Sikinos

Sikinos lies between Folegandros and Ios and receives a fraction of their visitors: one port, Alopronia, one inland Chora made of two joined villages, Kastro and Chorio, and a landscape of dry-stone terraces that climb every slope, evidence of a farming past far more populous than the present few hundred residents. The island's monument is Episkopi, a well-preserved Roman mausoleum of the third century AD that was converted into a church in the Byzantine period and remodelled again later, so that a classical facade with columns stands inside a church complex, a rare survival anywhere in Greece. Wine has returned as a small industry, and a handful of beaches, Agios Georgios, Malta, are reached by track or boat. Paths cross the terraces between chapels and abandoned farms.

What you actually see

• Episkopi - a Roman mausoleum converted into a Byzantine church.
• The Chora - Kastro and Chorio joined on a ridge above the sea.
• The terraces - dry-stone walls covering the island's slopes.
• The quiet beaches - a few coves reached by track, boat or footpath.

When to go

May, June and September; the island has limited accommodation and ferries thin out sharply outside summer. Walking is best in spring, when the terraces are green.

Honest expectations

Sikinos is genuinely small and quiet, with a handful of rooms and tavernas and no nightlife or organised activities. Ferry connections are infrequent, and being weather-bound for a day is a real possibility. Bring cash.

Nearby

Folegandros and Ios are the nearest islands; Santorini is reachable on some sailings.