Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/471535
Mykonos & Santorini 45 Part of the most famous chain of the Greek Islands, the Cyclades, Mykonos and Santorini are perhaps the most well-known of the land masses that form a protective circle around the sacred island of Delos, the birthplace of Apollo. Millions of the country's natives join tourists from around the world to pay tribute to two of the most spectacular views in the world —whitewashed walls and cerulean roofs of these seaside havens are as iconic as the Acropolis itself. Mykonos provides a lively counterpart to its quiet, dreamy sister. Nicknamed the "Island of the Winds," surfers, windsurfers, sailors, jet skiers and scuba divers make the most of sparkling white beaches before cooling off on land. Breezes from the oft-photographed Kato Myli windmills and passing Vespas create a calm by day, while after dark, a lush nightlife just minutes from the 18 th -century mansions of Alefkántra, the island's "Little Venice," sends music reverberating through the streets. Brand-name stores and trendy cafés make the capital town of Hora a favorite of jet-setters, as well as aficionados of Cycladic architecture. Revelry of a different tone can be found in melodious Santorini. Having achieved renown as a destination for two, it's a place where magical moments come alive and reality is suspended. Every corner is spotlessly tranquil, from white, festive red, black, and pebbled beaches that touch impossibly blue seas to narrow, lovingly-swept alleys lined with eggshell walls. As a destination that naturally lends itself to flights of fancy, it's no surprise that the youngest volcanic crescent of islands in the Eastern Mediterranean was once thought by Jacques Cousteau to be part of the lost city of Atlantis. Countless galleries, 250 churches, and the celebrated Jazz Festival provide even more opportunities to press pause. MYKONOS & SANTORINI