: Albert Pike – Latona

Suggested listening: Δεν κάνει κρύο

Suggested watching: The Big Blue

Author: Miloš Ničić