Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A BRIEF HISTORY
The Cyclades are the most quintessentially Greek of all the islands and their long history
reflects that. The mining of
obsidian
, the black, sharp-edged volcanic glass used for making
implements, originated on Mílos; shards dating to 11,000 BC have been found deep in the
Peloponnese, demonstrating early seaborne Paleolithic trade. The Bronze Age started here
around 2800 BC and with it came the
Cycladic civilization
, notable for its sought-after
geometric, minimalist figurines made of marble from
Páros
or
Náxos
.
Mining
for copper,
silver and gold, combined with the islands' strategic position, turned them into trading centres.
By 2000 BC the Cretan Minoans had become influential in the area, particularly on
Santoríni
. Such influence, however, came to an end with a catastrophic volcanic eruption
around 1600 BC. The Ionian Greeks arrived around 1000 BC and within two hundred years the
first cities had appeared.
Delos
became a great religious centre in antiquity.
During and after the Persian wars,
Athens
gradually stripped away the wealth and influence
of the
Delian Confederacy
. The Cyclades only regained prosperity during the Hellenistic
period, as demonstrated by the construction of numerous large, impressive watchtowers,
most notably on Náxos. The subsequent Roman occupation converted Delos back into a
successful commercial centre, until a series of raids from the east eventually destroyed it.
Under
Byzantine
rule, with little control or support from distant Constantinople, the islands
were vulnerable to
pirates
, and settlements moved from the open coast to inland, defensive
Kástros
, where you find them today.
With the fall of Constantinople to the Crusaders in 1204, the Cyclades came under
Venetian
control and were divided up by adventurers under
Marco Sanudo
who set up the
Náxos-based Duchy of the Aegean. Catholicism prospered, some vestiges of which are still
found today on Sýros and Tínos. Most of the islands were taken by the
Ottomans
from the
1530s onwards, though Tínos held out until 1715. As they rightly considered the West a bigger
threat, the Turks encouraged the Orthodox Church to fight a resurgence against the former
Catholic majority.
After the revolution against the Ottoman Empire in 1821, the Cyclades became part of the
Greek state in 1832 and
Sýros
, in particular, prospered, as the new state's largest port and a
major industrial base. However, the development of
Pireás
and the 1893 opening of the
Corinth Canal
led to a sharp industrial and commercial decline. This was only reversed in the
1960s when the discovery of the pleasures of
Mýkonos
kick-started the tourism boom that
continues unabated today.
6
Catamaran and small-boat services
These operate
during the summer season from Pireás and Rafína,
replacing winter ferries on some routes. Catamaran travel is
expensive, but when time is an issue these high-speed craft
are a welcome addition to the conventional fleet. The
slower
Express Skopelitis
sails daily in season between
Náxos and Amorgós, overnighting at the latter and
connecting Irakliá, Skhinoússa, Koufoníssi and Dhonoússa
- for current info call
T
22850 71256.
Kéa
KÉA (Tziá)
, the nearest of the Cyclades to the mainland, is extremely popular with
Athenian families in August and at weekends year-round; their impact has spread beyond
the small resorts, and much of the coastline is peppered with holiday homes built with
the locally quarried green-brown stone. Because so many visitors self-cater, there is a
preponderance of villa accommodation and not as many tavernas as you might expect.
However, outside August or weekends, the island, with its rocky, forbidding perimeter
and inland oak and almond groves, is an enticing destination for those who enjoy a rural
ramble: ten separate walking paths have been earmarked and are well signposted.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
KÉA
By ferry
There are regular ferry connections to and from
Lávrio on the mainland; ferries dock at Korissía. Only a few
agents in Athens sell ferry tickets from Lávrio to Kéa, so you
will probably need to get these in Lávrio.
