Backpacking Cyclades: My Route & Best Budget Tips
With hundreds of Greek islands to choose from, exploring them all would take forever. The best strategy? Stick to one island group at a time, and I suggest backpacking the Cyclades to begin with!
The Cyclades are the best Greek islands for backpackers. You’ll find dreamy beaches, charming cobblestone streets, and those iconic pink bougainvillea trees around every corner.
Plus, getting around is super easy, making budget-friendly island hopping a breeze.
Let’s plan your island hopping in Greece on a budget!
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Where To Go In The Cyclades On A Budget?
The ultimate question is which islands to visit when backpacking Greece.
Here are my top 5 Cyclades for backpackers:
- Santorini
- Paros
- Ios
- Mykonos
- Naxos
People usually want to visit the most popular islands, Santorini and Mykonos, which are both good starting/ending points for your island-hopping trip.
However, they are also the most expensive out of all the Cyclades and the most crowded.
I found this funny when I first heard it, but it is true – every island has a very different vibe. So here are the places to consider when backpacking the Greek islands:
- Santorini has a reputation for being an upscale island, geared more toward couples and luxury experiences. However, it is possible to visit Santorini on a budget as there are many hostels on the island and budget-friendly activities!
- Naxos is a more chill island with beautiful sandy beaches to relax, delicious food, and picturesque villages.
- Paros is a hidden gem with lively nightlife, beautiful beaches, and picturesque seaside villages.
- Mykonos and Ios are known as party islands. Mykonos is popular with holidaymakers who don’t worry about their budget, while Ios is a backpacker island if there ever was one in the Cyclades!
- Milos has been getting more popular lately for their unique landscapes.
I spent 10 days island hopping in the Cyclades and visited Santorini, Naxos, and Paros. If I had more time, I would have also added Milos and Ios to my itinerary.
The Best Time to Visit Cyclades On A Budget
June and September are the best months to visit the Cyclades. The weather is still great, you can swim, and the islands are lively, but there is fewer crowds and prices are lower.
July and August are the peak high season for the Cyclades, and that’s when accommodation is the most expensive, and the islands are most crowded.
April, May, and October are also good times to visit if you’re on a budget and don’t care about swimming and the social aspect of backpacking.
Most islands are empty in the winter; there are no flights, and accommodations close.
How To Get To The Cyclades
You have two options when it comes to getting to the islands. You can either fly to the islands or take a ferry.
What you choose to do will mainly depend on your itinerary since the prices might not differ that much, depending on when you book a ticket.
Flying to the Cyclades
Only Santorini and Mykonos have international airports, meaning that you can fly there directly from your country. Both of them are also great options to start or end your trip.
A couple of other islands have airports as well, but they are national airports. This means you have to already be in the country to fly there.
I flew into Athens and took a same-day flight to Santorini to start backpacking the Cyclades.
Taking A Ferry To The Cyclades
The other option is a ferry. All Cycladic islands are connected to other islands and Athens by ferry.
The best part about the ferries is that their prices do not change depending on when you book!
Getting Around The Cyclades
Ferries are the best way to get between the islands unless you are on a sailing trip, in which case, good for you!
Ferries between Greek islands
In high season, there are frequent ferries between islands, though prices and travel times can vary.
I recommend opting for the cheapest ferry as the services are pretty similar across the board.
You won’t have an assigned seat, but you’ll likely end up wandering around looking for a spot to sit anyway.
I book all my ferry tickets in Greece on Ferryhopper. I do not think it is worth your time to check the individual operators because the price is the same.
Where To Stay In The Cyclades?
There is no one answer that fits all for this question. With so many accommodation options on each island, you can find exactly what you’re looking for.
Solo travellers and backpackers should generally stay in the main town – Chora. That is where the hostels will usually be located if there are any on the islands.
The only island where you might have trouble deciding where to stay is Paros, as you can stay in Parikia or Naoussa. Also, islands like Santorini have hostels dotted throughout the island.
Budget Accommodation Options in Cyclades
Not all of the islands have hostels! But that does not mean that budget accommodation is not available, especially if you travel in shoulder season.
As I already mentioned, we were two, so we were staying in private studio apartments paying on average 15€ per person per night.
Another advantage of staying in a studio is having a kitchen or, at least, a fridge. It transforms your budget for the trip.
Getting Around The Islands
While most Greek islands are considered small, they are not so small that you can just walk around from one side to the other.
Public transport on the Cyclades
Every island has a pretty reliable public transport system.
The local bus company on every island is called KTEL. A bus is a cheap and easy way to get around the island with tickets from €1 to €3
Renting a car in the Cyclades
Renting a car on the Cyclades might be the best way to discover the entire island. However, I would only suggest it for bigger islands, like I rented a car in Naxos.
It is cheaper and more enjoyable than a bus if you are traveling in a group.
🚗 This is my favorite website to compare prices and book rental cars in the Cyclades! Book in advance for the best prices!
Renting a bike
Biking in the Cyclades is possible, but not on all islands.
