The archipelago south-east of Naxos consists of four inhabited islands and a few smaller uninhabited isles. Most crews usually ignore this group of islands on their way to Ios, Santorini or Naxos. If looking for unspoilt nature, sheltered bays with long, not overcrowded sandy beaches and the original Greece, then include the Lesser Cyclades in your itinerary.
The Lesser Cyclades islands are also called “Erimonisia”, which more or less means “the deserted ones“ or “the lonely ones”. In fact, the islands are not really well-known among boaters and it is a lot less crowded than their more well-known sisters in the north and south. Numerous yachts bustle around here only in high summer, bringing turmoil to the otherwise so tranquil way of life of the locals. Iraklia and Schoinousa in detail (Kato Koufonisi and Pano Koufonisi are presented in the second part of this article):