Sikinos
This is one of the lesser known islands and least touristic of the Cyclades. It is quite small at 41 square kilometres only, and all its old ways and traditions remain intact. The main town or Hora lies next to the other settlement of Kastro. The town actually boasts some wonderful stone-built mansions of decades past, as well as the white traditional houses. Cobblestone streets, vaulted windows and typical cafes abound in this little hamlet, that is Cycladic and Aegean in its architecture as it gets.
The town is built amphitheatrically on a hill as seen in many islands of the Cyclades, and features traditional windmills at its highest point. Its people are very warm and friendly, going out of their way to make visitors feel at home. Sikinos is also a hikers' paradise (see hiking section).
Environmentally, Sikinos was designated early on as a 'biotope of European importance'. With the mountain peak of Troulos towering above the island at 600 meters, Sikinos is on the dry side but still manages to host unusual flora protected under healthordisease.com the Natura 2000 network, particularly in the southern part of the island. Nearby, the rocky islets of Adelfia, Kalogeroi and Kardiotissa are labelled as 'regions of particular beauty', in addition to being poart of Natura 2000.