Most islands are very hilly, and combined with the hot weather, it is a recipe for disaster.
Still, there are some flat islands, so visiting Antiparos by bike is a great idea as long as you stay in the northern part of the island!
Biking around the island was one of the best things to do in Paros, but I do not think it would be nearly as enjoyable if it weren’t for an electric bike.
Taxi
There is a taxi system on all islands, but I would not consider it a budget option. However, it is good to know that they are there in case of an emergency.
Scooter/4×4
Some people suggest renting a scooter or a 4×4. However, you need tohave a proper license to rent a scooter here.
If you do, it is a great choice because they tend to be cheaper than buses if you are two people.
Backpacking Cyclades Budget
Your Cyclades backpacking budget will depend on when you decide to visit. As previously mentioned, it will be the most expensive if you visit in the summer.
The most significant expense, the accommodation, varies greatly. Even if you save on everything else, it will eat away at your budget.
If you’re on a tight budget, you might wonder if Mykonos or Santorini is worth visiting. You can visit both if you plan your trip properly!
Cyclades Budget In Summer: €60 to €150 per day
If you are visiting in the summer, expect the prices of everything to be inflated.
This is not to say that it is necessarily super expensive, but it is more expensive than the rest of the country.
Assuming you want to stay in decent accommodation and not spend a lot of money on food and activities, I would budget something like this:
Accommodation: 30-100€
Transportation: 10€
Food: 20€- 40€
Activities: 0€-50€
Therefore, you should budget anywhere from 60€ to 150€ a day if you are a solo traveler.
Budget Tip: Sharing a private room can be more affordable than getting two beds in a dorm if you’re traveling with a friend or as a couple!
Cyclades Off-season Budget: €40 to €80 per day
The main difference if you choose to travel outside of the summer months would be the price of accommodation.
Basically, if the place is 80€ in July, it will be 40€ in September.
Transportation and food prices do not change, so that part of your budget will stay the same.
Activities like sunset cruises in Santorini and boat tours, in general, are cheaper in the shoulder season.
Vegan Food In The Cyclades
When it comes to food, there is no shortage of food choices on the islands, that is, if you are not vegan.
If you are vegan, as you are probably used to, it will require some planning.
Traditionally vegan Greek food
Luckily, there are a couple of traditional dishes that are accidentally vegan that you can always count on.
Look for fava bean spread, dolmas, and Greek salad without feta cheese.
If all else fails, you can go for gyros without meat and tzatziki. Yes, it will be pita bread filled with fries and vegetables.
You could also ask for fasting food. In Greek, it is called “nistisimo”. Fasting food is usually vegan, although I would check for honey.
I never tested this as I found something vegan on the menu everywhere we went.
Of course, I always suggest using the Happy Cow app to see vegan options on every island. The app will offer you some choices of usually vegan options in Omni restaurants.
On more popular islands, like Santorini, there will be a thriving scene of fully vegan restaurants as well!
Tap Water On The Cyclades
You can’t drink tap water in the Cyclades – You will have to buy bottled water.
It is not ideal, so I suggest getting a big 5L bottle that you will use throughout your stay and filling your smaller reusable water bottle to take around with you.
Cyclades Backpackers Bucket List
There are so many things to do when backpacking the Cyclades.
If you visit during the warmer months, beaches are an obvious choice.
Some islands have better beaches than others. For example, I will pick Naxos beaches over Santorini beaches every day. And I am not a fan of sandy beaches, to begin with!
All islands are hilly and make for a perfect hiking destination if you are visiting in the shoulder season.
Yes, you could hike in the summer as well, but keep in mind that it will be hot. Lots of water and SPF are required.
Finally, they are just amazing to walk around and discover. If you love narrow cobblestone streets and aesthetic houses, you will love just getting lost on the islands.
Also, there are cats everywhere. They are very cuddly and taken care of. If you are a cat person, you will have a great time.
How long should you spend on each island?
How many days you want to spend on the Greek islands will depend on their size and what you want to do there.
Anything under 3 nights is just not doing the island justice. Aim to spend 3 to 5 nights per island.
I would rather see fewer islands and spend more time on each of them than visit more and not see much.
Look at it this way, you are spending a day on a ferry because you picked the cheapest one, and it is in the middle of the day. You only have the afternoon and the night on the first day you arrive.
The next day, you will explore the town you are staying at, maybe go to the beach, and that is the second night.
If you were to leave the next day, you would not have time to visit the rest of the island!
Final Thoughts: Backpacking Cyclades
Visiting the Cyclades should definitely be on your itinerary if you’re backpacking in Greece, and it’s a great destination for first-time visitors in Greece.
Backpacking the Greek islands is possible, and it is a fun way to explore this stunning archipelago on a budget.
Honestly, with all the ferries you’ll take when island hopping in the Cyclades, you’ll feel like a backpacker even if you weren’t planning to!
Now that we’ve covered the basics, you can continue planning your Cyclades islands hopping trip!
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