Hotels Overview

Island accommodations range from run-down pensions to bedrooms in private houses to luxury hotels. Overall, the quality of accommodations in the Cyclades is high. The best rooms and service (and noticeably higher prices) are on Mykonos and Santorini, where luxury resort hotels are mushrooming. Wherever you stay in the Cyclades, make a room with a view, and a balcony, a priority.

Unless you're traveling at the very height of the season (July 15-August 30), you're unlikely to need advance reservations; often the easiest -- and most recommended -- way to find something on the spot is to head for a tourist office and describe your needs and price range. Alternatively, walk around town and ask where you can rent a room, but take a good look first, and check the bathroom before you commit. If there are extra beds in the room, clarify in advance that the amount agreed on is for the entire room -- owners occasionally try to put another person in the same room. When approached by one of the touts who meet the ferries, make sure he or she tells you the location of the rooms being pushed, and look before you commit. Avoid places on main roads or near all-night discos. Rates, which are regulated by the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT), vary tremendously from month to month; in the off-season, rooms may cost half of what they do in August.

In August water pressure may be low, and only expensive hotels provide hot water 24 hours a day; in some hotels you must turn on a thermostat for a half hour to heat water for a shower (don't forget to turn it off). Signs tell you that water is in short supply in the Cyclades, reminding you to conserve it.