Fire, Sea and Stone: The very best of the Cycladic islands in 10 days

We’ll start in Marpissa, one of Paros’ most picturesque villages, before sweeping around the south of the island, passing some incredible beaches, before finishing in Parikia, the cosmopolitan capital of Paros. We’ll see how Christianity displaced the gods of the ancient Greeks and visit the fortress from where the Venetians made their heroic last stand against the Ottoman invaders, who would dominate the Cyclades until Greece won its independence in the 19th century.

Overnight in Paros.

We’ll climb into the prosperous and picturesque mountain villages of Naxos, which have a totally different feel to the coast. At an ancient quarry, we’ll learn how mysteriously unfinished giant statues provide a key to understanding how ancient sculptors worked. The Naxians became masters of using marble for architecture and sculpture – and used their marble prowess to project their power around the region.

Overnight in Naxos.

We’ll start at the ancient Temple of Demeter, where the ancient Greeks prayed for bountiful harvests and in gratitude for the fertility of the land. Then we’ll drive on a scenic road trip around Naxos’ northern coast and learn about other ways of celebrating the fertility of the land beneath our feet: through mining for lucrative emery, the cultivation of wine and through worshiping the Dionysus; the god of fruitfulness, vegetation, wine and ecstasy.

Overnight in Naxos.

The Great Eruption of the Santorini volcano in around 1500 BC changed the island forever and brought all human life here to an end. Today, we’ll explore the south of the island and go searching for the secrets of ancient Akrotiri under layers upon layers of volcanic ash. We’ll see how subsequent inhabitants of Santorini attempted to rebuild after the eruption, making use of the unique properties of volcanic soil to grow Santorini’s signature produce: tomatoes and wine.

Overnight in Santorini.

We’ve seen how volcanic eruptions and seismic activity have reshaped Santorini and forced its people to adapt. Today, we’ll set foot right in the heart of the volcano to stare this volcanic beast right in the face. We’ll almost feel the magma bubbling beneath our feet on Nea Kameni, Santorini’s still active volcanic core. Then we’ll skirt the volcanic caldera, first on depopulated Therasia, set adrift to the west, then lively Fira, the capital of Santorini.

Overnight in Santorini.