4 Best Sights in The Cyclades, Greece

Somewhat hidden in the shadow of Kalafatis Beach, Ayia Anna is a low-key beach, named after a little whitewashed chapel nearby. It’s a place where you can observe windsurfers in the distance as fishing boats bob calmly in the wind-protected waters. Two hills protect the bay—the locals lovingly call them divounia, or Aphrodite’s breasts. Summer beach chair and umbrella rentals are available and there is a handful of tavernas and cafés. There are also two easy hiking paths to neighboring Platis Gialos and Paraga beaches. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming.

This long stretch of picturesque beach with a line of shady trees is known for the water-sports and windsurfing crowds it attracts. The back road has an array of hotels, rooms-for-rent, tavernas, and beach bars, as well as a well-known windsurfing school and water-sports rental shop. A small dock to the left side of the beach houses a tavern, beach bar, and a diving center office that leads excursions out to nearby uninhabited islands. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking; windsurfing.

Mykonos’s characteristic rocky hills surround Kalo Livadi’s long sandy beach, at the edge of the island valley from which it got its name, meaning "good valley.” Families head here to spend the day playing with their kids in the shallow waters and take a break at one of the many restaurants surrounding the beach. In summer the beach is divided into several areas that feature various styles of sun beds and umbrellas for rent. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming.

By Mykonos standards, Lia Beach is considered tranquil and quiet, perhaps because it’s one of the farthest organized beaches from Mykonos Town. You can drive to the beach or get off at the last stop on the Mykonos Town boat that brings people to the beaches. Rows of beach chairs and umbrellas line the pebble and sand beach, which is surrounded on both sides by a rocky coastline and the typical bare yet beautiful hills of the island. Divers and snorkelers head here to explore the turquoise waters. Once you're set up, see if you can spot Naxos and Paros in the distance. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; swimming.